Sitting in a room full of people with at least one thing in common… Can there really be such a thing as going to the cinema alone? With the Lonely Cinema Club, Emma Carys wants to showcase the inclusivity and empowerment that film can offer, and prove that cinema is a place of untapped community - especially in Nottingham…
“I always liked film,” says Emma Carys, the brains behind Broadway’s Lonely Cinema Club. “It's the only thing that gives me the Christmas Day feeling, still. There’s a lot of cult following in film, people create communities”.
Emma is a firm believer in cinema being a place of togetherness, and wants to fight the stigma around going to the cinema alone - believing embarrassment should never be the reason for missing out on something that could bring you joy. “There's always people in the cinema. If you want to watch a movie and your friend doesn't, just go!”
Film has a multitude of mental health benefits, including improved concentration and a deeper understanding of relationships. Its quality of escapism can provide a space of relaxation which can calm worries and improve your mood.
Some people feel empowered being alone, some people feel alone and have found a community of people from that
A passion for empowering people to embrace their love of cinema, and experience the benefits of film, was in part inspired by Emma's reflections on her time striving to enter into the film industry in London. Emma studied at a London film school, leaving early to begin working with a top costume designer. Alongside exploring her passion, she experienced a colder side of the industry - in exclusivity, nepotism and a lack of true diversity.
“I got called all sorts of names for having an accent. Everyone at my university knew each other, they were all from the south. I don't think that competition should be deemed a bad thing, but you've got to fight in your area to be accepted. There's a lot of talk about diversity on-screen, but if you've not got anyone behind the screen who is diverse, then you're never going to get real diversity in the industry.”
Worlds away from her university experience is the support Emma experiences at Nottingham’s famed Broadway Cinema. “In Nottingham, they don't care where you're from; they want to train you to do your best and they’re rooting for you. They just appreciate you being there.”
Broadway has massively impacted Emma's path as she was able to access an eight-week Build Your Own Film Night programme, which, thanks to subsidies from the National Lottery, cost just £3.50.
In Nottingham, they don't care where you're from; they want to train you to do your best and they’re rooting for you
“It's the first opportunity I've seen outside of London. I didn't quite understand the sheer quantity of things they run. I didn't realise a cinema had those facilities. I just thought you had to go to university. On this course, there were people coming from Loughborough or Birmingham. I don't think I realised how important Broadway is to people in Nottingham. It’s amazing.”
This Broadway course played an important role in the conception of the juxtaposingly-named Lonely Cinema Club, which aims to promote unique films, encourage connection, and empower people to go to the cinema alone. The new group will hold its first event, a screening of short films, in March.
“The night is going to be called Alone Together and it's going to explore all varieties of loneliness. Afterwards, upstairs in the Meze, there will be drinks and nibbles so people can chat about the films in an organic way”.
Emma has devoted large chunks of time sifting through the archives to bring a diverse catalogue of shorts to the first Lonely Cinema Club event. Through this research, she has uncovered countless ways in which the feeling of loneliness can manifest. “Some people feel empowered being alone, some people feel alone and have found a community of people from that. It is going to be sad but happy as well.” So remember, when you’re plonked in front of the big screen, in a room full of fellow film fans, you’re never truly alone.
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