The Cinema Travellers

An affectionate, melancholy ode to a vanishing phenomenon in rural India: the traveling cinema. The huge projector has been repaired countless times by its ingenious operator. The tent and screen have seen better days, and the rusty truck that carries it all from place to place won’t hold out much longer. And even in the most remote villages, there is competition from TV. But this doesn’t deter the crew from doggedly carrying on. Nevertheless, modern technology is making its mark. Will the hard drive be the traveling cinema’s savior? Beautifully filmed observations of the ups and downs of life in and around the cinema – the tent is constantly on the move – are punctuated by the musings of the elderly projectionist in his workshop. He dreamily tells of his love for cinema as the camera shows us the dusty film canisters and homemade projector. Time seems to stand still, yet transience is palpable.