By Pierre-Olivier Girard
ENTERTAINMENT. After a gradual opening of a few weeks, the Ciné-Parc Orford is in operation seven days a week with a summer season that promises to be more “normal” for owner François Pradella, who acquired the business in 2020.
Although he says the numbers are good so far, the businessman admits that the weather hasn’t been the most helpful during the screening evenings that were expected to be the busiest, at least in start of the season. He thinks in particular of the release of the film “Top Gun: Maverick” while the premiere evening took place in the pouring rain. “What was supposed to be a 500-car party eventually ended at around 40. Let’s say it didn’t give the same atmosphere! We haven’t been very lucky with the temperature since the opening, but when the weather is nice, people are there. We are very happy so far.”
According to Mr. Pradella, the drive-in remains one of the few summer evening activities accessible for the whole family. Even if the first films of the evening are screened at 9 p.m., moviegoers are invited to get to the site earlier, which opens at 6 p.m. “There are inflatable games and swings for children. We have also improved the offer in the canteen to allow people to have dinner while sitting on our picnic tables. There is always a nice atmosphere there. People are relaxed, some are throwing frisbees, others are simply enjoying the good weather. It’s definitely worth arriving early, especially to get the best seats.”
A COMPROMISE FOR BOTH LANGUAGES
Recently, Ciné-Parc Orford officials had to make an update on their Facebook page after customers complained that they could not listen to the film in the language of their choice (English or French). As François Pradella explains, each film, which is called a DCP, contains only one soundtrack, either in French or in English. “We are currently working very hard with the various distributors to convince them to send us DCPs that would contain the two soundtracks, which would allow us to present all the films in both languages at all times.”
“In the meantime, we have chosen to show films in English at specific times of the week, while there are films in French on the schedule every day. This is the best compromise while waiting, hopefully, to find a long-term solution with distributors like Disney, Warner and Sony, ”he argues.
CLASSIC MISTAKES TO AVOID
For newcomers to movie nights under the stars, the Ciné-Parc Orford suggests some tips to ensure that your first experience goes smoothly. It is first essential to have a functional radio in your vehicle since there is no alternative to hear the soundtrack.
Another rookie mistake is not starting your vehicle from the start of the first movie until the end of the second, which can completely drain a battery that is already at the end of its life. “Let’s say that the ‘boosting’ festival is one of our late-night classics. The same goes for people who fall asleep watching the film and who are woken up at the end by our employees. For comfort, some viewers prefer to watch the film in their vehicle, while others bring their folding chair. Some even make it big by bringing their sofa in the box of their “pick-up”. Let’s say that we see all the colors!”, concludes the businessman.