Community cinema is raring to go

A popular village cinema has revealed an exciting roster of films as it prepares to reopen to the community.

The volunteers who operate Parbold Picture House, an independent community cinema, have organised a series of Sunday screenings which will take place from the start of August.

The volunteers, winners of a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020, the MBE for Volunteer Groups, will be operating the cinema according to the latest Government guidelines.

Just before the Covid pandemic broke out, the venue completed the installation of a new heating and ventilation system which included fresh-air ventilation, which changes the air constantly in the auditorium.

All the safety precautions that the public has adopted will be in operation: reduced seating, sanitisers, one-way system, and the volunteers ask that audience pay using notes only for safety reasons.

The opening film on Sunday, August 1, at 7pm is the Oscar winning film Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand, Best Actress Winner and directed by the Best Director, Chloé Zhao.

It tells of a woman in her sixties, whose reaction to being made redundant is to pack all her belongings into her van and hit the road across America. It is a story of resourcefulness, resilience and hope.

This screening at the Picture House will be a rare opportunity because the film has had only a very limited showing in the region.

Then, on Sunday August 15, is the legendary British Oscar winner Chariots of Fire, in a 40th anniversary screening that fully exploits the Picture House’s big screen and Dolby sound.

At least two generations of film-lovers have never seen this exhilarating story with its great visual flair and heard its legendary electronic music by Vangelis on the big screen with the full Dolby sound.

The film carried off four Oscars in 1981 for Best film, Screenplay, Music and Costume Design.

The 2019 remake of Little Women will then be screened on Sunday, August 29, followed by The Personal History of David Copperfield on September 12.

Parbold Picture House is based at The Village Hall, The Green, Parbold WN8 7DN. For more details, visit parboldpicturehouse.org.

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