It takes great courage to open theatres during the time of a pandemic. Mexico City has done this brave deed. They have reopened theatres, which were shut for more than 4 months because of the coronavirus. So what did it take to open them up?
It took some drastic and little effort in order to open the theatres back. People were allowed to drink and eat popcorns albeit with the condition of wearing masks rest of the time. The mats were sanitized and temperatures checked before allowing entry.
All this was expected to happen. People were prepared just like the theatre owners.
People visiting the theatres were witnesses of the new normal. If they came in as a couple, they were allowed to sit together although a group of friends was forced to sit apart. Only two people allowed to sit together, with empty seats around them.
A palpable sense of joy on the theatres opening could be observed even though the theatres opened up at 30% of capacity, which is the allowed limit. Rows were blocked with yellow tapes, giving people limited choice for choosing seats.
On Wednesday, at an IMAX theatre in the city, around 10 people showed up for the screening of 2014 sci-fi blockbuster, Interstellar. The 10 people left the theatre with disappointment as a technical glitch with the projector, halted the screening.
You may be wondering, why the theatres were screening a film released 6 years ago. To answer your query, it is to be noted that new films are currently not releasing anywhere. People are still choosing to stay at home, forcing several new releases to delay, and thus theatres are opting for classics.
In Mexico City only, a 47-year-old, Bakery manager, Antonio Alamillo, and a 42-year-old teacher, Nélida Cartujano went to see a classic. They watched James Dean’s 1955 film ‘Rebel Without a cause’.
It is a fact that everyone loves films. Mexico is one of the largest markets for filmmakers all over the world. About 350 million movie tickets were sold in Mexico, which made it the fourth-largest movie market behind China, India, and the United States. This figure was calculated in 2019.
As per some estimates from Canacine, Mexican theatres lost around 152 million ticket sales during the lockdown. A massive effect of this resulted in several theaters closing down in the country.
Though theatres are slowly opening up now, with hopes of a revival. Alejandra Frausto, Mexico’s Culture Secretary was at one of the first shows in Mexico city’s Cineteca Nacional complex.
She was quoted saying :
“A moment like this, returning to the movies, seemed impossible,
But that is precisely what art does, make the impossible possible.”
Filled with hope, the country’s theatre, exhibitors must be praying for their survival. Till the new films don’t come, Classics are their ray of light.