Ashwin Ravichandran

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'Cinema Paradiso' took me back in nostalgia to my first experience in a movie theatre. It remembered me of my awe after watching the characters so big in the screen and wondering how it looked as bright as a day on the screen though it was dark in the evening, outside the theatre. This made me curious about films, movie theatres and the light behind the porthole. I asked my dad how did that happened as I would think that he's got answers for all the questions like every other four year old did. His answer was "Projector". That was the first time I heard that word and it stuck in my mind as a magic spell. From then, everytime I went to watch a film, I made sure that I catch a glimpse of the light from behind at least once and I yearned to step inside the projection booth. After 8 years I got that golden opportunity to land myself inside the projection booth of a movie theatre during the intermission of a movie, I went to watch. I saw the past, present and future of movie projection there, through the slide, 35mm carbon arc, 35mm Xenon and the digital cinema projectors inside the projection booth. The projectionist gave me a quick tour and a tutorial which revealed the trick played to bring that magical beam of light on the big screen. I befriended him and left to the theatre everyday right after school to learn more about it. Like Alfredo in this film, that projectionist taught me how to operate all the projectors starting from the yesteryear giant film projectors to the briefcase like digital projectors of today. Eventually I grasped that art in a short span and started projecting films when he was exhausted after continuous shows. I did this everyday until that projectionist left one day after his eyes were badly affected due to xenon light exposure after an attempt to fix the lamp in that old xenon projector. Ten years later, today none of the theatres use film projectors and the job called "The Projectionist" has passed away. Digital film projectors have replaced those magic boxes which threw light onto the big screen and computers have took the role of the projectionist. This brings a heartbreak in me. Nevertheless, I am proud and feeling special to be a rare kind in my generation to have learnt the art of film projection in those big old machines. What I have now is a one minute ad-reel of a commercial which I treasure as a heartfelt possession of mine in memory of that golden art I learnt. I couldn't believe myself that an episode of my life had coincided with this film. I just saw me in the screen as young toto who operates the projector which is way taller than him. This movie will stay close to my heart amongst every other favorite movies of mine. Everyone who'd fell in love with the magical light which came in the darkness of a movie theatre like me, should watch this film. For the love of Films, Ashwin Ravichandran.