The Magic Lantern – Films to grow up with

At The Magic Lantern, children are considered as real spectators: demanding, critical yet always capable of being amazed. Having prepared for the film screening by reading the magazine as well as with the short preamble preceding each film showing, children are able to accept and appreciate even difficult works such as films by Pierre Etaix or Norman McLaren. They are particularly proud to be at the cinema without their parents. This not only allows them to react to the films in their own personal way but builds confidence as well.

At The Magic Lantern, children are encouraged to develop their imagination and creativity, extremely useful not only for their daily homework but also for the creation of their own films at home, in the classroom or through educational scholastic contests.

Learning about social interaction

At The Magic Lantern, children experience and share together with their comrades the major emotions of cinema – those that we also experience in everyday life. From laughs to dreams to reflection, children are encouraged to develop a critical eye toward the images they receive each day.

The Magic Lantern constitutes a social experience unique in its genre. Attending sessions in the company of hundreds of other children of the same age, the club members learn to respect their comrades, to evolve within a collective framework and most importantly, to behave responsibly in the absence of their parents. Several rules are reiterated by the presenters before each screening. The children accept and integrate these recommendations particularly well. After a few sessions we notice respect and the development of a form of self-discipline.

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