No steamy windows at Cork's drive-in

A drive-in for the Irish climate demands the use of tarpaulins to keep out the wind and rain – but it's still an intimate affair, writes Brian O'Connell

PARDON MY cultural stereotyping, but when I think of drive-in movies, I think of balmy nights in old convertibles with the roof down, somewhere in Bruce Springsteen’s backyard. An industrial estate on the outskirts of Cork city in November is not exactly its natural home.

But, it was here, in Fota Retail Park, that three Cork businesspeople decided to depart from culture and climate, and launch Ireland’s first drive-in cinema last week.

With space for 100 cars, the cinema is located on several acres of open ground on a site that was planned as part of a major retail development which has now been stunted.

At a preview screening on Thursday night, cars queued to enter, lining up to get sweets, drinks or hot foods at a mobile diner, before being directed to individual tiered car bays.

Each bay has a tarpaulin cover to keep off wind and rain, and a portable heater is provided. The screen itself is over 2,500 sq ft, and the sound system is accessed via your car stereo.

Before the screening started last week, owner Stephen Redmond gave me a tour of the facilities.

The idea for the drive-in came when Redmond’s business partner, John Caulfield, visited a touring drive-in cinema in Cork some years back.

Since then, the pair have carried out extensive research, particularly in Germany, where the tradition of “autokinos” is well established.

On Thursday night, the audience was mostly made up of families and couples. Admission charge is €16 per car, regardless of how many are in the vehicle, making it quite competitive. Food is delivered to cars by staff, while others are on hand to direct cars to their bays or instruct the audience on how to use the heaters.

These heaters, placed on the dashboard, also help keep windscreens clear, ensuring no steamy windows. But, doesn’t that just defeat the whole purpose of the romantic drive-in experience? Surely you can’t have the smooch without the steam?

“We are family friendly,” says Stephen Redmond. “The heaters keep the car comfortable and the windscreen clear. If couples don’t want it, they can switch them off.”

Over in the projection booth, projectionist Diane Cusack tells me that the equipment is three times more powerful than the average cinema projector.

Her booth is a standalone container with a Perspex screen at the front through which the projector is positioned. “It is more advanced as it needs to hit a much larger area,” she says. “It is a different setup for the sound compared to indoor cinemas, but the principles are the same.”

There is one difference for the projectionist. At outdoor cinemas, projectionists like Cusack can be seen by the audience and not hidden behind a ray of light.

“I was just thinking that this morning,” she says. “I brought along my book but I’m realising I won’t be reading it. It wouldn’t look too good. I love being in here though as I think projection boxes are magical places. So far everything is going smoothly.”

Audience members talk about the advantages of being able to smoke and eat hot food in their cars while watching the film. Many, judging by the flashes of neon coming from their cars, also enjoy being able to leave their mobile phones on throughout. The technology works efficiently and the screen is actually well framed by the front window of your car, making it far more intimate than you would expect from such a large scale.

The one problem though was heat. It was freezing in the car, and the portable heaters, I felt, were not quite adequate to combat the November cold.

The other difficulty, especially for couples trying to get close, is the fact that unlike some American models, most European cars don’t have a long single seat in front. I mean, have you ever tried getting close to your loved one with a large gear stick in-between you?

Actually, maybe I should rephrase that. . .

For bookings and screen times see moviejunction.ie