Alternative Entertainment

IT IS a cold, rainy Thursday night on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain. Outside of a large, concrete warehouse, cars begin to arrive. The passengers disembark and make a mad dash through the rain for the metal staircase taking them to the second floor. As they walk down a dark corridor, their soft footsteps echo with the sound of strange music wafting through the air. Inside the unfurnished warehouse, a group has converged and taken their seats. The room is illuminated with a few candles, and a stick of incense burns in the corner. A few standing fans circulate the air in the dark room as the group talks quietly amongst themselves, waiting for the main event. And what is this main event, you may be asking? Some kind of clandestine satanic cult meeting, perhaps? A s?ance, maybe? Not at all! It is merely the Studio Film Club doing their weekly screening in CCA7 at the Fernandes Industrial Complex in Laventille. 

I first discovered the Studio Film Club after reading about it in the newspapers. From the first time I went I was hooked, and from then on every Thursday I would anxiously leaf through the papers searching for what film they would be presenting that night. The films they show are no ordinary movies — they are often quite unusual, or at least something you would rarely find from Hollywood or on cable TV. Their choice of films spans all across the globe – some come from well known media entities such as the BBC, but others are made by little-known or obscure independent directors, often starring first-time actors and actresses. Some have won film festival awards and other nominations. All are very interesting. The Studio Film Club opens promptly at 7.30 pm, and before the main feature at 8.15 they show some wonderfully quirky short flicks, often subtitled or silent, which can be anything from a black and white film about the life of Eskimos to a surfing documentary.

While the short film plays, the DJ/projectionist for the night spins a variety of songs, from the rock and roll of Jimi Hendrix to some duelling banjos. The film club assembles a number of rows of hard plastic chairs (and I do mean hard!) and a projector screen hangs on a wall. There is a small bar serving what I assume are donated beverages, because the film club does not charge for the drinks, but rather patrons use a “donation” box in exchange for a Heineken (since Carib and Stag are missing in action) or a nice cold Shandy, handed to you with a beaming smile by artist-turned-bartender and SFC organiser Che Lovelace himself. But for those who have become too accustomed to the luxuries of MovieTowne, or have a limited appreciation for all things “artsy fartsy”, you may not like the SFC or its choice of films, because you will not find any popcorn, you will not find any previews, you will not find any beautiful Hollywood stars, and you certainly will not find any comfortably cushioned seats.

But what you will find is a free, and yes I did say FREE, movie that is always a cut above the rest. Usually for us Trinidadians “free” is the magic word, but the group of people who frequent the film club still remains relatively small so after a few weeks you start to recognise the regulars – a motley crew of CCA7 artists, film enthusiasts and a variety of artists, sometimes including Peter Minshall! One of the best films I’ve seen at CCA7 was the musical Dancer in the Dark, which starred one of the most talented women in the world (in my humble opinion at least) – actress, singer, writer and performer Bj?rk. It is one of those films that takes your breath away and leaves you like a zombie in your chair as the credits roll. Other noteworthy ones are Ratcatcher, Elephant and Bowling for Columbine, just to name a handful that I’ve seen over the last few months. Most of their films tend to have somewhat of a serious or dramatic tone — a film that digs deep — but not all of them are so heavy. In fact, one time they even showed The Big Lebowski, which was anything but serious!

Last week they showed Satyajit Ray’s Pather Pachali, or the “Apu Trilogy”, a 1957 movie set in middle of nowhere in India (which ironically resembled Central Trinidad), and followed the life of a family struggling to make ends meet. Don’t worry, I had the same thought — “a black and white movie from 1957 India?” But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality acting and cinematography, especially the actress who played “Auntie” — an ancient crone with a bent back and a haggard, drawn face, but who was a “real character.” The film was even complimented by music from then-unknown Ravi Shankar. I am looking forward to the other two installments of the trilogy, and have decided from now on I will not doubt the SFC’s choices! The SFC is a very welcome change from the normal cinema routine — expensive tickets, long lines, freezing air conditioners, cell phones ringing constantly, obnoxious people who won’t shut up, the loud sound of eating, and that feeling of dissatisfaction after wasting money on a bad movie.

You could spend hours upon hours leafing through the TV Guide and flicking through the melee of cable channels and still not find something worthwhile to watch. And even with all the DVD clubs popping up all over the place, good entertainment can be hard to come by. But then again, I suppose that depends on how you define a “good” movie in the first place. In my book at least, movies like 13 Going On 30, Kangaroo Jack or Daddy Day Care do not fall into the “good” category.  In a world where everything is driven by profit, it is nice to know that there are still some people out there who will work to show a film simply for the sake of bringing people to come, watch, appreciate and enjoy. I am not always able to go every week to CCA7, but I am glad they do what they do, because I have seen some wonderful films that I probably would not have been able to see otherwise. The SFC is a breath of fresh air, and for those of you who are interested in some alternative entertainment that is intelligent, eye-opening and entertaining (and free!), the SFC certainly has my highest recommendation… Although if I may make one more recommendation for people who are thinking of going…. walk with a cushion!