When I was a kid we always said we were "going to the pictures" (cinema). Last Friday the "pictures" came to us! Mark Jenkins of West Side Cinema, a community cinema in Stromness, had some funding and has been able to bring a film out to two or three islands that have no cinema and don't have easy access to one.
Our main cinema is in Kirkwall, known as the "Picky" but really the Pickaquoy Centre. Often films don't fit in with boat times so it means an overnight stay making it a rare occurrence to go to the pictures.
Many folk on the island use film streaming sites such as Netflix and have big tvs with all the bells and whistles. But it's still nice to go along and communally watch a film.
The film that West Side Cinema had chosen for us was
"Hunt for the Wilderpeople" A New Zealand film from 2016. It was an ideal film that appealed to old and young alike. I had to look away at a couple of gory bits but still thoroughly enjoyed the film.
It was a short night as the folk from West Side Cinema had to get the 9.45pm boat back to Stromness, but it was fun and something a bit different for the island.
We have a projector, laptop and screen ourselves so we might look at trying to find a way to be able to show films - cost is the main stumbling block as films and licenses can cost quite a bit and with so few folk it's just not feasible. But maybe we can sort something out.
Meanwhile a jolly good night was had by all on the island - again!
