Riaan Iningi langoLwesithathu ebusuku, i-Gardena Cinema enezihlalo ezingu-800 inabantu abambalwa abahlezi phambi kwesikrini sayo esisodwa.
Kodwa ngesonto eledlule, amakhulukhulu ababukeli bamafilimu bacishe bagcwalisa inkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini engokomlando kabili ngobusuku obubodwa, ngemidlalo elandelanayo njengengxenye yomdlalo. Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Futhi lokho kwafika ngemva kwezinsuku enye inhlangano yamafilimu ibambe umcimbi okhethekileidonsela izivakashi ezingaba ngu-500 endaweni ewumhume ngemuva kwengaphambili elibushelelezi eCrenshaw Boulevard.
“Angikaze ngibabone abantu abaningi kangako enkundleni yemidlalo yeshashalazi cishe emashumini ambalwa eminyaka,” kusho uJudy Kim, ophethe ibhayisikobho, enye yezindawo zokugcina ezinesikrini esisodwa eziphethwe umndeni futhi ezisetshenziswayo eLos Angeles. “Bengilokhu ngihamba njalo ngale micimbi ekhethekile.”
Ukuvuselelwa kwefilimu yangakithi, eyakhiwa ngo-1946 futhi yathengwa abazali bakaKim eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-50 eyedlule, yashiswa ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule, lapho uKim ebona ukuthi wayengeke akwazi ukuzigcina eyedwa.
U-Judy Kim, kwesokudla, umnikazi we-Gardena Cinema, unika u-Kay Shishima wase-Montebello u-popcorn ngesikhathi sefestiveli yamafilimu yakamuva njengoba ivolontiya u-Kelly Charlshe ebukele.
(UMel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Bekuyiminyaka embalwa enzima emndenini: Umama wakhe – inhliziyo ye-cinema selokhu abakwaKims bathatha izintambo ngo-1976 – wayesanda kulahlekelwa yimpi yakhe yomdlavuza, kanti inkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini yahlala ivaliwe cishe iminyaka emithathu ngenxa yalolu bhubhane.
“Imali yaqala ukuphela,” kusho uKim, oneminyaka engu-51. “Ngatshela ubaba, ‘Ngizodinga amavolontiya ngoba ngeke ngikwazi ukwenza lokhu ngedwa.’
Ngokushesha, umphakathi wasabela obizweni lwakhe.
Ukuqina kwamandla nokwesekwa kuphefumulele impilo entsha ethiyetha njengoba amavolontiya ayengena ukuze athengise amathikithi, agcwalise izivumelwano, athuthukise ukuba khona kwenkundla yezokuxhumana kanye nokusabalalisa igama mayelana nebhizinisi lomndeni lesikhathi eside.
“Indawo iyi-rad; ayikho indawo efana nalena,” kusho uMatt Collette, 48, ojoyine iqembu lamavolontiya likaKim elithi Friends of Gardena Cinema, eliqhubekile nokukhula kusukela ngo-Okthoba. “Uyangena futhi kubukeka sengathi isikhathi sima nje cishe ngo-1987. … Azisekho lezi zindawo.”
UFrancis Cullado, umqondisi omkhulu weVisual Communications, uthe ithimba elibambe iqhaza kwi-Asian Pacific Film Festival likujabulele ukujoyina ukwesekwa okusha kweshashalazi.
“Siyajabula ukuthi kunesikhala esifana nalesi esingangena kuso,” kusho uCullado. “Kithina, sifuna ngempela ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi iyasimama. … Kukhona umlingiswa lapha ongeke ukwazi ukumphinda kwenye indawo.”
I-Gardena Cinema enezihlalo ezingu-800 igcina ukukhanga kwayo kwesikole esidala esine-red-velvet draping, izihlalo ezingenalutho namaphosta ama-movie amadala endaweni yokwamukela izivakashi.
(UMel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Ngokudonsela phansi kwe-velvet ebomvu, ukhaphethi waphansi kanye nezihlalo ezingathobeki, kuncane okushintshile etiyetha kusukela abazali bakaKim bayithenga eminyakeni embalwa ngemva kokusuka eSouth Korea, ngaphandle kokuthuthukela kumshini wokudlala wedijithali (yize uKim esenayo endala. iphrojusa yefilimu).
Izinhlamvu ezingafani etendeni langaphandle letiyetha zibonisa ishejuli ye-movie yabadlula ngendlela. Ngaphakathi, izibani ze-neon ezinemibala zilenga ngaphezu kwekhawunta ye-concessions, lapho izinhlamvu zivela khona ezinhlangothini zebhodwe le-popcorn lakudala futhi inothiphedi ephuzi iqoqa iziphakamiso ze-movie ezibhalwe ngesandla zezivakashi.
Futhi nakuba isikhala ngokwaso siwumdwebo wanoma imuphi umthandi wefilimu noma umthandi wesikole esidala – sike sasetshenziswa njengesethi yefilimu kwabanye. amafilimu akamuva futhi amadokhumentari – abaxhasi abaningi namavolontiya bathi ukumamatheka okufudumele kukaKim nothando ngomphakathi wakubo okubagcina bebuyile.
“Ayikho into abengeke ayenzele umphakathi – futhi noma ngubani ohlangana naye, ayikho into obungeke umenzele yona,” kusho uTiffany Nitsche, umongameli webhodi labaqondisi beLos Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. .
U-Nitsche uthe kunzima ukusho ngokuqondile ukuthi i-Gardena Cinema iyithiyetha yokugcina yesikrini esisodwa ephethwe ngumndeni ngemuva kuka-Quentin Tarantino. usanda kuthenga i-Vista Theatre eLos Felizkodwa wathi “iyitiyetha yokugcina ephethwe umndeni futhi esetshenziswayo, eyadlalwa okokuqala, yesikrini esisodwa” — okusho ukuthi ikhombisa amafilimu amasha anjengama-blockbuster afana nokuthi “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” okuyindlela uKim aphinde avula ngayo ukuwa kokugcina ngemuva kokuvalwa kobhubhane isikhathi eside.
“Judy [Kim] wenza umsebenzi omuhle kangaka ekwenzeni abantu bazizwe bamukelekile,” kusho uSo Yun Um, umqondisi we “Amaphupho Esitolo Sotshwala,” ekhonjiswe ngeledlule eGardena Cinema nge-Asian Pacific Film Festival. “Okunzima wukuthi abantu abazi ngakho. … Kodwa manje njengoba abantu sebebonile ingaphakathi lakho … lidala umsindo kanye nalo muzwa womphakathi.”
Ngenkathi amakhulu etheleka endaweni yesinema ngesonto eledlule, uKim wagila izimanga endaweni yeshashalazi aseyiphethe cishe iminyaka engu-30 – lapho akhulela khona kanye nomfowabo nezinye izingane zasendaweni – enikeza izikhombisi-ndlela, elungisa ukudla okulula, egijima egijima eyoqala amafilimu, waze waphuma. isitsha sama-sanitary pads samahhala lapho owesifazane osemusha ecela usizo ngobunye.
Abesifazane abathathu ngemuva kwekhawunta bethatha ama-oda opophukhoni, amasoda, ama-nacho nama-hot dog bonke babengamavolontiya, bezama ukuhambisana nokujaha kohlanya ukuze behlise umthwalo kaKim.
U-Judy Kim uyahleka njengoba ethatha i-oda lokudla lekhasimende ngaphambi kokuhlolwa kwe-Asian Pacific Film Festival.
(UMel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Ivolontiya u-Matt Wilczynski usiza u-Judy Kim abeke iphosta ethi “Amaphupho Esitolo Sotshwala” ngaphakathi kwekesi lokubonisa.
(UMel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Uma kunombuzo mayelana nentengo noma ibhotela liyeka ukumpompa noma usinki uqala ukugcwala, izisebenzi zokuzithandela zazimemeza uKim. Nangempela weza egijima.
“Ake ngithathe i-mop,” ememeza, ngaphambi kokuba enze imisebenzi yokuhlanza. “Kungesinye sezizathu ezingenza ngingakwazi ukuhamba. … Uma ngihamba, kwenzeka izinto ezinjengalezi.”
Nokho, ngesikhathi esifanayo, uKim wamamatheka: “Ngiwathanda ngempela wonke amavolontiya ami.”
Ngobusuku obujwayelekile, nguKim nje ophethe ithiyetha — “umdlalo wowesifazane oyedwa,” uyawubiza. Ubaba wakhe osekhulile kwesinye isikhathi uzosebenza idokodo lamathikithi uma ezwa kahle, kodwa ngokuvamile kuba nguyena kuphela.
“Ungubhuki, umphathi … kufanele ahlanze izindlu zangasese, unogada, umgcini mabhuku,” kusho uCollette. “Akusiyo imodeli yebhizinisi esimeme.”
U-Prima Devera, 53, usebenze umshini wesoda ngalobo Lwesithathu kusihlwa, umsebenzi athi ujabule ngokuwenza ukuze asize ukugcina ithiyetha – kanye noKim – eqhubeka.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ukubona umphakathi uhlangana ndawonye, abantu bezama ukusiza ukusindisa ifilimu,” kusho uDevera, othole indawo yeshashalazi kaKim ngaphambi nje kwalolu bhubhane futhi wakhathazeka ngokuthi umndeni uzophumelela kanjani. “Ngithanda ukuthi ingeyomndeni, futhi njengoba ngingowase-Asia, bengikuthanda ukuthi bekuyinkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini ephethwe umndeni wase-Asia.”
U-Suzy Evans odabuka e-Gardena ukhumbule evakashela indawo yemidlalo yaseshashalazini esemncane, eza ngezinsuku zokuqala kanye nabangane. Manje, usejoyine inethiwekhi ekhulayo yamavolontiya azinikele ethiyetha, muva nje usebenza umshini we-popcorn eduze no-Devera.
“Kufana ne-deja vu,” kusho u-Evans, 70. “Angifuni ukuyibona iseduze.”
Kodwa ikusasa lesinema alicacile.
UJohn Kim, 82, ukhuluma nendodakazi yakhe uJudy Kim. UJudy uthathe izintambo zokuphatha le filimu ngo-1996 kubazali bakhe, abayithenga ngo-1976.
(UMel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Ngemuva kwezingxoxo eziningi, uKim noyise oneminyaka engu-82 ubudala babhala le ndawo ezothengiswa ngoJanuwari, kodwa bazimisele ukulinda inani elifanele – into ayithembisa umama wakhe embhedeni wokufa – nokugcina uhlelo luqhubeka okwamanje. .
“Azisekho izizukulwane ezizayo esingashiya imidlalo yeshashalazi emndenini wethu,” kusho uKim echaza ukuthi yena nomfowabo abanazo izingane. Ubaba wakhe ufuna ukujabulela iminyaka yakhe yokugcina enaye, okuyinto athe cishe akunakwenzeka ngenkathi eqhuba ibhizinisi elidinga isikhathi namandla.
“Angazi ngempela ukuthi ikusasa lingiphatheleni ngoba anginaye umthengi, futhi ngingase ngingabi naye umthengi iminyaka engaba ngu-10, akunjalo?” Kusho uKim. “Ngakho-ke, hheyi, kungani ngingavele ngiqhubeke ngiyisebenzisa njengenhlangano engenzi nzuzo iminyaka engu-10 futhi nginikeze abantu inzuzo yokukwazi ukunikela enhlanganweni abafuna ukuyigcina, futhi ngigcine iminyango ivuliwe?”
Kule ntwasahlobo, uKim ubhalise kuhulumeni njengenhlangano engenzi nzuzo futhi usebenzela ukuphothula amaphepha akhe nohulumeni wobumbano – isinyathelo athemba ukuthi sizohlinzeka ngosekelo lwezezimali olwengeziwe oluvela kwiminikelo noma ekugqugquzeleni ubulungu.
“Inkundla yeshashalazi inkulu kakhulu, futhi ziningi izinto okufanele ngizenze ukuyinakekela,” kusho uKim. “Ukuphela kwendlela engizothola ngayo uphahla olusha nendawo yokupaka entsha futhi ngenze indawo ibe yinhle futhi ngiyiqabule. [is] uma ngithola isimo sokungenzi inzuzo.”
Kodwa nalokho kungaba yindlela enzima kumathiyetha amancane, anomlando. I-American Cinemateque engenzi nzuzo isanda kukhothama ngemva kwamashumi eminyaka ingumnikazi futhi isebenzisa i-Egypt Theatre yaseHollywood, idayisa. kuNetflix ngo-2020.
“Uma kungenzeka bayidayise, ngethemba ukuthi noma ngubani oyithengayo okungenani uzoyigcina yaseshashalazini,” kusho uDevera, enanela amavolontiya amaningi eGardena Cinema. “Ngingaphatheka kabi ngempela ukubona le ndawo ihamba ngokuphelele.”
Banethemba lokuthi intshisekelo entsha kule midlalo yeshashalazi, ikakhulukazi entsheni, izosiza i-cinema ibambelele emlandweni wayo eNingizimu Bay.
Futhi nge ukuqala kabusha kwefilimu, amarekhodi e-vinyl nezinye izintelezi zesikole esidala phakathi kweGen Z kanye nezinkulungwane zeminyaka, uKim uthe kusebenze ukuthi abazali bakhe bebemanqikanqika ukukhokhela ukulungiswa, njengezihlalo zetiyetha ezintsha azamile iminyaka ukuze athenge umama wakhe.
“Sekuyisikhathi eside manje, kumnandi,” kuhleka uKim. “Manje njengoba sizigcinile … sezivuthiwe.”
