Film

The Rep: a documentary about repertory cinema

• Relevant
• Nostalgia
• Inspirational

What's the film all about?:

The Rep follows the first year of operation in the lives of three uber film geeks who have taken it upon themselves to open a single screen repertory cinema in the heart of downtown Toronto. Dubbed The Toronto Underground Cinema by its gang of misfits, Alex, Charlie, and Nigel will stop at nothing to see their theatre succeed. In the face of strong competition from big box theatres, local cinematheques, and home video, it’s a constant struggle to stay afloat. Throw in 12-hour workdays, having no semblance of a personal life, and all the normal stresses of working day in day out with the same people, and things couldn’t be much more of an uphill battle. Through all this, the passion for cinema always shines through, and that’s what keeps the guys at The Toronto Underground Cinema going.

The Rep will also take a broader look at the world of repertory cinema in North America. In a market with Netflix, Hulu, illegal downloading, DVD, Blu-Ray, and a slew of other distribution markets, the theatrical experience has become only a small part of the puzzle. Currently being devalued by studios, corporate theatres, and patrons all over, movies have become less of an experience, and more of an activity. They’re just something you do to pass the time rather than the event they once were. Repertory cinema is an ever shrinking, but ever passionate world of film lovers trying to keep the experience of cinema alive.

The goal of The Rep is to show the vibrant, and sometimes difficult, world of repertory cinema on the front lines: the day-to-day operations, the struggles, and the successes. Through the eyes of The Toronto Underground Cinema, and stories from others all over North America – including The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, The New Beverly in Los Angeles, and Film Forum in NYC – The Rep will show that passion for the cinematic experience is still alive. The question is, will a greater audience see their cultural value before it’s too late?

The film features interviews with theatres such as Film Forum in NYC (Bruce Goldstein), The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin (Lars Nilsen), The New Beverly Cinema in L.A. (Mike Torgan), The Hollywood Theatre in Portland (Dan Halstead), The Bijou Art Cinemas in Eugene (Edward Schiessl) and Blue Sunshine in Montreal (Kier-La Janisse). It also features celebrities such as Kevin Smith, Edgar Wright, John Waters, Atom Egoyan, and George A. Romero, and many more.

The Directors statement:

I’ve been working on this film for almost 2 years now, and it’s been a world wind of amazing experiences. I’ve come to appreciate the cinematic experience so greatly that I couldn’t imagine a world in which it didn’t exist, free of all the things we all so loath about the average movie going experience we get at average, corporate run, cinemas. I realize that, especially in this day and age, it’s become very hard to understand (or in my case explain) what that experience is, and why it’s so important. The fact is, away from those corporate boxes lies a world of cinemas that are all about the preservation of that experience. Whether it is your local art house, neighborhood theatre, or (if you’re lucky to live in a city that has one) your rep house. These theatres thrive on preserving the concept that, while staying at home is all fine and dandy, going to a cinema, sitting in a dark room, and experiencing a movie with strangers is a wonderful thing. It’s, not to sound too cheesy, the stuff of which cinematic dreams are made. It’s magic.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people whose stories are just as vibrant as the cinemas they own and operate. If it weren’t for them, well, these theatres would no longer exist. I don’t even want to think of a world where that is a reality. These are stories that need to be told, just like the cinemas need to be preserved. Cinema, and its history, is so layered in nostalgia and past experiences, that if we don’t share the stories of the rep world then they two will fade in time, much like 80% of all silent films are now lost. Cinema is our direct connection to the past, even more so than a painting or a book. It’s a visual account of what’s come before, and it should be preserved (and is by the many wonderful film preservation groups all over the world), but shouldn’t the way we view (and viewed) film be preserved too?

The Rep is nothing more than the account of one cinema, struggling to keep that idea alive. But, more than that, it’s a testament to the people who truly do care for the past, and the vibrancy that it brings to that thing we all so love, cinema.

What you’ll be helping to fund:

The Rep is 100% shot, and in the can, but it is far from complete. Currently we are in postproduction on the film, and are coming along nicely. Things, however, take far longer than one would hope. The funds will go in to helping to pay for more editing staff, as well as take care of the stock materials and graphics that are needed to make the film a polished final product. If we are so lucky as to raise more than the asked amount, then the funds will be used to make things look even better!

Here's what other people have been saying about The Rep:

http://www.slashfilm.com/the-rep-trailer-documentary-repertory-movie-theaters/

http://www.blogto.com/film/2011/11/toronto_underground_cinema_to_get_the_doc_treatment/

http://www.avclub.com/toronto/articles/talking-the-rep-with-morgan-white,65695/