EMILY HSUEH
CAMPBELL’S BAY Sept. 26, 2020
La Semaine de la Culture, or Culture week in the Pontiac kicked off this weekend with a drive-in movie night at the Campbell’s Bay R.A.
Dozens of cars arrived to first catch the French movie Frisson des collines at 7:30 p.m., then for the English movie Dirty Dancing at 9:30 p.m. Campbell’s Bay Mayor Maurice Beauregard and helpers from the MRC were on hand to. . .
guide cars and hand out complimentary popcorn bags.
This is the first time the municipality has held a drive-in for Culture Week.
“In order to plan cultural activities for the MRC, we really narrowed down ‘What can we possibly do during COVID, what is still safe that we don’t have to cancel immediately,” said Sabrina Ayres, economic development officer with MRC Pontiac. “So a drive-in theatre was [the obvious choice]. Everyone’s safe in their cars.”
Ayres explained that there was a lot of planning that went into setting up the movie theatre under the stars. They had to acquire permits to show outside and rights to play the movie.
Equipment rental and advertising was also important for them to consider. But there was also careful planning on which movies to show as well.
“Our movies are all chosen with French as the first language. We do have English subtitles,” said Ayres. “The movies are all chosen with specifics in mind that there’s either a nomination or award for Quebec films or some other kind of recognition. So they’re really of a higher quality to show what we can do here in Quebec cause they’re all made here in Quebec.”
All municipalities will be playing French movies, but some have opted to have a different English movie afterwards.
Despite spectators remaining in their cars, vehicles were still spaced out six feet apart to ensure safety.
There will be four more drive-in movie nights in Otter Lake, Shawille, Mansfield et Pontefract and L’Isle aux Allumettes every Saturday until Oct. 24, along with other activities.
RELATED: Culture Month brings free drive-in nights, art events
