by Mark Van Streefkerk 

These days, The Ark Lodge Cinemas is in a  much different place than it was last year, and the return of summer blockbusters is part of the upswing. Columbia City’s only movie theater weathered the pandemic through generous contributions from community members, a bold new plan for the future conceived by Managing Director Justin Pritchett, and the sheer grit of owner David McRae. During last year’s pandemic-induced closure, McRae launched an ambitious GoFundMe campaign and promoted T-shirt and gift card sales, all with the aim of keeping past-due bills at bay and fighting for the future of the Ark.