We are getting tired of superhero films dominating the big screens

Let me make one thing clear from the get go, I am NOT a pretentious film bro. I actually enjoy watching gaudily dressed up superheroes wielding their CGI laden weapons and accomplishing feats beyond human capabilities to save the world while dealing insane amounts of property damage.

However, nowadays it seems that these superhero films are the only thing our theatres have to offer. It might be an unsuitable time to mention this, especially when amazing Bangladeshi films like Hawa have the cinema halls packed. Even so, there are rarely any films that offer a rewarding experience for people who appreciate the art of cinema other than the latest comic book adaptations.

I'm well aware that cinema halls in Bangladesh have showings of movies beyond the productions of Marvel and DC. Yet, they never stray too far from mainstream blockbusters. Action and animation films with famous names and faces take up nearly all the posters on the wall of theatres, with a couple of Bangladeshi films thrown into the mix. It's rare for critically acclaimed films, or independent movies, to make it into our renowned cinema halls.

Over the years, there has been a recurring pattern of cinema halls showcasing movies that will attract a large number of viewers. Blockbusters and box office hits are the safest bets when it comes to accomplishing that goal. Cinema halls recently have recently started showing popular anime movies, starting off with fewer showtimes and increasing them upon demand. Yet, few such instances exist for indie films, or movies that bag awards in film festivals.

While it's easy to make demands for theatres to showcase arthouse movies, it's quite difficult to make it happen in real life. Overturning some profit is definitely necessary for theatres to continue running, and movies with less than anticipated viewership fail to meet that quota. Especially when it comes to indie films, they're not profitable to begin with. In fact, the overwhelming majority of indie movies are not profitable for the creators, with a select few making the cut.

Distributing movies is also a costly ordeal. When it comes to distribution, the creators of the film get very little shares of the profit. The budget for movies is generally meagre, unless they are produced by film studio giants. Therefore, they usually don't have enough capital left to pay to distributors for theatrical releases. Theatres, from their ends, do not want to invest in acquiring the rights for something that might not recoup their overall costs.

As for the better-known indie movies, a similar picture is seen. The audience base for such films is smaller compared to the fandoms of Marvel, DC, Disney etc. So, it is rather normal that theatres do not want to make such an expensive venture. This can be explained by how most indie or obscure films tend to attract older audiences, whereas the majority of cinema-goers is comprised of the youth.

A practical solution for cinema halls to introduce indie films would be to utilise a voting system, which is already in place on Star Cineplex's website. Starting off by screening indie or other decorated films with a few showtimes as a special monthly event is also a good start.

Cinema is a much beloved source of entertainment for most of us. Watching an adrenaline-fuelled film with friends is an amazing experience, but sometimes we should also be given the chance to enjoy the finer things in life. For instance, the two-hour black and white film about the Serbian government seen through the eyes of a pigeon. Who wouldn't want to watch that?

Zabin Tazrin Nashita is fitting comfortably into her NPC role. To interact, find her at: fb.com/zabintazrin.nashita