Wenders argues for teaching children “slow but good film food”
by Cineuropa
The public hearing on Cinema and European identities, which took place on October 27 in the Brussels’ headquarters of the European Parliament, launched the four-week screening cycle of the three films competing for the 2010 LUX Prize (see video interviews with the three finalists).
At his speech, German director Wim Wenders warned that many EU citizens perceive Europe as a mere economic and bureaucratic structure. "The administration of Europe has become the image of Europe", he said. Films are "the secret weapon" that can transform this "sagging" image.
"Movies practically invented the American dream. They can do the same for Europe," added Wenders. He explained that European films tell European stories and reflect the values, history and diversity of the continent and, as such, nurture its European identity.
Wenders was particularly worried that children were equating cinema with blockbusters. Children are abandoning books for television and the Internet. This is their focus, he said, yet schools do little to help them understand what they are watching or educate them so that they can make more diverse choices in what they see.
The filmmaker argues that schools can teach children visual language. It has its own grammar and vocabulary and should be part of school curricula throughout Europe, he said. He suggested that the new MEDIA Programme could fund film education in schools. Once children learn the language of moving pictures, they can then choose to see "fast food" movies or the "slow but good film food" of Europe.
See photos of Wim Wenders in Cineuropa’s facebook profile.
© Pietro Naj-Oleari
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