“Everything I learnt, I learnt from the movies.” – Audrey Hepburn.
Why Cinema Matters to Me
Cinema is far more than entertainment—it is a lens through which I understand the world. After my family and closest friends, film is the richest and most constant part of my life. I work in casting, so my professional and social circles revolve around movies and the people who make them. It’s not just enthusiasm; it’s part of who I am. Film has shaped my opinions, my memories, and the way I see other people.
One of cinema’s greatest gifts is escapism. In our busy, distraction-filled lives, stepping into a darkened theatre to be fully immersed in another world is rare and precious. Theatres offer a space free from constant notifications, emails, and social feeds—an environment that allows us to focus fully on storytelling. That concentrated attention makes film experiences uniquely powerful: a score swells, faces on screen move us, and for a brief time we live someone else’s life.
People often say, “cinema is my therapy,” and it resonates deeply with me. Films teach us, comfort us, and introduce characters and scenarios that help us process our own emotions. Over the last year, when public life felt uncertain and isolated, many of us turned to home streaming, digital rentals, and physical collections as a source of stability and solace. These platforms became our shared living rooms, preserving the emotional connection that cinema normally provides in person.
My personal journey with film became clearer when I moved to London in 2015. For the first time I found a broad, welcoming community of film lovers—classmates, tutors, and friends who shared my passion. Growing up in a rural town, I’d heard stereotypes that certain films or genres were only for some people. In the wider film community I discovered the opposite: movies belong to everyone. We bonded over stories and characters rather than fitting into narrow categories. That sense of inclusion and shared curiosity has been a constant source of encouragement.
Now, as cinemas begin to reopen and audiences return, there is a collective feeling of almost childlike excitement. For many of us on social media, the public reopening day—Monday 17th May—was celebrated like a holiday, nicknamed “Christmas Day” by film fans online. That anticipation echoes the way I felt waiting for December 25th as a child. The ritual of buying a ticket, the scent of popcorn in the lobby, the hush as lights dim and a story unfolds on a massive screen—these moments are what we have missed and what we’re eager to reclaim.
Returning to the theatre is about more than viewing a film; it is about shared reactions, communal laughter, collective silence, and the thrill of experiencing a story with others. Film scores and ambient sound carry differently in a cinema, and performances can feel more immediate and alive. Reconnecting with that atmosphere will remind us why theatrical release and communal viewing are central to cinematic culture.
Cinema continues to educate, challenge, and unite us. It invites us to sit with unfamiliar perspectives, to grieve or celebrate alongside strangers, and to discover pieces of ourselves in characters on screen. As the industry adapts—through streaming, festivals, and theatrical releases—the core power of film remains unchanged: the ability to move us, to open new worlds, and to build communities.
There is a special kind of joy in returning to the darkened auditorium, hearing the overture rise, and knowing that for the next two hours you will be transported. After a long period apart, rediscovering that magic will feel, simply put, like coming home. See you there.