Amira OguntoyinboWhen films have been simply minutes lengthy and seeing them value solely a nickel, theaters typically named themselves after the French phrase for jewel: bijou (early cinemas typically resembled the luxurious within a jewel field). As movies developed, massive, multiplex theaters grew to become king, leaving many of those intimate theaters behind. However with the opening of Barry Mills Corridor this 12 months, Bowdoin has given life to a brand new, state-of-the-art theater: ‘the Jewel Field.’
Unofficially named in an homage to the good theaters of the previous, the Jewel Field in Mills Corridor Room 129 provides college students the chance to expertise a professional-grade cinema simply steps from their dorms. The screening room boasts a 206-inch display screen, six encompass sound JBL audio system, six entrance audio system, two subwoofers behind the display screen and a leading edge laser projector.
Along with its spectacular digital show, the classroom is house to sound-absorbing partitions, 56 seats bolted onto a slanted flooring and a humble chalkboard for when lectures take the place of screenings.
Professor of Cinema Research and Director of Cinema Research Program Tricia Welsch, who served on the Mills Corridor constructing committee, was a significant advocate for a much-needed improve to the Cinema Research program’s central classroom.
“[Welsch] labored so carefully with expertise companies and IT to be sure that Bowdoin bought one of the best projector we may have in order that we may truly present first-run films,” Professor of Cinema Research Allison Cooper mentioned. “The display screen is beautiful. The pictures are beautiful. It’s actually thrilling.”
Because the director of the Cinema Research program, Welsch was particularly grateful for the School’s assist in satisfying the division’s options.
“I used to be on the constructing committee, and it was a extremely good means of determining what wanted to be in that area and the School simply saying, ‘Yep. We’re going to construct no matter must be there,’” Welsch mentioned.
Primarily, the Jewel Field can be shared between Cinema Research and Bowdoin Movie Society (BFS), one thing that thrilled BFS Co-President Eduardo Mendoza ’24 when he first heard concerning the plans to construct a brand new screening area.
“I believed, ‘Lastly, lastly we’ve a worthy sufficient area,” Mendoza mentioned. “There are such a lot of totally different varieties of flicks, and I believe it’s essential to have an area that’s so adaptable to so many sorts of viewing experiences. Totally different films demand various things, and this area is versatile to [those differences].”
Whereas Mendoza is happy concerning the classroom for his personal cinephilic pursuits, he additionally hopes that this new area will encourage fellow college students to attend scheduled screenings accessible to the campus neighborhood.
“I really like the convenience of [watching movies on] a laptop computer, however there’s something actually particular about going again into the theater,” Mendoza mentioned. “I believe folks mustn’t miss out on coming to see a screening at Mills this 12 months.”
Each Friday, BFS hosts screenings within the Jewel Field, with exhibits beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tonight, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid Metropolis”(2023) can be screened for what’s going to possible be a full theater. Final week, the membership confirmed Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s “Metropolis of God” (2002).
Whereas the Bowdoin Movie Society will proceed its common screenings all through the varsity 12 months, the area can even be used to showcase scholar work. College students who work on screenplays or make movies will be capable of current their work within the new screening area. In step with Welsch’s custom, all cinema research occasions will serve cake.
“The final 12 months earlier than the pandemic, we had twelve scholar occasions the place college students confirmed their work,” Welsch mentioned. “Now we’re able to get that again, and we’ve the area to do it.”
Along with weekly BFS screenings, Cinema Research lessons maintain screenings of all types of movies within the area all through the week. From Barry Jenkins’s “Moonlight” (2016) to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” (1927), the Jewel Field serves as a hub for college kids to come back collectively and share a collective expertise.
“Films are like empathy machines,” Mendoza mentioned. “To know you went by way of one thing, and to really feel empathy collectively—I believe that’s one thing we want extra of. I don’t assume anyone would disagree with that.”
