In a world of Netflix, Neon and YouTube, we have access at home to a huge range of cheap and readily-available content. What’s missing is the joy of watching a film in a cinema with others – as we know from the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, connection, communication and learning are powerful forces for individual and communal good.

That’s where the Canterbury Film Society comes in. Each year it has a programme of superb arthouse films, many of which do not reach New Zealand cinemas or television. Regular screenings satisfy Film Society members’ craving for viewing films in a large group and doing deep in the topics with guest speakers, question and answer sessions and panel discussions. There’s a strong sense of community, the incomparable feeling of watching a film on the big screen. Membership is easy with a range of options to suit every wallet.

True to its more than six decades of history, the society’s 2020 programme is a banger, and the August lineup includes Jean-Luc Godard’s 1966 classic Masculin Féminin as well as The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night and contemporary horror-comedy Extra Ordinary.

The Human Rights Film Festival in September will screen four stop-and-think films, all open to the public for free or koha. To close the season, the society will screen the dystopian masterpiece Metropolis, by Fritz Lang on October 19.

The society’s members are a diverse bunch. The current membership of 250 ranges in age from 16 to 90 and people come from all walks of life. Since the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and the loss of many suitable venues in the city, the society has found a new home in the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū. Screenings run at the gallery every Monday at 7.30pm, with doors open at 7pm for sales of home-baked food, drinks and socialising. Turn up early on the night or check the website for more info. All films are preceded by a short talk from a guest presenter.

canterburyfilmsociety.org.nz