By Brayden Yin

On July 18, 150 Paris residents watched a drive-in movie from boats. There were 38 boats, each able to carry 6 people. The movie being watched was a comedy called Le Grand Bain, which was about middle aged men forming a synchronised swimming team. The free watching was the city’s first cinema on water and was organized by MK2 Cinemas to celebrate the reopening of drive-in theaters.

Meanwhile, in America, drive-in movie theaters are becoming more and more popular. Drive-in movie theaters date back to the 1950s, when they were most popular. They consist of projecting a film onto a large screen, while the audience can watch from the comfort of their car and eat popcorn. 

The audio in a drive-in theater used to consist of putting a speaker on the car window, but that needed vast amounts of speakers, and they were hard to move. Nowadays, watchers can just tune in to the correct frequency on their radio. This way, an empty lot can be converted in hours from a barren slab of concrete into a drive-in movie theater with concession stands and surround sound. 

In the future, pandemics like COVID-19 can close most movie theaters, but drive-in movie theaters are always available, especially when social distancing is required. Movies can be watched anywhere. From boats, at home, from cars, and someday we might find a way to watch movies from planes! Drive -in movie theaters are a fun way to spend time during a pandemic!

Sources:

https://www.dogonews.com/2020/7/20/parisians-enjoy-floating-cinema-on-the-seine-river