Every industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with cinemas in particular one of the groups hit hard by the virus as they have been shut down across much of the world.
This week, filmmaker Christopher Nolan has penned an essay in The Washington Post asking people to show their support of cinemas when they reopen.
Nolan, a long time champion of the traditional theatrical experience, calls cinemas a ‘vital part of social life’ that not only provides entertainment for everyone but also jobs for many people. In his letter he says:
“As Congress considers applications for assistance from all sorts of affected businesses, I hope that people are seeing our exhibition community for what it really is: a vital part of social life. These are places of joyful mingling where workers serve up stories and treats to the crowds that come to enjoy an evening out with friends and family. As a filmmaker, my work can never be complete without those workers and the audiences they welcome.
The past few weeks have been a reminder, if we needed one, that there are parts of life that are far more important than going to the movies. But, when you consider what theaters provide, maybe not so many as you might think. When this crisis passes, the need for collective human engagement, the need to live and love and laugh and cry together, will be more powerful than ever.
Movie theaters have gone dark, and will stay that way for a time. But movies, unlike unsold produce or unearned interest, don’t cease to be of value. Much of this short-term loss is recoverable. When this crisis passes, the need for collective human engagement, the need to live and love and laugh and cry together, will be more powerful than ever.
The combination of that pent-up demand and the promise of new movies could boost local economies and contribute billions to our national economy. We don’t just owe it to the 150,000 workers of this great American industry to include them in those we help, we owe it to ourselves. We need what movies can offer us.”
You can read Nolan’s full letter at The Washington Post while his new film “Tenet” remains on track for a July 17th theatrical release.
