Thousands of Batman fans despaired when they heard “The Dark Knight Rises” would not be showing in the Middle East until 16 August, 30 days after the international release. Some 720 excruciating hours would pass until they could join the rest of the world and absorb director Christopher Nolan’s third and final installment.

Thirty-one year old Patricia Donohue, Doha Film Institute’s Programming Operations Coordinator took the news badly. Ten minutes after realising India was the closest country to Qatar showing the film, she booked a flight to New Delhi (1,587 miles away) and essentially purchased what might go down in history as the world’s most expensive movie ticket.

In her words:

Patricia with her ticket to India and ‘Batman. The Long Halloween’ a 13-issue comic book limited series.

“When I found out “The Dark Knight Rises” wouldn’t be released until later I was really not happy about it. You get excited and then you have to wait an extra month. I went through each country on IMDB to find where I could go.

I booked a ticket to India because it was the shortest and cheapest option. My flight was QR 1,800.

I am going to avoid the internet until the day I see it. Spoilers are online. I will not check my Facebook. Thankfully, I don’t have Twitter.

As soon as I get to India I am going to book my cinema ticket. I heard watching movies in India can be noisy. If there is an option of a quieter theatre, I will go for that.

I’ll try to get two screenings in. I can see myself watching it and joining the ticket line again straight after. If I’m going to India, I might as well watch it twice.

This will be my first time in India. What brings me to India is Batman. Not India.

Patricia’s comic book collection

I started to read Batman comics in my twenties. I like every variation of Batman over the years like the cheesy Adam West television show and movie. I like a bit of crazy too – the Tim Burton movies and the dark Frank Miller version.

I find Batman one of the funniest characters. He is super serious, he has the best lines and he has no powers, but a tonne of money. I like that he’s scary. He has the best villains of any comic book character.

I watched “The Dark Knight” in Doha. It was epic from beginning to end.

Heath Ledger’s death was a sad moment for me. I like him as an actor. In a totally selfish way, we won’t get to see the joker again. He was such a perfect joker.

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be even more epic. Batman is going to be excellent. The whole point of this movie is that Bane breaks Batman. I can’t wait to see how Batman gets broken.

In three words, Batman is awesome, awesome and awesome.

It’s nice that I get to go to India. I checked with an Indian friend to check the film would be in English and not dubbed.”

Patricia is making the pilgrimage to India on July 26. Aside from the Middle East, theatres around the world will screen “The Dark Knight Rises” on 19 July (including India) or 20 July.

As told to Anealla Safdar, Digital Department