This story in particularly really resonated with me and lifted my spirits. Why? Because I believe firmly in the power of television (the good stuff, of course) and film. I’ve seen firsthand where people have been transformed by watching a movie, sometimes repeatedly. Its as if a message is continually sent to the depths of their being and eventually, manifests itself in “real life.”

Kudos to Open Cinema founder Christoph Warrack!

Open Cinema, a UK film club helping homeless and socially excluded people reconnect with society, has branched out internationally

With a network of member cinemas already including those in UK cities such as London, Birmingham and Cardiff, Open Cinema has widened its reach having opened a new club in Dublin in July.

From a background in film production and having volunteered helping homeless people at St Patrick’s Church in Soho, London, Open Cinema founder Christoph Warrack started the initiative in 2005 after a guest at a weekly soup kitchen requested some entertainment.

Noticing that London’s West End was central to the film industry as well as a key area of homelessness in the capital, Christoph used his industry contacts to set up free screenings of the best classic and contemporary films.

A participant at an Open Cinema screening Photo © Open Cinema

Christoph believes that films can help homeless people to re-imagine their lives and engage in public life: “It’s really reconnecting people with a culture that is rightfully theirs for which they are wrongfully excluded,” he said. “There is a great lack of entertainment delivered to this group.” He added: “There are numerous mental health benefits.”

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