“Movies touch our hearts, awaken our vision and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds,” a quote by one of my favourite directors of all time, Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese explains how deep and impactful this form of art is for movie lovers such as myself. That being said, I strongly believe that movies have to be experienced in the way they are meant to be; watched at the cinema, in order to get this pure experience. It is true that there are many other easily accessible mediums on which movies can be watched, but nothing beats the happiness and the contentment when it is watched at a cinema.
Yes, it is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on every sector of the cinema industry. Across the world, cinemas were closed, film festivals cancelled, film productions paused and movie releases postponed to future dates. A lot of companies within and affiliated to the cinema industry are in fact, going through huge financial losses. But what we should realize is that nothing is permanent. This phase too shall pass. I am a firm believer of this because there have been many other catastrophic events such as wars, natural disasters and pandemics in the past, but cinema survived and has always come back stronger.
Many cinemas have already reopened across the world with proper guidelines and effective measures in place to ensure the safety of cinemagoers. What has to be noted is that the response from the public has also been positive! In addition to the reopening of the cinemas, there have also been some innovative ideas surfacing. Recently VOX cinemas, one of the biggest cinema exhibitors in the MENA region, brought back the drive-in cinema concept. This has been a hit since its launch in Dubai. Other good news is that the most awaited blockbusters of 2020, such as Wonder Woman 1984, Mulan and The King’s Man to name a few are expected to be released very soon!
Despite what we are all going through right now, I am really optimistic and confident about the future of the cinema industry and firmly believe that it will bounce back even stronger, as the love for cinemas and movies will never die for true enthusiasts.