This Day (Lagos)
OPINION
October 24, 2002
Posted to the web October 24, 2002

http://allafrica.com/stories/200210240622.html

Lagos

Last Saturday, the Rothmans Experience It Cinema Tour was flagged off in Ilorin. Olayiwola Adeniji who was there reports on the three days of cinema excitement concluding that though the show has started well, there are still challenges ahead Saturday nights in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State are almost like other nights of the week except for the usual 'owambe' parties. The residents seem to have come to terms with the fact that theirs is a very quiet city. Rarely does anything beyond the ordinary ever happens. But then last Saturday was different. There were the usual pockets of parties here and there. But something unusual was happening in a corner of the city. It was not just about Saturday but the entire weekend. Life came to the city in a manner that the people were not used to. And at the end, many began to see the potential of the ancient city in a new light.

The new 'reality' was courtesy Rothmans which flagged off its Experience It Cinema Tour in the city. Cinema going culture is not strange to the people but what they saw within the three days that the show lasted was for them a new experience. They had only imagined it when the campaign started that the sponsoring brand was bringing Hollywood into the country. Very few knew the details beyond watching very recent Hollywood films that are box office hits in the major theatres of the world. But they soon realised that the Hollywood experience is more than just the films being screened. It was also about the razzmatazz that goes with being in a modern day cinema. The venue sure makes the event.

A week to the event, the technical team that came in from abroad had joined their Nigerian counterparts to build the imposing dome that would be one of the main attractions of the show. Up till the early hours of Friday evening, the crew were still at work on the massive dome. It looked as if they might not finish before the commencement of the public screening of the advertised films. But by the early hours of Saturday, things had unbelievably taken shape and all that remained was the tape to begin rolling.

The sprawling state owned-Satellite Motel which shares a fence with Kwara Express on Offa Road does not rank among the front-line hotels in Ilorin but it is strategically located that it suited well what Rothmans was about to do. And as explained by the officials, the hotel was most ideal in terms of security even though they were not going to take chances. But then, the real deal had to wait till evening when the place would be opened to the general public.

What was showcased later in the evening was nothing short of a spectacle. The large dome was not only ready but was already wearing the bright colours of the sponsoring brand; the beauty of which was accentuated by dazzling lighting effects. Security was very tight.

From a distance, many of the film freaks who thronged the venue were still made to guess what was on offer. After passing through the different security check points, they soon began to have a feel of the already advertised excitement. The atmosphere was up beat. Unlike what they were used to, there was no need rushing into 'the hall'. There was already created as part of the dome, a lobby where the people could relax themselves. There was an array of small chops and drinks. The idea of course was to provide a relaxed atmosphere. There were posters of the different films on the wall while a miniature of the big screen inside was also running promos of the films slated to be screened. The environment was cool and airy.

For the crowd that was already gathered, this was strange even as the savoured every moment of it. At about 7.25 PM, a deep voice from the woofers, made the long awaited announcement: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Rothmans Experience It Cinema Tour. The movie is about to start. Kindly take your seat in the cinema theatre..." In the theatre, the spectacle continued. The place had been equipped with state of the art 35mm screen projection. There had never been a screen as large in the history of cinema going in the country.

Soon the lights went off and Ilorin went into the record books as the first city that would host the cinema tour not only in the country but also on the continent. The first film which must have been carefully chosen to reflect the historical significance of the moment was Showtime which has Eddie Murphy and Robert Nero as lead characters. While there was no denying the fact that many were seeing the film for the first time, what really thrilled them was the display of modern technology. They were watching a movie on such a monstrous screen yet the sound being produced is neat and clear. The voice and sound track quality came out in a quality that can be described as second to none. For once, Nigerians were in a theatre without fear of power outage or heat.

There was a second show and the ritual was repeated as the first. But what excited many was the fact that those who were a part of the first had little contact with those who were coming in for the second because the dome had been designed in such a way that the exit side of the dome was no where near the entrance. The second film was also a box office hit. Ocean Eleven that has the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia among others.The crowd this time around was quite larger. And when it was time to draw the curtains, many still wanted the show to continue and this was despite the entreaties that there would be other shows on Sunday. many came back again on Sunday during which Collateral Damage and Romeo Must Die were screened.

Musibau Abubakar, a trader, told THISDAY that he came for the show largely because of the films that were advertised but "I saw more than what I thought and to say that this was for only N200". He not only enjoyed himself, he went home with a T-shirt as gift from Rothmans. He thought that the idea of the dome had come to stay in Ilorin saying that he had finally discovered a place to relax every weekend but was disappointed when told that the dome would be moving round the country. He hopes that somebody would take up this initiative and revive the cinema going culture in the city. "This has set a standard. Now we know what operates abroad. I hope somebody will continue with this. It is almost unbelievable that this is happening here."

Fielding questions from journalists after the show, Jigna Bhatt, Brand Manager of Rothmans in Nigeria expressed happiness that the tour had a successful take-off adding that the feedback from the audience was encouraging. "As you could see, the atmosphere was warm, with perfect picture and sound effects including all the trappings of Hollywood in terms of environment, security, setting and entertainment. The movies have been carefully selected to reflect the modern man's good taste for action, adventure and wit..."

With the successful take off of the tour in Ilorin, there are high hopes and expectations that it will enjoy the same measure of success in other cities though observers are quick to point that this should not be taken for granted, especially in a city like Lagos which has its own peculiar challenges. Bhatt has however assured that with past experiences in the packaging of events across the country, Rothmans is equal to the challenge. "We know that Nigerians are looking forward to this package so we cannot afford to fail them." For now, the party goes on even as Lagos waits for the dome in the first weekend of November.