A Blatant Cultural Deficiency
As we all know, the art of cinematography originates from France. From there, the Cinématographe of the Lumière brothers quickly conquered Europe and the world in the 19th century. However, in France’s former colony Madagascar, little of this heritage from the Grande Nation remains. The capital city of Tana once boasted the “Kino Ritz,” where the high society of the colony gathered. Today, the cinema is nothing more than an abandoned ruin, and in other major cities of the country, the situation is not much different.
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In the Landes region, there is no longer a single cinema that meets European standards!
The Current Cinema Culture in Madagascar
Over time, the people of Madagascar have developed their own unique cinema culture. For locals, it’s less about enjoying the film and more about socializing. Given the conditions of the Madagascan “video cinemas,” it’s hardly possible to take anything away from a film: Up to 100 people sit in a stuffy, unventilated room during screenings. Typically, only low-quality action films are shown with poor picture and sound quality.
The original form of cinema offers more than just entertainment. Films of high artistic quality captivate audiences with fascinating images and compelling content, providing a unifying element of education and entertainment
that can offer new perspectives on the world and oneself. For Madagascar, we envision a cinema that truly harnesses the potential of its residents, and have developed the idea of a mobile roaming cinema that will continuously travel the red island.
A new idea is born
The idea is as simple as it is compelling: a dismantlable canvas, a powerful projector, a PC or DVD player, a generator, and a few speakers would be the basis of the equipment of the mobile traveling cinema that will tour Madagascar. Only culturally and artistically valuable films are planned as film material. Award-winning film classics and good documentaries not only provide entertainment to the locals but also offer access to education that is unfortunately inaccessible to the locals in the more remote areas of the island.
To reach as many locals as possible with the traveling cinema, ticket prices must be kept very low. The project’s financing is not possible without the support of donations. We are in need of projectors and other portable equipment. Interested individuals can contact us through the contact form on our website. Thank you, or as the Malagasy would say: Misaotra!
