I just walked the streets of Jerusalem and swam with a whale shark all in one afternoon! Well… it seemed that way on the largest movie screen in all of BC.

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Written By: Gretta Kennedy, Traveling Islanders
Location: @BC Museum • Victoria • Vancouver Island • British Columbia • Canada
www.imaxvictoria.com

We all love going to see a good movie.

The big screen, surround sound, a comfortable seat and popcorn in hand all make for a fun experience.  But I’ve noticed lately that with the growing size of home theatre systems, the movie theatre seems to be not as special as it once was.

Why go out when you can stay at home in your jammies and watch what you want on your big flat screen?

I’ll tell you why…IMAX.

On a recent visit to the Royal BC Museum, we had the opportunity to take our family for our own IMAX Victoria experience.

And really, that’s what it is. An experience.

As British Columbia’s largest screen, the IMAX Victoria measures 6 stories!  SIX!  That’s huge!

And when we walked in and sat down, I certainly felt small with that gigantic screen in front of me.

Most of the IMAX films run about 50 minutes. In order for the video to fit on such an enormous screen, the film itself is larger than regular movie film and uses a much larger machine to play it.

We were given a tour into the projector room and were able to see first hand this monstrosity of machinery that allows us to see such incredible movies.

I must admit, I kept the children close so they wouldn’t accidentally trip, get pulled into the projector and ruin the whole thing! It was cool, though, to see some of the work that goes on behind the scenes.

The film is wound by hand, each time, into the machine that uses a bulb so bright it could be seen on the moon!

IMAX Victoria will be the first screen of its size in Canada moving completely to digital in 2015, so if you’re looking for a huge used IMAX projector for your home theatre needs, you might want to give them a call.

On a date night, Jay and I went to see the fantastic “Jerusalem.”

This movie took us to the heart of Jerusalem and gave us the perspective of 3 people from 3 different religions, explaining why this city is so foundational to them.  Ever wonder why it has been fought over, destroyed, and rebuilt countless times over its 5000-year history?

I knew Jerusalem is one of the world’s oldest and most important cities for Muslims, Christians and Jews, but I didn’t really understand all the reasons surrounding it until watching this movie.  I left with a much broader picture of why Jerusalem is so complex and pivotal to these three major world religions.

Then when we went with our family, we chose “Journey to the South Pacific.”

We followed the life of young Jawi, an island boy on a journey of discovery where he encounters whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, and other iconic creatures of the sea. As we watched, the kids sat in wonder at the massive pictures and beauty of life under the sea.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I sat in wonder.

On his journey of discovery, Jawi learns what is threatening the sea life of his home island and what he can do to help.  As he learned, we learned.  The cinematography was beautiful and the story was lovely as well.  But I have to say I left a bit jealous of Jawi’s experiences.  I wish I could swim with the whale sharks as he did.

The IMAX does something to my spirit.

I would love to someday visit these places, but for now I am so grateful that IMAX took me closer to them than I’ve ever been.  I felt as though I was walking the streets of Jerusalem and even snorkelling among the spectacular coral reefs of the South Pacific.

The movies at IMAX Victoria change seasonally and tend to go somewhat with the theme of the traveling exhibit of the Royal BC Museum.  IMAX also features different blockbuster movies to watch on its enormous screen, many often in 3D.

So if you really want to see a good movie and are willing to get out of your pyjamas to do it, head on over to IMAX Victoria at the BC Museum and see a quality film on the largest screen in all of British Columbia.

You won’t be disappointed…and you will probably learn something really cool while you’re at it. For those who live close to an IMAX you should really check out their annual passes. It’s a fantastic deal!

How about you? What’s your IMAX memory? Start the ball rolling and comment below!

While our experience at IMAX Victoria was complimentary, you can rest assured that my thoughts, opinions, and findings are my own as always.

 

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IMAX is located at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. You may enjoy reading: