As cultural life ground to a halt in the Lithuanian capital, a drive-in cinema kicking off on Friday offers a coronavirus-proof experience.
The screenings will take place in the parking lot at the Vilnius’ Litexpo exhibition centre. The first film will be shown on Friday, with two additional screenings each day over the weekend.
“We are starting with one screen and [places for] 180 cars,” Tomas Belžekas, the initiator of ŽMONĖS Cinema drive-in, was quoted in a press release. “We plan to have three screens with three films shown simultaneously.”
The organisers are now hoping to launch drive-in cinemas in Kaunas and Klaipėda and are already in talks with the local municipalities, according to Balžekas.
“The pandemic has hit the entire cultural sector,” said Belžekas. “We turned back to drive-in cinema traditions [and] after speaking with organisers in other countries, we were sure that this entertainment can be done safely.”
People arriving at the drive-in cinema will have to stay inside their cars. Moreover, according to the current quarantine restrictions in Lithuania, no more than two people can be inside a single vehicle. Exceptions apply to family members.
During the government sitting on Wednesday, the Cabinet included drive-in entertainment as part of its quarantine easing measures.
Meanwhile Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said “safe entertainment is badly needed” to “improve the emotional wellbeing” of its residents.
The organisers plan to run the programme throughout the summer.
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