WEBZINE ACC

# Take your outdoor movie experience to the next level

On a Thursday evening after work, I drove to the ACC’s parking lot for a movie night. I felt excited, since it had been a while since I last went to the movies. Besides, it was my first time at a drive-in theater. As we headed into the winter months, days were getting shorter and the sun began to set as early as 5 pm. I enjoyed the evening glow as I waited until darkness fell.

Thirty minutes before the screening, the sun had completely set. Drive-in ACC signs lit up the darkened streets to help guide drivers, and cars formed a queue to enter the theater one by one. Inside the kit handed out by a staff member was nachos which instantly made me want to drink beer, but I fought the urge because I was driving. I made a promise to myself that I would return next time with a non-drinking friend who can drive. The thought of watching a movie in a private space while sipping an icy cold beer made me unbearably happy.

2022 Drive-in ACC at ACC parking lot

As the start time drew closer, staff members walked around each vehicle to make sure that the car radio was tuned to the right frequency. I set the radio to FM 87.7MHz. Nowadays, a car radio uses a digital display panel, so it is not the same as before. But it still reminded me of the old days when we had to turn the radio’s dial to find a station and pull out the antenna and adjust it to receive signals.

There were some arrangements to be made before the movie began. My car’s daytime running lights could not be turned off, so I had to cover them with the black cloth handed out by staff. I was told to start the engine every 30 minutes to prevent battery discharge. I assumed that the radio would stay on with the engine off, but it turned off about five minutes after I shut off the engine.

I had no choice but to leave the engine on for the entire 165 minutes. As much as I was thrilled at my first experience of drive-in cinema, I was concerned about the damage the car idling would do to the environment. I looked around to see if I was the only one leaving the car idling for this long.

# Story of beauty and war

The move screened at Drive-in ACC was Padmaavat. In 2018, it was the most expensive Bollywood film ever made, with a production budget of USD 24 million. The film won numerous awards, including the Zee Cine Award for Best Director, National Film Awards for Best Music Direction, and Mirchi Music Awards for Critics’ Choice Album of the Year. Given the recognition the movie received, I was curious to know how it incorporated musical elements, a fixture in Bollywood movies. I found out later that it was the opener at this year’s 10th Indian Film Festival jointly organized by the Busan University of Foreign Studies and the India Centre.

I was overwhelmed by the eye-catching special effects and the sheer size of the movie, and a seemingly unlikely mix of music and dancing blended incredibly well into the lengthy film. The flamboyant accessories and vivid color palette were also pleasing to the eye.

2020 Drive-in ACC at Asia Culture Plaza

Padmaavat follows the life of the Rajput queen Padmavati in the 14th century against the backdrop of a war between the Muslim Khilji Dynasty and the Hindu Mewar Kingdom. Sultan Khilji hears of the beauty of the Mewar Queen Padmavati and attacks her kingdom. Beauty often holds an irresistible attraction. Khilji risks a war to possess the beautiful queen, which reminded me of the story of Paris and Helen, and how their love led to the Trojan War.

Prince Paris of Troy was asked to select the fairest of three goddesses of Olympus, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. He gave the golden apple to Aphrodite who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Aphrodite rewarded him with the love of Helen, the queen of Sparta. Helen followed Paris to Troy, which triggered the Trojan War, most famous for the Trojan horse.

Paris was abandoned on a mountain as a child and raised by shepherds, as he was destined to cause the fall of Troy. Blinded by his lust for beauty, he chose Aphrodite, disregarding Hera’s offer of power and Athena’s offer of wisdom. This choice resulted in his brother’s death and ultimately the destruction of Troy, fulfilling the prophecy.

Unlike Paris, the Sultan’s desire for a beautiful woman does not set his kingdom on a path to collapse in Padmaavat. He wins the war after years of fighting, and the King of Mewar is dead. But at the end of the movie, the Sultan seemed more of a loser than a winner. After all, he could never get hold of the beauty he wanted so desperately.

# What is beauty?

We come across an endless number of beautiful things in everyday life. Sometimes we take them granted, we get hold of them, lose them, or walk past them without knowing. What is beautiful to me may not be beautiful to someone else, and some find beauty in what others find ugly.

We find beauty in not only a small flower on the street, but also sparkling gems. We are attracted to sleek, well-groomed hands, as well as wrinkled, overworked hands of a caring mother. We are overwhelmed by delicate colors from nature, and equally so by bold artificial lights in media art. Colors of paints originate from nature, and it seems no artificial color could outshine natural colors. Yet, sometimes colors painted in brushstrokes leave a lasting impression more than anything else.

2022 Drive-in ACC at ACC parking lot

In the movie, Padmavati’s beauty is undeniable. Some beauty is universal, but each of us are all experts in finding beauty in what surrounds us. The perception of beauty is subjective. There is no right or wrong. Some may find Michelangelo’s sculpture beautiful, but others may find beauty in the piercing stare of the Four Guardian Kings statues.

In a fight to win a woman’s heart, someone will win, someone will lose, and someone will give up. But the meaning of victory fades away. Beauty constantly changes over time, as does art. Amid a wave of changes, we will continue to discover and define new beauty.

Padmavati’s choice did not strike me as beautiful. But we are all experts in our own right in finding new beauty. If you think of beautiful choices that fit today’s world, you will be able to find another beauty to appreciate in the film, which will make this moviegoing worthwhile.

For more information, click here