Movie by gondola: Philippine cinema offers Venice-themed pandemic escape

The float-in cinema aims to lift the spirits of guests and help film industry workers

Published: December 20, 2020 16:11 Compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor and with inputs from Reuters

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Some moviegoers in the Philippine capital, tired of lengthy COVID-19 restrictions, are opting for a taste of Venice, bobbing in front of the big screen in socially distanced gondolas. | Above: People on gondolas watch a movie at a float-in cinema, in Venice Grand Canal Mall, Taguig City, Manila. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Gondoliers in striped uniforms steer and position each boat in an outdoor canal to watch full-length films, a rare chance to visit the cinema after nine months of lockdowns. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"Riding a boat made it a unique experience," patron Violet Gatchalian told Reuters at the Venice Grand Canal-themed shopping mall in Manila. "It's also one of the first cinemas to reopen so we wanted to try it." Image Credit: REUTERS

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Philippine cinemas have been closed since mid-March, when President Rodrigo Duterte imposed one of the world's toughest and longest COVID-19 lockdowns. Image Credit: REUTERS

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The government started gradually reopening the economy in June, but most non-essential businesses remain shut - in Manila, the gondola cinema and a drive-through theatre are the only movie venues. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Gondola moviegoers may sit two to a boat, with up to 10 guests per screening and boats kept metres apart. Admission is 500 pesos ($10), roughly the minimum daily wage in the capital. Image Credit: REUTERS

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The float-in cinema aims to lift the spirits of guests and help film industry workers, said Graham Coates, head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Guests bring their own earphones and listen to audio broadcast at a radio frequency available only to those aboard the gondolas. Open-air cinemas are seeing a revival in many parts of the world as the leisure industry figures out how to deal with the constraints of the pandemic. Image Credit: REUTERS

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