Why Macau’s Cinematheque Passion has a special place in film-lovers’ hearts
With reference to Clarence Tsui’s article “Macau’s Cinematheque Passion became an art house film hub, it will be missed” (July 11), I would like to express my appreciation for what the Audiovisual CUT Association has been doing, as I have personally learned a lot from being an audience member at Cinematheque Passion for three years.
First, I have learned what it takes for a film to be classified as a good one. This has been due to our exposure to a wide range of movies of intellectual depth and artistic value, most of which are unavailable in mainstream cinemas.
Besides, the cinematheque has been intent on providing opportunities for local filmmakers to explore their potential by arranging special screening sessions of their films.
Moreover, there have been frequent free talks and seminars to encourage audience participation. In pre-screening talks, for example, we, audience members, had the chance to interact with the speakers, usually the director himself and a few others who were involved in the making of the film. They helped us understand the film in greater depth, shared with us some interesting behind-the-scenes details and patiently answered our curious questions.
In addition, there have been training workshops for people of different age groups to learn basic filmmaking techniques. One example is the yearly short course designed for high school students to be trained by professional directors to produce short films of their own. Furthermore, there have been other workshops, equally informative and exciting, targeted at more mature learners with the required aptitude.
Personally, I will always be grateful for a film critique workshop, which has inspired me to appreciate films through the art, and with the depth, of film analysis.
For the past three years, Cinematheque Passion has been a place where filmmakers have been encouraged to pursue their dreams and where cinema-lovers have had access to an endless source of quality movies. The Audiovisual CUT Association will always be remembered for its dedication and enthusiasm.
Angela Chong, Macau