The initiative involved over 3,000 children aged between 3 and 10, from 22 schools, with a programme comprising training, creative workshops, guided viewings and opportunities for discussion. The project’s aim: to educate the younger generation – the so-called Screen Generation – in the mindful use of media, developing critical thinking, emotional sensitivity and empathy.
During the final session, the short films created by the pupils under the guidance of industry professionals were screened. Through this work, the children became active participants in the creative process, learning to understand the language of cinema and to reflect on the emotions evoked by the images.
“The Don Bosco system is a preventive educational system,” explained Fabio Zenadocchio, Director of the Salesian Cultural Centre, “and the medium of film fits perfectly into our tradition.” In a context where images constantly reach young people through a multitude of devices, the project, promoted by the Italian Ministries of Culture and of Education and Merit, provided tools for critically analysing audiovisual content and for protecting oneself from the risks of a continuous, unmediated flow.
The event’s patron was the actress, director and voice artist Pilar Fogliati, also known for voicing the character “Anxiety” in the Disney film Inside Out 2. Speaking with the children, she emphasised the value of storytelling through images: “Cinema helps us understand our limits and find a vocabulary of images to express ourselves.” Shared viewing, she added, becomes an opportunity for dialogue and discussion, “a small symposium on the human issues that emerge from films”.
Among the project’s central objectives, as highlighted by Claudia Giuliano, head of Alice attraverso lo schermo, is the development of empathy: helping children recognise their own emotions when watching audiovisual content and understand those of others. The short films produced creatively addressed themes such as inclusion, friendship, courage, team spirit, respect for creation and combating bullying.
Particularly significant was the workshop led by director Margherita Giusti, who guided the children in discovering the creative process of filmmaking, also teaching them the value of waiting, patience and technical awareness. “When we understand how things work,” she observed, “we are no longer afraid of them, but we learn to master them.”
The project thus proves to be an educational experience in the true Salesian spirit: a journey of human and cultural growth which, through the language of cinema, helps young people to develop their identity, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.
Source: Vatican News – Eugenio Murrali
{gallery}Alice – Teatro Roma{/gallery}
