One of the things I look forward to every year is watching the Academy Awards on TV. It’s great to see the stars all dressed up in glamor, the song and dance performances, the jokes by the host and presenters, and yes, you even get to witness historic moments (like somebody getting slapped in the face by somebody else on stage). This year saw another landmark moment—the first time for one person to win four Oscars in a single night for the same film.
That person, Sean Baker, for his Best Director award, made a very moving speech. As somebody who loves going to the cinema, I thought it was one of the best speeches ever. He called out the importance of movie theaters and the theatergoing experience, “It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.” He pointed out that “the theatergoing experience is under threat. Movie theaters, especially independently owned theaters are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them” and that “we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture.” Filmmakers, distributors, and audiences all need to support the big screen.
The same goes for Japan. The pandemic dealt a big blow to ‘mini’ theaters (small independent theaters). I recently saw a documentary titled “This Magic Moment” by Lim Kah Wai, who visited mini-theaters across Japan to talk to the proprietors and staff. A few mentioned that because a big part of their audiences were senior citizens, the pandemic left an even more profound impact. The number of people showing up at the theaters hasn’t fully recovered, and theaters are in crisis. Once something is gone, it’s hard to bring back.
So, “Parents, introduce your children to feature films in movie theaters and you’ll be molding the next generation of movie lovers and filmmakers. And for all of us, when we can, please watch movies in the theater, and let’s keep the great tradition of the moviegoing experience alive and well.”