Julien St-Jean
Quyon Sept 24, 2021
Community members and movie enthusiasts gathered at the former St. John the Evangelist Anglican church in Quyon last Friday for an outdoor screening of David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises.
A small crowd watched the film as it was projected on the side of the church with a 35 mm projector.
Mike Dubue, one of the three hosts and organizers for the screening, said he wanted to hold screening with the projector last year, but due to the pandemic was unable to do so. Now, as restrictions have lessened and it has been deemed safe to hold events, Dubue along with fellow fans of projection Paul Gordon and Markus Lemm have started to host screenings.
Dubue believes that watching movies through a projector makes for a more authentic experience. He explained that the projector not only looks better to him, but the noise produced by the projector makes the experience more authentic.
“I think there’s the other type of movie-goer who is enthralled by light going through celluloid,” said Dubue. “You’ll see the difference if you’re looking.”
Dubue explained that he had gotten the projector when Gordon pointed him towards an opportunity to pick one up for free. “It kind of grew from there and we kept finding parts,” said Dubue.
Earlier in the summer, Dubue, Gordon and Lemm held a trial screening, which they said went well. They hope to continue hosting semi-regular screenings, which will return in the spring. The screenings are meant for area locals as well as anyone looking for an interesting cinematic experience.
“The idea is to really immerse people in it,” said Dubue. “It’s just really fun and creepy to have a big screen on an old church near a graveyard.”
Dubue explained that they hope to hold a screening of The Exorcist around Halloween. He asks that those interested pay online before the screening. Ticket information is available by contacting cinema.cimetiere@gmail.com
