My Film Night
By Sara Milne, Chair, Events Committee
Our annual film night at the RCA is a great evening out.
We have shown some wonderful movies in the past, all with a London theme either in storyline or location, preferably with a bias towards south west London. And what I like about it is that everyone is really pleased to be there on the night – happy to mingle with other members, see some familiar faces, watch a great film with a glass of wine and try to remember where they were in their lives when they saw it the first time round!
My experience of our film night is slightly different though… as events chair my responsibility is to ensure that everyone has a good time. So apart from setting up in advance of members arriving, I am often to be seen behind the ‘bar’ pouring drinks and refilling nibbles bowls. As everyone moves from the pre-performance drinks party into the theatre for the screening, the noise level reduces. The doors of the theatre are closed and there is a hush that falls over the RCA café area.
As the opening credits start, I start clearing up empty glasses left behind on tables and start packing things away, so that when the screening ends and our guests leave for their homes the events team has a seamless and swift exit.
Once everything is as packed up as I can make it, I then have about an hour to myself. Interestingly, I could easily sneak into the screening, but instead I sit looking out across the Thames and the lights of Battersea Bridge and its traffic, enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet. I have however seen all the films we have screened – Alfie, Melody and The Deadly Affair being some of my favourites – just the following evening at home!
