The Cinema Travelers (2016) is a multi-award winning Indian film co-directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya. Structurally, this devastatingly beautiful documentary has direct cinema qualities. The camera crew unobtrusively follows the ins and outs of three cinephiles as they come to terms with the fact their profession and livelihood are at stake. The Cinema Travelers captures their realization that movies shot on photo-chemical film is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Mohammed, a travelling showmen and family man, recognizes that he is part in a dying industry and promptly seeks out alternative technologies to keep his business afloat. Bapu, a grouchy film exhibitor struggles to maintain his film screening business as he tries to restore his rusted up cinema lorry. The most touching story is of Prakash, a kind man who has dedicated 45 years of his life to becoming a world class mechanic who specializes in fixing film projectors. His story stood out to me, mainly because of his positive approach to life. He is an inventor, a real ideas-man; he has developed a prototype for a ‘perfect’ projector but is too late to capitalize on his concept as the digital era is already upon us.
The film highlights the fact that there has been another major shift forward in the film industries and film technologies have progressed. The stories explored in The Cinema Travelers also bring to light the fact that there is such a massive distinction between the Western World and Third World nations. The film has a poetic undertone and tells a unique version of the typical contemporary culture clash.
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AuthorNicoleRoseAnna an Aquarian, middle child, grand-daughter, sister, aunty, cousin and niece. On the road to becoming a Sociologist specialising in Film & Television. Archives
November 2016
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