Jane Wright

Ryan's Daughter

Set in early 20th-century Ireland against a backdrop of local hostility to the British, Rosy Ryan's adultery exposes the prejudices and cruelties of a remote community.

I'd have to choose the first film that deeply affected me, Ryan's Daughter. I saw the film as a young teenager in a small Canadian town, and for me, it was transformational. The film itself is ravishing with beautiful cinematography. Moreover, it's this sweeping epic tale of a passionate doomed love affair, set against the backdrop of a bigger political story (the English repression of Ireland) that I was only dimly aware of at the time. I fell in love with Christopher Jones and his brooding despair (what ever happened to him?). And I loved the experience of being taken somewhere new - in every way - emotionally, narratively, aesthetically. I understand that the film was popular but not well received by critics at the time. I was affected only by the experience. I’ve seen the film since and continue to love it. The debate about the film’s merits is one worth continuing.

This heady mixture of physical beauty, emotional impact and learning was my first education on the power of cinema. And, though I've absolutely loved films - a few before and many since then - this experience still stays with me as a reminder of the awesome impact of film - and, on many levels, is why I do what I do.

I'm very excited about the future of exhibition. In a world where practically any content can be seen on our small screens, there will be incredible value in big, collective, out-of-home viewing experiences. There's tremendous power in gathering people together for shared experience. We're seeing this with the increased popularity of stage and live music, and I think we're going to continue to see it with mass viewing of films. It may not always be in cinemas, large outdoor community screens will also offer this collective opportunity. Social policy seems to be moving in this direction as well - governments are interested in building stronger communities, and are considering the role of cultural activities in this context. However, I do think that cinema will have to share the digital screen with other forms of content including sports, live cultural programming, and maybe the first night of a launching or returning TV series or the Olympics. As such, marketing will become even more important. Blockbusters backed by global ad campaigns will certainly continue but there should also be the space for more thoughtful cinema. It's my hope that increasing cinema traffic for alternate forms of entertainment should secure diversity in the types of film on offer. We'll need to be smart about creating 'must-see' features with cinema extras - maybe it will be the chance to ask questions of directors or lead actors by video hook-up on opening weekend. I'm sure there will be content and services on our mobiles that we can't even think of! However things change, I believe we'll still be experiencing the thrill of the opening credits in a darkened room for many years to come.