In London some generations ago people didn’t go to the cinema, they went to the "pictures". A trip was a grand event, a reason to don glad rags and make a night of it. Amid live music and variety acts, people would meet, mingle, eat and drink before settling down to watch the feature film.
This sense of grandeur has largely disappeared among cinema-goers. The Other Cinema, a new endeavour from Future Cinema (the pioneers behind Secret Cinema and the Future Shorts film festival), is an attempt to restore it. "The idea of a local cinema is lacking today," says Fabien Riggall, founder of Future Cinema. His new concept is an attempt to recreate that traditional feel. The plan is to screen films as part of a themed night that brings together like-minded locals and gets them talking.
The launch event in February was a five-night run of Brief Encounter, a romantic film to coincide with Valentine’s Day at the Troxy, a stunning art-deco theatre in east London. In typical Future Cinema style, notice of the event was spread through word of mouth and social-networking sites, lending it the gloss of exclusivity by the time tickets went on sale. Young and old attendees were united by a desire for something different, and open-minded enough to follow the instructions delivered some days before: wear black tie and "bring a flower for a lover or a stranger". At ￡ 20, tickets weren’t cheap, but trips to the cinema rarely are these days, and this event promised more than a plush seat and a big screen.
On arrival we were greeted by usherettes in 1940s caps with neat updos and scarlet lips. They seated us at round tables facing the stage under hazy red lighting as a jazz band got our toes tapping. While we ate and drank we were kept amused by wartime entertainment—a sing-along of "Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner", The Lady Greys dance troupe twirling around in flouncy chiffon and a farce performed by the ushers—all of which was slightly baffling to a 21st-century audience (but in-keeping with the 1940s theme). By the time Brief Encounter began flickering on screen, a feeling of bonhomie filled the room. Giggles greeted the lovers’ genteel gestures and the hammy accents of the supporting cast. But Noel Coward’s script is as witty as ever.
The Other Cinema subverts the anonymity experienced in multiplexes today. Mr Riggall believes that film "can be as important as politics", potentially uniting people and challenging their views. His picks are those he believes "you should see", from classics to new films which have yet to enjoy wide distribution. Future Cinema is looking for partners to create a network of events hosted on the same night each month across the world (a formula they have already used for their annual Future Shorts film festival). The London team will manage the concept—they will choose the film, devise the theme and provide the marketing materials. He says they have already had 250 enquiries from around Britain as well as the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Future Cinema plans to have its global partners on board in time for its next event in April. The film will be Benda Bilili, a 2010 documentary about a group of disabled Congolese musicians. Mr Riggall hopes that cinema-goers watching this at the same time around the world will conduct a discussion across social-networking sites and across cultures. This may be a grand vision, but at a time when the multiplex delivers an unfailingly anodyne experience, it is gratifying to know that something different is being injected into the mix. (From The Economist; 603 words)
What is the writer’s attitude towards the event organized by Future Cinema