Volunteers with the Blue Sky Rescue team perform disinfecting of a Beijing cinema - and its “Venom” installation.
But the expansion of mass surveillance and tracking into places like movie theaters is, arguably, one of the most effective tools for allowing life to return to “normal” in China today. This isn’t new - it’s been used for years already in key aspects of China’s infrastructure, including its national high-speed rail system.
They usually ended up handcuffed or, in one extreme case, tied to a tree.īut there’s another new aspect of the cinema experience that’s perhaps the most controversial, and least replicable, anywhere outside of China.īefore entering a theater, each guest must scan a QR code that logs their identity, then tracks their location so that if someone is diagnosed with Covid, the authorities know not only where to find you, but also everyone you’ve come into contact with. During the height of the epidemic in China, there were also a few people who also stubbornly flouted the compulsory mask requirements. Needless to say, these sort of procedures would be tricky to maintain in the U.S., where masks have been politicized and people don’t exactly love to follow the rules. If they catch you pulling a snack out of your purse, you’ll be politely asked to step outside and eat your Twizzlers in the lobby before being escorted back inside to finish the movie. And the friendly ushers in bow-ties are now tasked with enforcing the rules. There is no concession stand, as all food and drinks are forbidden. Masks are mandatory, as is social distancing – at least one meter must be maintained between moviegoers. The ticket counter has been phased out, and the entire check-in process is done online. Since the July 20 reopening, the typical experience has evolved. It’s all vaguely reminiscent of the golden era of cinema in America in the 1950s - but with the latest computer animated Hollywood blockbusters, 3-D projection and high-tech surround sound systems. If you arrive late, someone in a bow-tie will politely escort you with a flashlight to your designated seat. On arrival, you select your seats from a screen at the ticket counter, then pick up your food. Before going to a theater, most people opt to buy their tickets on social media app WeChat, which offers discount combo deals on movie tickets and snacks. Prior to the pandemic, moviegoing in China was classy affair. Many cities even have small VIP theaters where you can rent a private suite and watch films together with a small group of friends, much like a karaoke bar.
For one, most Chinese movie theaters are quite new and modern, and often far more luxurious, with more spacious seats and comfortable than anything in your average multiplex. The experience of seeing a movie in a Chinese theater has always been different than in the West.
It might not sound as appealing as leaning on your lover’s warm shoulder, but hey, in these times of starved intimacy you take what you can get.Ī patron wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus holds her hand to a temperature scanner as she enters a movie theater in Beijing, Friday, July 24, 2020. One cinema in the southern city of Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, even came up with a creative solution to the isolation of mandatory empty seats by filling them with large, huggable stuffed animals called “MOMO” which are disinfected after each screening. People who have been holed up in their homes for months are eager to get out to cinemas, despite the awkwardness of social distancing with masks.
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