In Tunisia, the Sentiers-Massarib association allows children to discover cinema and learn to debate through weekly screenings in schools.
In Tunisia, there are only about thirty cinemas, mostly in Tunis. Since 2017, the Sentiers-Massarib association has been introducing children and teenagers from popular neighborhoods to cinema. Every week, in partnership with Art Rue, they screen films in schools and teach young people to discuss and express themselves in public.
In a school in Tunis, children watch « The 400 Blows » by François Truffaut. Insaf Machta, co-founder of Sentiers, explains that this film is chosen to reflect on school and discipline. After the screening, the children discuss and share their ideas.
Insaf Machta emphasizes the importance of letting children answer their peers’ questions to foster equal exchanges. At first, it was not easy because many children had never been to a cinema. But, little by little, they learn to watch a film in silence and enjoy the experience.
Sentiers-Massarib also helps teenagers analyze films, create film clubs, and discover African cinema. Thanks to them, cinema is becoming accessible to all young people in Tunisia.
