Enter scene
In an attempt to revive an iconic cinema built in the 70’s, The Projector was the brainchild of its 3 co-founders back in 2014. They took over the tenancy of the space and refurbished it into an indie cinema for the new age, yet retaining aspects of its past glory. It was a way to experience the old world again, complete with a thin layer of dust. Which in itself is a kind of charm – Contrasting the shiny, glossy features of a city state obsessed with perfection and modernity.
The strange and the beautiful
Needless to say, it was the eclectic and alternative voices at the peripherals of society that became the audiences that filled the space. Beginning with the cinephiles that sought arthouse films, both local and foreign, sometimes cult classics, many of which were important films that offered new and broad perspectives of the human experience. But most of which might have never gotten a mass market release in our local cinemas.
Opening acts and the main event
Naturally, the space became fertile for alternative events that might not find a home elsewhere as they advocated for marginalised voices that were deemed “sensitive” by the mainstream – The Singapore Independent Media Fair, LGBTQA pride events, even hosting the Palestinian Film Festival when permits were rejected for solidarity in public spaces. This was the safe space and indisputable home for such events to thrive.
The one and only, THE Projector
Even though it began as a courageous endeavour to revive a space, The Projector never took itself too seriously. Afterall, it was already going against all odds in a city that was usually homogenous and unfavourable to such ideas – An off-central location, slightly decaying, questionable co-tenants, and to top it all off – a niche offering of arthouse films. The team leaned into the satire of it all with brand communication that dared to use colloquial swear words, politically-incorrect memes and culture-specific slang.
The announcement to switch off your phones before the film was a (now iconic) Turkish Luke Skywalker – Film scenes edited from a bootleg Turkish version of Star Wars, warning viewers to abide by cinema rules, or else. It was irreverence, a radical differentiation from perfectly curated copy and well-adapted brand templates, a breathing space to let live and just be, all while retaining its authentic, consistent voice that rallied its patrons.
Rallying the community
Sometimes, love is felt more strongly through loss – And this played out in full force when the cinema announced its sudden closure. Commercial feasibility aside, it brought value to audiences in ways that were intangible but with deep resonance. It offered an example of how a business could operate while providing a platform to diverse voices, contributing to the growth of arts and culture, and above all, bringing community together in a third space that might have otherwise never existed for them. This was more than just a money-making endeavour, it was meaning-making in our collective existence. And against the odds, it had a 10-year run – Isn’t that quite a feat!
Photo credits: Instagram/@theprojectorsg, my sis
