BATTU’S BIOSCOPE

In Europe, the phenomenon of the traveling cinema existed only in the early years of cinema, when the movie theater was still a fairground attraction; soon, most cities and villages had their own cinemas, followed by video-clubs that rented out films. In India, there are still 2,000 mobile cinemas, one of which is “Battu’s Bioscope”, a colorful vehicle containing an old Soviet projector, a few white cloth sheets, and several kilometers of celluloid film. Mr. Battu drives slowly along the sun-scorched roads of India, his quarrelsome assistant Mama at his side, and the young Amit sitting on top of the truck, announcing the next show through a loudspeaker. The elderly Battu is an idealist who thinks you can change people by showing them films. Andrzej Fidyk’s team accompanies “Battu’s Bioscope” from Calcutta, through fishermen’s villages and snake hunters’ settlements, up the distant Orissa province. This is the dwelling place of primitive tribes, whose way of life hasn’t changed for thousands of years. After years of trying, Mr. Battu has finally been issued a permit to show a film to these people who do not even know cinema exists.