Film classics boost cinema campaign

Published on Monday 16 November 2009 21:28

THE seaside town of Nairn is famed as the favourite resort of Charlie Chaplin and the current home of Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.

But despite its cinematic pedigree, the town has suffered an intermission of more than 30 years without a vital element – a cinema.

In the 1970s, queues gathered at Nairn's picture house to see Grease before the John Travolta blockbuster was screened in Inverness, 16 miles away.

But since the Playhouse closed and was taken over by the Royal British Legion and then the Nairn County Social Club, there has been no big screen for the population of 11,700, which is predicted to increase by up to 80 per cent in the next 30 years.

Swinton has helped a revival over the past two summers, playing a starring role in the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams and Pilgrimage film festivals.

And it is hoped a campaign for a new cinema will gather pace with a day of classic movies being shown in the community centre on 29 November by a group of film buffs called Cinema Nairn.

The Wizard of Oz will be followed by The Magnificent Seven and Powell and Pressburger's Highland tale I Know Where I'm Going.

Sue Halliday, of Cinema Nairn, said: "The recent festivals Nairn has enjoyed thanks to Tilda and her enthusiasm for film have highlighted the fact that people would go to the pictures regularly if there was a cinema.

"As a result, a bunch of us have been inspired to put in a lot of effort and try to start something wonderful. We really feel Nairn deserves and can support regular film screenings.

"There is an important social element to all of this, as cinema brings people together," she said. "We're delighted with the generous support from the community centre and we hope the community of Nairn and the surrounding area really gets behind this and turns out in force on the 29th."

Tez Watson, another member of the group, added: "Hopefully, the films we've chosen for our launch event cover all tastes and encourage as many people as possible to turn out and tell us what they think. The more feedback we get the better, as it will enable us to shape Cinema Nairn to suit the community."

The cinema industry has seen attendance at its highest level for seven years, with ticket sales up 14.5 per cent, according to a report from the Cinema Advertising Association. Improved surroundings and sound quality have encouraged moviegoers back into cinemas, with developments such as 3D films keeping audience interest up.

There are about 70 cinemas in Scotland, ranging from multiplexes to small-scale venues.