Vivid

The very first movie I ever saw was Lost Horizon.

I was about 10 years old.

My grandparents took me one night to the musty little theatre in Kalk Bay.

The movie started in black and white.

Broadly the story goes like this:

A plane crashes in the mountains, the people stagger around in the deep snow, trying to find a way back to civilisation.

Of course they don't, and are close to death when they accidently stumble upon the secret entrance to Shangri La.

The movie magically morphed into colour as the bemused survivors found themselves in a tropical paradise, complete with beautiful flowers and plants.

A heaven on earth in the midst of the rugged freezing mountain peaks.

Not only that, but the inhabitants were all young, gorgeous and serene.

Sickness was unknown,peace and and immortality was the order of the day.

The outsiders were welcomed with open arms.

Of course, the hero fell in love with one of the girls there, with all the complications that brought.

I don't remember all the details but what sticks in my mind is that, in spite of the warnings of the leaders of Shangri La, the hero tries to take his love back to his world.

The unexpected twist is that she is hundreds of years old, so when she leaves her magical world, the beautiful girl turns first into an aged crone, then literally falls into dust.

That scene remains emblazoned on my mind.

The tragedy of it; the horror of it; his remorse and devastation.

I see the update is on dstv at the moment.

I hope to catch it and see what they have made of it

Or maybe I should just keep my old memories?