Missing the excitement at cinemas

Published on: Sunday, October 18, 2020

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Credit: Cinema.com.my

SOME people like going to the gym or a favourite coffee shop, while others miss travelling and yearn for the company of others.

I, however, miss the cinema. The world has started reopening cinemas, but it may be too little, too late.

The Covid-19 pandemic has decimated the cinema industry to a point where its recovery is questionable. Will cinemas, as we remember them, ever return to normal and what can we do to aid this?

There is nothing like watching a movie on a big screen. For many people, watching a movie is a form of escapism.

The big screen does its best to entice, scare or stimulate you. In the past week, cinema chains across the world have closed down, another victim of the pandemic.

The cinema experience may never be the same again. I recently saw a movie at a cinema. I was excited, even child-like in anticipation. However, things were different.

I was wearing a face mask, not allowed to buy popcorn and sat two seats away from the nearest patron. Was I in a cinema or in a parallel universe where the cinema had become a prison? Watch Netflix, I hear you say. It isn't the same.

Streaming platforms have helped us in our time of need, but they present a challenge as the digital ecosystem becomes more pervasive.

We are in danger of leading a sedentary lifestyle. The World Health Organisation said that more than 80 per cent of adolescents are not physically active enough.

With the pandemic and technology becoming an integral part of people's lives, we need to find a balance so that we are in control of technology and not vice versa.

Taking a walk or a drive to a cinema can reduce our sedentary behaviour.

More importantly, it will give us an experience that can't be replicated at home.

Going to the cinema will also keep cinema operators afloat. The government has a role to play in protecting the industry.

The cinema industry includes occupations from actors to directors, writers to cinematographers, all of whom need backing and aid during this trying time.

We should think about the traditional and cultural importance associated with cinemas.

RT