Traveling back memory lane to the bioscope

The olden days’ pastime of an evening at the bioscope is catching up like wildfire in the Phagameng township of Modimolle, with both young and old taking advantage.

What started as an informal get-together by a number of individuals, is now growing with leaps and bounds with locals asking for more.

The concept is uniquely community-rooted, with the local small business sector offered the opportunity to sell snacks, such as the township favourite, “maotwana” (roasted chicken feet).

The cherry on top is that for a start, only films produced by local filmmakers, actors and directors are shown at the gatherings hosted at the Mandela Recreation Park.

Producer and co-ordinator of Modi-Bioskop, Edward “Bra Sox” Masingi, said on Monday 13 January small business operators were being engaged to set up stalls at the next show.

“We had an incredible 100 viewers during last weekend’s show. We have since set up a marketing task team to brand the concept, and hope to bring together double this number going forward,” he said.

The going to the bioscope concept dates back many decades both in South Africa and the broader continent.

Legendary Pretoria businessman and cinema house owner, HM Pitje, used to show movies from a projector inside of a garage, before he rose to become the first black motion picture theatre owner
at Thebu Cinema, in the Pretoria township of Mamelodi.

In recent years film on the African continent, with specific reference to Nigeria, took a complete “cut” (so to speak), with amateur production companies capturing stories on hand-held cameras.

The latter films end up being shown inside garages, because the big guns on Hollywood and elsewhere would not be interested.

Indeed Masingi has lamented the lack of interest in emerging talent from the studios in Johannesburg and other major centres.

— The BEAT