Different Experience in Outdoor Movies: from China to Columbia, South Carolina

On Friday evenings in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, hundreds gathered in a small park when the last light faded to watch movies on a temporary screen -- no roof, no assigned seats, just lawn and speakers. The same tradition was once ubiquitous across China, where outdoor films on university basketball courts were a childhood fixture for millions. When the newest Harry Potter played at a digital multiplex, one observer chose the grass for the weekend instead.