‘Did you watch the Academy Awards?’ I asked Camp, knowing full well I’m going to get an ear full.  

‘You’re talking to somebody that doesn’t even own a TV and I’m certainly not interested in the glamour and self-congratulating gizillinaires parading their gowns that cost more than some people earn in a year.’

‘There were some great movies made this year Camp and as one of the winners pointed out: Movies make memories and memories make history.’

‘And then the victors revise the history and make more movies about a fictional past. What about AI? Soon they’ll need no actors or locations. It will all be generated by a computer. It will be a perfect world. What memories? What history?’

‘I have to take you to a movie some day Camp. It’s not all fantasy and make believe. Some documentaries visually highlight the subject matter. It could be nature, music, even war. The Ukrainians docudrama Mariupol, about 20 days of the brutal Russian siege of that town, won an Oscar for best documentary. A first for Ukraine. The director said that he would much rather not have made the movie. Or The Zone of Interest, a disturbing film which is inspired by the real life of the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Also, the film industry is a good employer and over 5000 people work in movies and TV here in Hollynorth. These are good paying jobs Camp.’

‘You should know. Isn’t it what you did? I thought you always portrayed it as just an army of pushers, shovers, pullers, riggers, draggers of equipment and builders of temporary sets destined for the garbage heap. You called yourself a carnie. Setting up and tearing down rides.’

‘Well, that is one aspect. True, my job was just that, a job but the film industry offers a myriad of employment opportunities for people of all ages and genders and their trades: Carpenters, lighting techs, special effects, hair stylists, makeup and set decorators, greens and landscapers, costume and camera crews, caterers and drivers and then a whole army of post filming specialists from editors to musicians and visual and computer-generated effects people. Not to mention the actors and stunt people, stand-ins and extras, the production and locations teams, all of them making decent money.’

‘I guess it’s a more fun industry than an ammunitions or a fertilizer plant. All for our entertainment and leisure. I guess I’m in the wrong business. Mind you, I remember when there were video games and movie rental stores. I even sold tapes and Cd’s in the early days. Now it’s all streaming and uploading. It’s a never-ending world of zeros and ones determining everything from what we watch on our gadgets to what’s in our bank accounts to our personal info. Zero’s and One’s.  We couldn’t exist without our plastic cards or digital identities. It’s a binary, plastic world.’ 

We both concentrated on our beers for a beat.

‘We all remember times in our past tied to specific movies we’ve seen like the first movie I’ve seen as a teen was ‘Around the world in 80 days’ with David Niven. My mother took me for my birthday. My dad took me to see ‘The Longest Day’ about the invasion of the Normandie. Clare and my first date was ‘Roxanne’ with Steve Martin, filmed in Nelson.’

 ‘I was more into Space Odyssey, Star Wars and Star Trek.’ Camp said, ‘I suppose the list is endless.’

‘Don’t forget the ‘Beachcombers’, filmed right here in Gibsons, by Molly’s Reach and the harbour. It’s still CBC’s most successful TV production, now destined to become an animated series. Right now, they’re filming L.R. ‘Bonnie’ Wright’s mystery novels in our neighbourhood.’

‘I do remember Stephen King’s ‘Needful Things’ filmed here when I first opened the book store, back in the mid-nineties. They blew out half the windows in town. I guess you have a point. I shouldn’t be so cynical about films which are after all visual stories.’

‘What’s your favorite movie of the year?’ I asked Vicky when she swapped out our empties.

‘You probably think I’m going to say Barbie but actually I like Poor Things. 

‘Well, you got me there,’ Camp said. ‘I haven’t seen either and probably won’t.’