ISLANDS OF FORGOTTEN CINEMAS

Islands are peripheral in the classical sense – and perhaps they lag behind a little. Alas, it wasn’t always the case. The Dalmatian Islands, beyond the modern distraction of tourist traps and campgrounds, are an archipelago dotted with nearly forgotten movie theatres, in which today’s senior citizens were once able to enjoy their youth. A window to the world opened up to them decades ago in these halls, some of them out in the open air, when films rolled here for the very first time in all of Yugoslavia. Sadly, little is left of the pleasure of those bygone days, back when people went to see the same film dozens of times. Choirs and brass bands rehearse in the spaces now, children practice shooting their air rifles and the stressed-out masses seek solace in yoga. In static images radiating a meditative calm while also conveying an eerie emptiness, the recollections of yesterday’s cinephiles take on an immersive character. The films of the 1950s moved men and women alike to tears – today it is the rows of unoccupied seats that provoke sadness, though without the promise of cathartic relief à la Hollywood. The cinema era has come full circle in this sleepy off-season: back then the people demanded movies and dance halls were converted for the purpose; today they are once again used for physical pursuits. Quo vadis, cinema?