Lights, camera, passion.

So... how the (insert synonym for hell) did I end up in the film industry? Well... that could be a blog post for another time as there is a rather complex storyline to that, and well, right now I'm not wearing my scriptwriting hat, so I'll give you a brief overview of how I fell in love with moving pictures and how they make me feel.

Growing up, I was always drawn to the magic of movies. From the characters to the soundtracks, there was something about films that captured my imagination and transported me to another world. As a child, I would beg my parents to take me to the cinema as often as possible, and as I grew older, my love for movies only intensified.

One of my earliest memories is of watching the cult classic "The Gremlins 2" at a cinema in the centre of Johannesburg in 1990. Yes, I was only a mere 5 years old, but somehow, my mom decided to take my brother and I. Parenting back in the day was somewhat slightly different to nowadays, that's for sure.

As far as I can remember, this was my first cinema experience. I was completely captivated by these otherworldly characters, not only because they were larger than life, but because of how the film and characters made me feel. From that moment on, I was hooked on the power of movies to tell a story and evoke emotion. If you never cried when Little Foot found his Momma in "The Land Before Time" or when Simba discovered Mufasa's lifeless body in "The Lion King", are you even human? Or... you could be an android... again... that's a different blog post - my creative team will kill me if I keep putting too many different topics in this.

Super random side note, who remembers how fun it was to wander through the video store to hire a VHS for the weekend, only to get it home and find out the previous person didn't rewind it, and somehow, you've caught a few seconds of the end credits? Then you'd have to wait a few minutes whilst that bad boy rewound, praying that your player didn't decide to eat the tape up. Ah, the good ole days.

Fast forward to being a functional adult, which is a fact that can be debatable - I mean, who doesn't sometimes just want to lie on the couch, eat junk food and watch TV all day long, forgetting all about life and the pressures of it? I DO, I DO, I DO!

That's why I find going to the cinema is my preferred form of escapism. Sitting in a dimly lit room, the smell of fresh popcorn (if you're lucky), the augasmic (see what I did there) surround sound, the immersive stories and on-screen characters are all part of the elements that create these beautiful moments where I can completely switch off. There's something so liberating about this detachment. A somewhat form of self-care, if you will.

In conclusion, cinema is more than just a form of entertainment for me. It's an artform that has the power to inspire, to evoke emotions, and to bring people together, something that can be appreciated by all. That's why I feel so fortunate to be working in an industry I've loved since a child.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the movies.