Most Academy Award acceptance speeches are filled with thanks to the winner’s family, agent, colleagues or God – but this week the Oscar-winning director of Anora, Sean Baker, used his to deliver a call to cinematic arms.
“Watching a film in the theatre with an audience is an experience; we can laugh together, cry together, scream and fright together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together, and in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever,” Baker said.
“Please watch movies in the theatre, and let’s keep the great tradition of the movie-going experience alive and well.”
Aksharaa Agarwal at a drinks function before a Sydney University Film Society screening.Credit: Rhett Wyman
But despite the lingering effects of COVID lockdowns, the proliferation of streamers and the cost-of-living crisis, it’s an experience Australians are already returning to in droves, with admissions increasing 13 per cent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2024.
And there are plenty of young people among their number, including former Sydney University Film Society president Aksharaa Agarwal.
”People want to connect over something they love, and the first few times, it can seem very involved, but you just keep showing up and listening to people talk about the film, and it’s very difficult not to be involved,” Agarwal said.
Sean Baker takes the prize for best director for his work on Anora.Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
“Most people who want this experience have been craving an opportunity like this … it’s almost a ritual when you tag along with friends, watch the movie, then chat, laugh and have conversations that go on completely different tangents after we hit the pub.”
On her way home, Agarwal reads reviews on the social platform Letterboxd, which is used by cinephiles to share their opinions on the films they see.
It’s a platform that is helping bridge the generational divide, says Cinema Nova chief executive Kristian Connelly, who bonds with his younger staff at the Melbourne arthouse theatre by discussing films they recommend to one another.
Connelly has also developed bonds with customers attending Cinema Nova’s film club sessions, where screenings are followed by discussion at the theatre bar.
“People are beginning to realise streaming doesn’t have the breadth of titles,” Connelly said.
“Getting people together where they can appreciate a moment is really great … it’s the same thing as going to a rock concert in a small way because when we’re all singing the same song, you’re connecting with people.”
President and co-curator of the long-standing Melbourne Cinémathèque Adrian Danks has also observed a real appetite for the movie-going experience over the past two years, noting demand after COVID and growing interest from younger audiences.
“We screen films with great sound, sight lines, projection and on print, and while digital restoration is good, you get the chance to see it closer to how these film were meant to be seen,” Danks said.
“Yes, it’s going to dinner or having a drink with friends, and we have members who go on Letterboxd after the film too, but it’s not just your friends, it’s being in a large space with people you don’t know, and being in a respectful audience.”
Melbourne Cinematheque co-curator Adrian Danks at ACMI, Fed Square.Credit: Jason South
University of Melbourne lecturer in the Centre for Wellbeing Science Çağla Sanri says in-person interactions are critical to social bonds.
“People can watch Netflix together, but going to the cinema allows a more sensory experience which allows us to connect in a more immersive way,” Sanri said. “When we get the chance, it’s important to make an effort to meet in person, and also those rituals and shared experiences can really improve our relationships.”
Danks co-curator Eloise Ross observes a “need for public and communal connection” among the Cinémathèque members, spanning generations.
“It’s this pushback against the sanitised nature of streaming and home viewing,” she said. “When you go with friends or like-minded strangers, there’s a sense of warmth and richness to the experience.”
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