This diversity of purpose is one of the most important characteristics of mobile cinema. A permanent commercial cinema generally depends on a fixed location and a stable audience. A mobile cinema, however, can adapt to different environments and communities. It can travel to where people live and work. It can be organized for children, workers, villagers, soldiers, students, or local communities. It can screen feature films, documentaries, educational productions, newsreels, and cultural programs.
For this reason, mobile cinema should not be understood simply as a smaller or less sophisticated version of conventional cinema. It represents a different philosophy of film exhibition. Traditional cinema asks the audience to come to the screen. Mobile cinema takes the screen to the audience.
The preparation of History of Mobile Cinema in Iran required extensive research. Fadaei has stated that he spent approximately four years collecting the information needed for the project. Researching a subject such as mobile cinema presents particular challenges because much of its history took place outside major institutions. Permanent theaters leave behind buildings, business records, advertisements, and archives. Mobile screenings, however, were temporary. Equipment moved from place to place, and many events were not documented in the same systematic manner.
