Lights, camera, action… It looks like we are going back to the future for the Belmont Cinema.
In a third-act twist, true fans of this iconic house of dreams have been given the chance to ride to its rescue, just like Doc Brown’s dramatic efforts to connect the lightning cable to get the DeLorean up to 88mph.
But let’s not forget that in Back to the Future there were an awful lot of close calls, near falls and snagged power lines before the Doc managed to get the juice, just in the nick of time.
And let’s also remember – that was a film. Real life doesn’t always play out to a happy ending.
I have no doubt that the dedicated, talented, visionary and downright lovely people behind the Belmont Community Cinema have worked tirelessly on the script for getting the place open again. However, getting a movie off the page and onto the screen is a Herculean task that takes an army of people to make it happen. Just check out the credits at the end of any film and you’ll get the picture.
Which is why it is so important the Belmont Community Cinema gets all the help it can from all the people it needs on its vital mission.
Why, you might ask, is it so important? Well, if you’re posing that question, it’s highly likely you never set foot in the Belmont when it was up and running.
It really is a special place, with a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. Going to see a film there was like popping over to your mate’s house to watch a movie together – although with comfier seats.
And it was the only game in town when it came to watching films on a big screen you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Independent and world cinema is a rich and wonderful universe that rarely troubles the multiplexes, and it’s and one we in the north-east are missing out on.
But the Belmont was also my first choice when it came to seeing major blockbusters I was giddy with excitement over. Dune was a triumph – and I got to sip away at a Punk IPA through it.
I feel the Belmont’s absence. I long for its return.
People of Aberdeen are the supporting cast
Now, the Belmont Community Cinema is taking the first step towards that, not just reviving the screens but also the food and drink strand, while also teaming up with SHMU to foster and develop local filmmaking talent.
It sounds like a feel-good Hollywood plot, but the people behind it are not dreamers – they are clear-eyed about the hard work ahead, not least to fund this £2 million venture.
The Belmont Cinema needs the people of the Granite City, and we need the Belmont Cinema
And that’s where the rest of us come in. If the people running Belmont Community Cinema are stars – and they are – everyone else in Aberdeen is the supporting cast.
From the council, to businesses, to the arts community, to just ordinary folk, let’s be vocal in our support for the Belmont, and as unstinting as we can in helping it find the funds it needs.
The Belmont Cinema needs the people of the Granite City, and we need the Belmont Cinema. So, let’s get this DeLorean up to 88mph, cue the triumphant music and make dreams happen on Belmont Street again.
Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired