“Yala Cinema” kicks off in Damascus to create cinematic culture among children

Damascus, SANA- The General Establishment for Cinema launched on Monday its new cinematic project “Yala Cinema” that aims at developing the abilities and talents of those wishing to experience the seventh art.

The project is held in cooperation with the Martyrs’ Sons and Daughters Schools Establishment and it seeks to create a cinematic culture and independent, bold and interactive visual arts.

It also aims at building and developing the capabilities of children in Martyrs’ schools in order to enable them to understand and absorb the cinema art and then train them to make their first cinematic experiments and use the cinema to express themselves in various subjects.

The project consists of three stages: The Screen of Yala Cinema, the Cinema Library and the Cinema Adventure.

During a press conference to launch the project, General Director of the Cinema’s Establishment Murad Shahin said that launching this project from the Martyrs’ schools will be the nucleus for its future start in all Syrian schools and that the graduated students of those Schools and those who have cinematic talent will be embraced later in the Higher Institute of Cinema expected to be officially opened next year.

For his part, Technical Director of the project al-Muhannad Kalthoum reviewed the stages of the project, noting that the first stage will focus on informing children about the film industry through screening a series of professional Syrian and foreign films.

This stage is to enhance the language of dialogue and cinematic taste of the students, he said, adding that this stage will extend for a full academic year with two monthly shows at al-Kindi-Dummar Cinema for two different age groups (young people and children).

The Cinema Library stage will follow the first stage in which students will be provided with professional and academic support.

Meanwhile during the Cinema Adventure, a number of children will learn how to make a film as they will be chosen by a specialized committee to be trained in scriptwriting, filming and directing in addition to entertainment side.

The educational system will be academic under the supervision of professors specialized in the age between 10 and 15 years and the theoretical studies will be finished with practical lessons after which culmination graduation projects, according to Kalthoum.

Manar/Mazen