“Everyone has the right to see a film!”: in Frontignan, Ciné Relax campaigns for inclusive cinema
Natacha Garcia, fondatrice du Ciné Relax de Frontignan, en compagnie d'une petite spectatrice. Midi Libre – DR
For over 15 years in Frontignan, Natacha Garcia and the entire Ciné Relax team have been working to improve access to cinema for people who have been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
They are grouped under the term “neurodevelopmental disorders”. In reality, they are autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity, or learning disorders (known as dys disorders). “It is important to name them well, we don't talk about them enough”. Natacha Garcia, president of the Handi-actions-cap 34 association, is formal: “defusing the prejudices that still weigh on people with disabilities”also involves talking about things correctly”.”This Frontignanaise, mother of an autistic child and “full-time caregiver”, is at the origin of”Ciné Relax. A program that, in partnership with the CinéMistral in Frontignan, promotes better inclusion in movie theaters and more generally advocates for access to culture for all. This Sunday, October 6, Ciné Relax is holding its first fall screening with the screening of the film In Flip-Flops at the Foot of the Himalayas, starting at 2 p.m.
More than 15 years of existence
“Access to cinema is a right for all”, says Natacha, who discovered the existence of these special screenings in Montpellier, at the Nestor Burma cinema, a few years ago. "I went there with my son especially for that. I then wanted to set it up in Frontignan", she remembers. It was then 2007 and Natacha knocked on the door of Priscilla Schneider, director of CinéMistral, who welcomed the project with enthusiasm. In more than 15 years of existence, the Ciné Relax de Frontignan has made a name for itself in the region, and families now come from all over Hérault to attend these screenings. “ Spectators come from Lodève, Servian, Clermont and even Montpellier, says Natacha, who explains:we are part of Culture Relax, a national association that coordinates all these initiatives, the idea is not to compete but to complement each other in our programming."'
"We don't say shush!"
So concretely, what differentiates a Ciné Relax session from a classic session ? Small things such as keeping a light on during the screening, the absence of advertising or even a sound volume attenuated during certain sequences. “Everything is done so that the spectators are not attacked“, summarizes the mother, who, with the dozen volunteers on site, does not hesitate to go back and forth between the room and the control room to give instructions. But what makes the real difference is of course the diversity that reigns, during and after the screening since the latter is extended by a friendly moment, between “neurotypical” people and those with disabilities. Moreover, each session is introduced by a short awareness speech that contributes to the acceptance of these complex and often misunderstood situations. “We welcome people to the cinema who do not necessarily have the social codes of a theater but who have the right to see a film. For this, the public must be warned, explains Natacha Garcia, what you have to understand is that at Ciné Relax, we don't say shush! In the room.” A more inclusive approach to the seventh art, therefore, which should soon see the light of day at the Taurus cinema in Mèze.
A demanding and popular program
Over the years, the program, proposed by the director of the cinema to the association and families, has expanded. “At the beginning we showed cartoons and brokerages. Today, thanks to Priscillia's action and that of our national association we can show blockbusters and sometimes even previews! “, Natacha Garcia enthuses. This will be the case this October 6th with In flip-flops at the foot of the Himalayas, whose national release is scheduled for November 13th. And all at reduced prices: 5 euros adults and 3 € children.
I subscribe to read the rest
Related Posts
-
The Arlesian novillero wins the Castella trophy in Bellegarde (Gard)
-
Find air, stay calm… what to do if you're stuck under an avalanche ?
-
MHSC – Nantes: “We took a point, we move forward”, Michel Der Zakarian is satisfied with the draw, not the second half
-
Volunteer rescuers from the Lozère Red Cross mobilized on Mendekiden
About The Author
