Screenings in Haiti

In the Guardian the other day there was an article about outdoor screenings for children in Haiti, to help them cope with the shock and trauma after the earthquake. It's a very good example of how films can be used to do good, can be used for therapeutic reasons, and I'm sure there are many other stories like this. I've personally been arguing the case for this use of cinema for many years and I feel that this is a field of cinema studies that perhaps could do with some more research.

Besides just showing films for the children, they are also encourage to do their own films:

Led by film enthusiasts from the Bristol's leftfield Cube Cinema, the project involves showing feature films and messages of support from children in Britain. The idea is eventually to help youngsters in Haiti make their own films, which will then be sent back to Bristol, forging a cinematic link between Britain and the earthquake-hit Caribbean country.

As for what the they are being shown, it's a collection of silent comedies, animation (both WALL-E (2008) and Bugs Bunny) and films such as The Red Balloon (Le ballon rouge 1956).

Here's a link to the full article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/21/bristol-cinema-haiti-earthquake-children