I suppose that we all feel that we are not living just our usual Christmastime. Most cities have put up their Christmas lights and decorations everywhere as if we kept on leading our ordinary lives and in a way we do so but at the same time we can´t pretend that life goes on as usual. Our everyday lives are now shaped by the social restrictions that are imposed on us, we must avoid meeting friends, especially the friends we haven´t seen for a long time and we must also avoid having family gatherings, both types of gatherings are typical of this time of the year.
I could write about other small pleasures we have been deprived of during this rainy and cold weather which is usually the festive season but I prefer to write about the comfort we can find in the cinema in order to counteract the consequences of this horrendous pandemic. Even if you don´t feel like going to the cinema – because it doesn´t matter how often others tell you that going to the cinema is safe, you must feel it yourself – you can always resort to a good story which is told from the point of view of a new or an old film-maker. It seems that the pandemic has made many people become hooked on films thanks to the numerous TV and digital platforms which are now available so a new way of watching films has become even more popular over the last months. The other day I read an interview with Isabel Coixet – recipient of the 2020 National Film Award – in which she spoke about this. She welcomed the idea but I couldn´t agree with her more when she said that the experience will never be the same, that is, going to the cinema is a complete experience which involves watching a film but goes beyond that. I guess that´s really what the term cinemagoer means, what´s the term for someone who enjoys watching films but never goes to the cinema? Is there a term for that? Of course, “cinema buff ”or “cinemaphile” or just “film lover” are inclusive or general terms but I just hope we´ll continue to use the term “cinemagoer” in the future.
If you decide to go to the cinema, you can watch one of the few releases of the last months: The Father, a film about living with senile dementia. It is a drama performed by two wonderful British actors – Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman – and the subject matter of the film may be not appealing to you but according to reviews, if you can bear to watch a story which may resemble your family life too much, then the experience will stay with you.
I hope you will invest in new cinematic experiences in the future – and not just in binge-watching at home – because it will endow you with lasting and vivid memories and life´s about memories. And above all, I wish you new ordinary Christmases in the future.
Merry Christmas and happy and healthy New Year!!
