Movie Night

I don't have much to write about this week, so I'll tell you a bit about one of our rituals here in Lilongwe: Movie Night at our friend Matt's house.

Matt arrived in Lilongwe right around the same time as me, and had the foresight to bring a healthy DVD collection and projector. Every Thursday night he opens his home to friends (and usually a couple strangers) for a film showing.

You have to understand, of course, that there is no movie theater anywhere in Malawi. Not a single one. So the possibilities for seeing new releases, or even high-quality older films are pretty slim. Most of us get our movie fixes from the backs of airplane seats.

So the chance to see "Casino Royale" in surround sound up on a big screen (well, average-sized wall) is quite a treat. There are not many chairs, so Jorge and I bring our own fold-up camp chairs, while others lay on foam mattresses on the floor. Sometimes people bring snacks, and it's always a nice chance to catch up with friends before and after the film.

In keeping with a real movie-theater feel, we even get to see trailers for upcoming selections. You can see the lineup here. It's always a nice eclectic mix of camp classics, recent releases, and rarely-seen art-house flicks. Some are great, some are unintentionally funny, and some are just plain weird. Like the 1980s Polish film where a woman falls in love with her creepy stalker. Obviously directed by a man.

By the way, Matt has a very interesting, well-written blog himself. One of the few I actually read, to be honest. There's a link on the left (or here) if you're interested.