The big screen which comes to you
Read time: 5 minutes
Above: Cinemóvel Solar scheduled 21 cinema sessions in nine rural towns across northeast Brazil. Right: The screens were powered by solar energy.
CNH’s mobile film initiative aims to foster greater community spirit and improve environmental awareness. It has brought big-screen blockbusters with an environmental message to remote Brazilian cities, giving some people their first big-screen experience
Last year, more than three thousand Brazilians living in rural areas got to see a blockbuster movie for free on the big screen. For many, it was their first time. Cinemóvel Solar is one of fifty projects sponsored by CNH in Brazil, together with its brands Case IH and CASE Construction Equipment, to enrich the lives of communities through culture, and to promote more sustainable working practices and lifestyles.
“We knew that in some of the more remote regions of Brazil, there was a real lack of awareness about the importance of looking after the environment. We also knew that many people had never seen a film on a big screen,” says Erika Michalick, Sustainability Manager for CNH, Latin America . “That’s how we came up with the idea behind Cinemóvel Solar.”
WE KNEW THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD NEVER SEEN A FILM ON A BIG SCREEN
Local people who attended the screenings had no idea what they were going to see.
Educating isolated agricultural communities
A plan quickly took shape for CNH to sponsor a mobile cinema that could travel to rural towns. The movies shown had strong environmental themes at their core. Working with specialist suppliers, an Iveco truck was kitted out with 150 foldable chairs, a mobile screen, a projector, promotional material and a sound system. Three staff members manned the mobile cinema – a driver, a teacher and an assistant. The films we chose were WALL-E, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Inside Out, Happy Feet and Rio. To ensure the project’s own sustainability credentials, the screens were powered by solar energy. A route was then mapped out, and community leaders and schools were contacted prior to the arrival of Cinemóvel Solar to prepare the ground.
“We scheduled 21 cinema sessions in nine towns from three states in the northeast of the country – Bahia, Maranhão and Piauí – starting in September and running for three weeks,” says Michalick. “We wanted to focus on farming areas and schools within those areas,” she explains. “We knew people here needed to become more aware of the problems caused by unsustainable practices.”
Schools were encouraged to introduce sustainability themes into lessons to help promote the screenings before the mobile cinema arrived. “The idea was to create a buzz, not to lecture. It was about education but also having fun. The films became a big event,” she adds.
THE PROJECT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND ATTRACTED A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF OVER THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE
Tickets were free and the movies were shown in outdoor public spaces. This meant that although Cinemóvel Solar was primarily aimed at schoolchildren and their families, the films could really be seen by anyone.
The project was a huge success and attracted a total audience of over three thousand people. Part of the buzz came from the fact that those who attended had no idea what they were going to see.
“The truck would arrive, they’d unload, set up and still no one knew which film they were going to show – curiosity is a wonderful driver,” explains Michalick.
Before each show, the teacher would talk to the audience about sustainability, for example, the benefits of recycling. “In these places, the population sees a seemingly endless forest, the big river. They see abundance. They don’t see the pollution, the waste. They don’t know how to husband these resources,” she says. The movie would then be shown in the evening. Each film directly tackled a problem the communities are facing. WALL-E, for example, looks at waste. “They have a big problem with waste in this region with little awareness about recycling. The film demonstrates the impact of waste, and the children connect it to their own environment,” continues Michalick.
Over three thousand Brazilians living in rural areas watched blockbuster films with sustainability at their core.
Building on success
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and audience members said how much they appreciated the project. Members of the wider community and our dealers told us how the screenings had helped to foster a greater sense of community, as well as seeding an awareness about the environment.
“It’s really important that kids get access to culture. The social impact is huge,” explains Michalick. “They might have seen films before, but only on TV. It’s quite different on a big screen. It’s been very powerful.”
The success of Cinemóvel Solar 2022 has inspired plans for another mobile film festival for 2023, traveling to new cities and visiting rural schools to build on what has already been achieved.
“We understand that to make a big impact, we need to do this for a few more years,” says Michalick. “But we also want to contribute by delivering other forms of culture, like music, theater and storytelling.”
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