Introducing the First Picturehouse Green Screen Event at The Regal

As part of the national Great Big Green Week initiative, and in collaboration with Greener Henley, the Regal will be screening a hard-hitting documentary called The Ants & The Grasshopper followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with the director.

The film tells the story of Anita Chitaya, a subsistence farmer from Malawi who travels to America to talk to people from all walks of life about the impacts of climate change that she’s already experiencing firsthand, directly challenging their assumptions. The film weaves together the most urgent themes of our times: climate change, class, gender and racial inequality, and the ideas that groups around the world have generated in order to save the planet.

Afterwards, there will be the opportunity for cinemagoers to participate in a post-film discussion facilitated by members of Greener Henley and Picturehouse Green Screen.

Flick Beckett, Head of Green Steering Group for Picturehouse Cinema shares how important it is to be addressing such issues through the medium of film as well as highlighting some of the ways their network is running a more sustainable cinema too. He said, “We take our planet and the climate crisis seriously. The Green Screen initiative is a way to engage and inspire our customers with regular environmental-themed screenings, discussions and campaigns. As Anita Chitaya says in the film – it takes many ants to move a grasshopper; It will take all of us working together collectively to combat the climate crisis.”

For many years Picturehouse has used FSC accredited paper and vegetable-based inks on all its printed materials and sought out like-minded, local suppliers for food & beverage offerings. At a more local level, The Regal and Picturehouse are tackling energy waste via weekly, site-specific reports that pinpoint areas for reduction and change in practice. Customers also get a discount on hot drinks when bringing their own reusable cups.

Levi McAndrew-Brown, Marketing Manager at the Regal added, “As a cinema based in the heart of Henley we are keen to support both local and national efforts to work towards a more sustainable future. We welcome this opportunity to highlight these critical issues and look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.”

Greener Henley is a local volunteer organisation, and works to help build a greener, zero carbon future for Henley and surrounding villages. “It’s great to collaborate with a local business to highlight the importance of the ongoing climate and nature crisis, and we look forward to future Green Screen events at the Regal” affirms Sara Kandiah, Events Coordinator at Greener Henley.

The Ants and The Grasshopper will be showing at The Regal on Sunday 2nd October at 14:30, followed by a pre-recorded interview with the Director. The post-film discussion will take place in the cafe area.  Tickets can be booked here.