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Venues

Page history last edited by FilmSociety@gmail.com 7 years ago

 

Initially the decision on where to screen was merely based on locations that were available, so a number of venues were used over the first 15 years of the Society’s existence. The uninspiring atmosphere and hard seats in the village hall were not popular during two screenings there in the early 1980’s. Yet private homes provided facilities of variable quality. Some were highly successful like a memorable screening of King Kong at Ian and Rachel’s with Jürgen Gnoth winning the ‘costume’ award, arriving bare-chested and with his hairy back he was in real competition with King Kong. That was not the only screening when the hot tub was present. This was a large square metal tank with an open fire under it, most inviting to would-be bathers. On the two occasions when it was used on Doctor’s Point Beach it was filled by buckets passed along a row of members strategically positioned between the sea and tub. Meanwhile a screen was hung up on an adjacent tree and the projector driven by a generator.


There were other memorable screenings. Les Blank films were a perfect choice for projecting onto a screen in Ulf’s garden late on a balmy summer night. The smell of food cooking on the outside fireplace provided olfactory reality to the activities on screen, with the addition of the music of Louisiana. This was not so much a drive-in as a walk-in. Outside screenings were very popular with our audience. There was also once a novel screening in the rabbit barn (built in 1928) on the property of schoolteacher Tania McLean at the corner of Erne Street and Doctors Point Road.


In 1985 a move was made to the Waitati School library where screenings continued for 3 years. The Society donated some thick curtains, made by Glenys Clements, to exclude pre-dusk daylight during late summer and early spring. It was a particularly good venue, as it usually remained warm from its occupation during the school day. Also there was a power point available for Geraldine Tait to plug in her kettle in the interval between reels in order to serve a choice of tea or coffee, with biscuits, of course.


Eventually it was felt that the venue, despite its convenience, did not provide sufficient attraction for potential audiences. Consequently, over the period 1988 – 1991, occasional screenings took place again at individual member’s homes. Despite the inconvenience of transporting the relatively heavy equipment around the village, the principle proved very popular. However the increasing numbers of attendees in relatively small venues of private homes necessitated creative positioning of the projector, such as down a corridor, in order to achieve the required size of picture whilst avoiding structural obstructions and viewer’s heads.

 

It was not just dedication to film as a medium that made the audience tolerant of the cramped conditions, but the social interaction was a strong attraction. The realisation that it was ambience that brought people along coincided in 1993 with an offer to be hosted by Rosi Parsons at her property at the corner of Orokonui and Mt Cargill Roads. Down a short driveway and across a delightful, though unrailed bridge, members entered a long shed. The well-stoked fire, low ceiling and wood-lined walls gave a cosy feeling that, along with comfortable seating and acceptable acoustics, made it into a welcoming environment. As a bonus, Rosi’s warm hospitality was a strong draw card. She ensconced herself at the back of the room in a small triangular space fronted by a bar. In exchange for a donation, Rosi would dispense either coffee or a variety of home brews, all truly delicious nectars of the gods. Brew master Ed Case later took over those bar duties. Social interaction continued to be not just limited to before the projector was switched on, nor in the intervals between reels, but also for long after the last credits rolled down the screen.


Since the first screening there in 1993 and the last in 2013, all the Society’s activities were based at Rosi’s place, such has been the success of the venue. In the early years it was a great fillip to the Society as membership and attendances increased significantly. Sadly, in about 1997 at one screening some of the audience had to be asked to leave as the auditorium was dangerously overcrowded. Increasing financial income allowed extension of the room, purchase of improved seating (former theatre seats) and, thanks to the efforts of Hank Rebmann, improvements to the sound system. Despite the attraction of the internal environment, members still lingered outside before and after screenings keeping themselves warm by standing next to an aromatic wood fire blazing away in a brazier.

 

 

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