Empreintes

Association: Freyja asbl

Supported Project: EmpreinteS

When Cinema Becomes a Social Connection

For many elderly people living in care homes, culture is too often inaccessible. This observation led to the creation of Freyja asbl, a Belgian association that combats marginalization by using cinema and the arts as tools for social inclusion.

Its new project, EmpreinteS, fully fulfills this mission: it is a mobile cinema that comes directly to residents of institutions like the "Parc de la Cense" care home in Waterloo. The objective is both simple and ambitious: to bring the magic of cinema to those who are distanced from it, and to create moments of sharing, dialogue, and collective emotion.

A program designed with and for residents

Over the course of a year, EmpreinteS offers 10 screenings of specially selected films, as well as 3 participatory programming workshops. These workshops allow residents to express themselves, share their tastes, memories, and desires, and co-create the program. Every voice counts, every preference is taken into account.

The project is not limited to the screenings. Each session is followed by a discussion led by the team, to encourage conversation, stimulate memory, and strengthen social bonds. Thanks to this regular rhythm, the screenings become regular occurrences in the residents' daily lives and create a cultural continuity that extends beyond the one-off event.

An immersive and inclusive experience

Freyja asbl makes every effort to offer a truly cinematic experience: professional projection equipment, optimal sound and visual quality, and above all, an approach that respects the residents' living environment. The spaces within the retirement home are transformed for the duration of a screening, recreating the atmosphere of a movie theater.

In total, nearly 500 seniors benefit from the project. But the impact extends far beyond the walls of the retirement home: the care teams, volunteers, and even the wider community of the association (approximately 5,000 people through its communication channels) are also made aware of the right to culture for all.