Christopher Nolan fans make 'Odyssey' to Regina to see new film in 70mm IMAX

Christopher Nolan fans make 'Odyssey' to Regina to see new film in 70mm IMAX

Kramer IMAX Theatre is one of 41 worldwide showing The Odyssey in 70mm film format

Christopher Nolan fans are making the voyage to see the award-winning director’s new movie The Odyssey at the Kramer IMAX Theatre in Regina.

The theatre in the Saskatchewan Science Centre is one of just 41 in the world that can show the movie on 70-millimetre IMAX film.

Tickets for the first four showings of the film went on sale more than a year ago.

Ryan Holota, the COO of the Science Centre, said it sold out the first weekend they were available.

“A lot of the people that are arriving have been planning this for a very long time and we're really excited to welcome them,” Holota said.

Trenton Blum is one of those people.

He drove from North Battleford to see the first showing of The Odyssey in Regina on Thursday.

“How often can you be at an IMAX premiere in your home province? That's one of the coolest things that I can say I did today,” Blum said.

He said he was blown away by the movie.

“It is one of his best works. I think that truly many people are going to love this and I just cannot wait to see what people think when they all get to see this,” Blum said.

Brendan Gorsalitz said he and his girlfriend drove two and a half hours from Saskatoon to Regina to see The Odyssey.

Gorsalitz said his love for Nolan’s work inspired him to make the drive.

“The way he makes movies, it's an event. So I wanted to come here to the IMAX,” Gorsalitz said.

Fans flock to Regina as The Odyssey hits one of 41 70mm IMAX theatres

Other moviegoers didn’t travel as far, but said they still went on a journey.

“I feel emotionally wrecked after that. It was different than I was expecting. Epic. Absolutely devastatingly beautiful,” Tyson Liske from Regina said after the screening.

“A hundred per cent worth the wait. I can't wait to get tickets and come right back again.”

For Nolan fans, The Odyssey is huge. It’s also huge for the people operating the projector at the Kramer IMAX Theatre.

According to Holota, the reels of IMAX film that make up Nolan’s The Odyssey came in three large aluminum crates and weighed a total of 600 pounds. All together, Holota said, the film is 16 kilometres long.

The Odyssey will be showing at the Kramer IMAX Theatre until Aug. 12.

That's good for Blum, who said he will be making the approximately four-hour drive to see it again.

“I don't mind doing that drive to see this again,” Blum said.

“Just like how Odysseus went on his own odyssey. Maybe it's time for me to go on my own.”

Laura Gillis is a Regina-based journalist. You can reach her at laura.gillis@cbc.ca.

With files from Julien Lecacheur