The Cinema Travellers
Directed by Amit Madheshiya, Shirley Abraham
Synopsis
An affectionate but melancholy ode to a vanishing phenomenon in rural India: the travelling cinema. The huge projector has been repaired countless times by its ingenious operator. The tent and screen have seen better days, and the rusty truck that carries it all from place to place will not hold out much longer. And even in the most remote villages, there is competition from TV. But this doesn’t deter the crew from doggedly carrying on.
Beautifully filmed observations of the ups and downs of life on the road with the travelling cinema are punctuated by the musings of an elderly projectionist in his workshop. He dreamily tells of his love for cinema as he shows us his dusty film canisters and homemade projector. Time seems to stand still, yet transience is palpable as modern technology makes its mark. But will the hard drive turn out to be the travelling cinema’s saviour?
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