The cinema that comes to you
"If Mohammed can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammed."
So goes the well-known saying of the founder of Islam many thousands of years ago.
And now rural communities in Stratford district are seeing the principle in motion - with the success of the Moving Pictures project that brings the cinematic experience to their doorsteps.
Harbury village hall is one of the 20 venues the mobile cinema visits.
Using funds raised by ticket and refreshment sales at each event, community volunteers regularly hire one of the three sets of equipment - including a 10ft screen - from the district council, which they collect themselves from the previous venue using it.
Harbury resident and project co-ordinator Lana Long said: “People seem to really enjoy the atmosphere of watching a film in a village hall.
“It’s a totally different experience from going to a normal cinema.
“The cinematic quality is just as high but it’s different because you can walk to the venue and when you get there, there are going to be lots of people you know. There’s usually a raffle and coffee and cakes, and sometimes there is a licensed bar so you can enjoy a glass of wine.”
Funded by Warwickshire County Council, Screen West Midlands and The Rural Cinema Group, Moving Pictures is run entirely by each community that benefits from the project.
Ticket prices are set by the organisers in each village, but they are usually between 2.50 and 4 - and all proceeds go back into the village itself.
Recent screenings in Harbury have included Elizabeth The Golden Age, Stardust, Atonement and Ratatouille.
At each event, cinema-goers can fill in a feedback form to give suggestions of films they would like to see and put forward any other changes or improvements.
Ms Long then compiles a list of available titles provided by film supplier Film Bank Distributors Ltd, from which villagers can choose which ones they want to vote for.
She added: “It’s very much more personalised. Although there are sometimes as few as four volunteers running an event, the people coming to watch the films usually muck in and help at the end.
“There will always be somebody there you know and everyone is so welcoming, so people often turn up on their own.
“And it’s nice to know there will be an interval to stretch your legs and have a chat as you don’t get breaks in cinemas these days.”
Ms Long also pointed out: “The only actual cinema in Stratford district is in Stratford - most people have to travel at least ten miles to get to one.”
Harbury resident Ian Hartland said: “It’s a brilliant idea, particularly for people who cannot get to Leamington.
“Anything that brings the community together is fantastic. I like that about Harbury - it’s a very community-oriented place.”
The project was set in motion by Phil Wreford, church warden of St Peter’s church in Whatcote - also known as Whatcote community centre - who came up with the idea after seeing a similar scheme in the North Cotswolds area and put it to the district council two years ago.
He said: “I wrote about 40 letters to parish councillors to whip up any enthusiasm I could find. Lo and behold I got an enthusiastic response.”
Mr Wreford is pleased with the success of the project so far. He added: “A lot of rural communities have people who don’t have transport to get to a cinema, or maybe they find taking their families to Stratford, Leamington, Banbury - or wherever it is - rather an expensive exercise.
“It’s also a good way to make use of the community facilities we already have.”
Ms Long said she was keen on getting more rural communities involved in the project, which also aims to reduce road travel in response to a government drive to reduce the impact of climate change.
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Weather for Leamington
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
