The Last Picture Show was on at Cinemateca.
I got into an Uber wearing loose trousers, in case the old theatre didn’t have AC.
While we were driving, Portuguese radio was playing, and I realised I could understand many of the words. Not quickly enough to assemble them into a complete thought.
(Note: All conversations were actually in Portuguese.)
Me: What radio station is this?
Driver: [looks at me sceptically and says something quietly]
Me: Pardon?
Driver: It’s Observador.
Me: Ah, thanks. I could really use this to help my Portuguese.
His face warms into a smile, followed by a mildly surprised little laugh.
I get to Cinemateca. There’s an older woman being served at the front desk.
After a few minutes of waiting, I realise there’s a bead of sweat rolling down my face. My calculations failed me. I walked here too fast.
I wipe it away and turn around to check if I can catch a breeze from the doors behind me.
Instead, I turn directly into the face of a woman.
This startles both of us.
I’m too hot to be socially functional, so I turn back around and become a statue, hoping this makes the entire incident disappear.
A few minutes later, the guy at the front desk looks over the elderly woman he’s serving and says something to me very quickly. I understood nothing.
Me: Uh… I already have a ticket. Can I go ahead to the screen?
Him: Of course. You don’t need to wait here.
Excellent.
I start down a long, shadowy hallway looking for the screening room. I notice the woman who had been behind me in the queue is now literally just behind me again.
Me: Do you know where the screen is?
Her: Back and to the left, I think.
We eventually find the security guy outside. He has a scanner and is holding intense eye contact. No words. I infer that he’d like a QR code. The woman behind me reaches a different conclusion and tries to walk in. The security guard places his arm against the doorway.
Her: Oh, you can’t buy tickets here? I didn’t want to keep waiting at the front desk. It’d take forever.
Me: I have a spare one if you’d like.
Her: Ah, let me give you the cash.
Me: No need. It’s a spare.
Her: You bought it by accident?
Me: I always buy two tickets to things. Just to tempt fate.
Her: …
We go in and split ways.
She takes one of the easily accessible seats. I spot an empty one further down, which would require making several people stand up to let me through.
High effort. High reward.
It’s a great seat.
I settle in, beads of sweat still forming on my forehead. I stay as still as possible thinking movement would only attract further attention.
A few minutes later, I notice people in my row passing a little stack of coins towards me from the other side.
“It’s from some lady” says the man sitting nearby.