Every year, the Jerusalem Cinematheque offers activities for special education students. The students who arrive at the Cinematheque for these activities come from a broad range of special education institutions, among them, schools for students suffering from cerebral palsy, degenerative diseases, mental retardation, and other disabilities, as well as institutions for students with severe learning disabilities and behavioral disorders.
Each session lasts 3 hours and is conducted by a group of teachers who have attained their skills in teaching film education for students with special needs through the Jerusalem Cinematheque's teacher's training workshops.
Topics for Special Education Film Days
Charlie Chaplin: this program will explore the way Chaplin emphasized the weak and vulnerable in society, and strengthened their image through his immense talent and unique life story.
Animals as Heroes in Film: this meeting will emphasize the special relationship between human beings and animals, and how this relationship can enrich a person and make him or her more humane and tolerant.
Parent-Child Relations through Film: Family life provides the background for many conflicts of children and adolescents during the various stages of their development.
The Other in Society: In this session, we shall attempt to examine the manner in which film portrays the Other in society, and deal with films that strengthen this image by showing that he/she is also able to contribute to society.
Children's Myths and Legends: Myths and legends fill an important psychological and educational role in the development of human cultures. What is the secret behind the appeal of myths and legends? How do they influence us? What is the connection between myths and film?
Children's Social Categories: Characteristics of the juvenile social category: what role does it play in society? The tough, the fat, and the hero: stereotypes and our place in society.
The Child/Youth as Film Hero: Different aspects of the image of the child as film hero. What do these children share and what is their relationship with their surroundings?