Movie magic – Umit Mesut keeps it reel

Umit Mesut in his Clapton shop. Photograph: Tim Sullivan

Hackney is experiencing a cinematic revival and at its heart is living legend Umit Mesut. This Hackney native’s shop at 35 Lower Clapton Road takes you back in time to understand what cinematography was once about.

It is a space crammed full of DVDs around a small passage, posters hanging from the ceiling, a tempting range of sweets, and a pile of real film reels at the back.

Umit knows everything about cinema and projectors, but he tries to be modest: “You have to understand, I am still discovering a lot of things, I am constantly learning”, he says. “I have been trying to save the art of cinema for twenty five years.”

His quest is to preserve 16 and 35 mm projectors and technicians who can actually operate them.

Maybe Umit is not aware of it, but he has a huge following in area. Just ask around and many will reply: “Oh yes, the strange shop with movies and old projectors by the greengrocers”.

Liam Saint Pierre belongs to that following, with a real passion for the cinema. With some friends, he is now making movies and productions on old-fashioned film.

“Do you know about the French New Wave, Parisian cinema around 1968? I would like to re- establish that – a kind of British New Wave,” says Liam.

Inspired by Umit Mesut, Liam has created Cine Real, a film club devoted to classics shown from a 16mm projector.

The club has shown Rebel Without a Cause,  Jaws and The Sting, and The Bicycle Thieves is set for 26 April.

More at Cine-Real.