The Main of Main of Main
Ladies and Gentlemen
This group is a special group.You, the artists and practitioners of children and young adults’ cinema, have a great role in improving it. The cinema which in this digital revolutionary era, must take a new role.  First of all it is important to thank the dearest Athina and also Michel Cacoyannis Foundation that caused this great gathering. Talking about children cinema in such a professional group is so hard, so I prefer that instead of talking about the technics and the situation of children cinema, I have a look at this subject from another aspect. Let’s me first say a story to you. There is a high mountain and there is a deep dark cave on its top. Some prisoners are taken to this cave while their hands and feet are tied up and their eyes are closed. They are forced to sit at the end of the cave. There is a stone wall in front of them. The prisoners are not allowed to turn back and they just can see the front wall. Some chairs are put at their back and some people sit on them. It is night, so fire has been kindled in the entrance of the cave. The light of fire makes shadows of the objects and people on the wall. Some sounds and voices are heard. The prisoners see the shadows on the wall and hear the sounds. What do these prisoners imagine? They think that the sounds are made by the shadows. It is exactly like the time when we are sitting in the cinema hall and imagine that what we hear is made by the images on the screen. Now if we make one of the prisoners to stand up and turns back, then he sees the chairs and then the fire, and if we wait for the turn of the night to day, he will see the sun too. In this story the main of the main of the main subject is the sun, not the fire or the chairs or the shadows.
Plato, the father of philosophy from Greece, has brought this story in his book “Republicanism”, in the chapter of teaching and upbringing the children.
After this completely cinematic example, Plato starts to talk about the educating and upbringing of children and says that for upbringing the children, we must see the main of main of main of their inside. Plato’s definition of educating and upbringing the children is this: The educating and upbringing is to discover of natural talents and making them flourished.
He believes that art, music and poem are very important and effective in the upbringing of child’s soul. In 2400 years ago, Plato considered such an importance for the upbringing of children and young adults.
After Plato till now, there have been psychologists who have thought the same as Plato such as Abu Hamid Mohammad Ghazali, Jean Piaget or John Lock and …
You see that during the history, all the professionals in the field of education and upbringing have believed that discovering the talents, creative learning and artistic methods are the keys to a successful education and training. And these are exactly the tools that you and I have in our hands.
Now I want to talk about this question that why we don’t perform what we have learned and then I want to review its relationship with children cinema and ourselves. When a corporation is established, is it enough to be a stakeholder and solve the economic problems? Especially when it is an artistic, qualitative work?
Or the principal is based on the concept of what is going to happen. Let’s have an example for you.
There has been lots of films produced, lots of books written and so many discussions about environment preservation. If you ask any child that what we should do with our environment, his answer will be clear: We must preserve it because our life on the earth is dependent to our environment. But now the question is that how do these children who we have talked to with the language of literature and cinema about preserving the environment, become the agents of destroying the environment when they grow up. The other example is war and peace. If you ask from even small children about the war, they will condemn it immediately, or if you talk with a young about the peace, he will talk very beautifully about it and its benefits and the life and …, but when this young grows up and goes into the war situation, we can’t imagine what he does and how many innocent people may be killed by him. Why? According to me, these concepts haven’t been put deeply in our children’s souls and haven’t been changed into belief. Because we don’t believe in the spirit of the nature. Because we don’t believe that the sky, the earth, the human beings, seas, deserts, animals, stones, oil, gold and everything are parts of a whole unite named life and all of these parts should be harmonic and sympathetic. The Taoists say: The main goal of a wise Human is to be in harmony and agreement with the nature. Because, the path of being in harmony with other humans, passes through this. A person who is in sympathy with the nature can be in sympathy with other human beings. The nature has a spirit exactly like the humans. Please notice that this concept is how different with the idea of overcoming the nature just for having more welfare and prosperity and the goodness of using natural resources more and more, even if they become destroyed.
The subject of war and peace is exactly the same. All the wars in the world happen for earning more benefits, because the powerful people consider themselves and their countries more important and more essential than the others.
This is a long discussion but I intentionally put it forward. According to the introduction I said, what is our duty as the helmsmen of children cinema? Should our cinema be neutral or entertaining? Is it possible to produce films which are both entertaining and having something to say? Shouldn’t the champions of our films cross over their benefits for others? Is the prosperous life better than the life with human values? What is the cost of fun and wellness? Does it cost the poverty and misery of other people in other countries?
I think it is so good that we have gathered together and eagerly looking forward this group. But let’s not think just to stakeholders, general assemblies, directing boards and CEOs – although they are necessary-, but we should make our duties clear toward these questions, and should consider our role toward the upbringing of our children. I, as an old member of CIFEJ have found the members of CIFEJ family so concerning about a healthy, effective, attractive, entertaining and responsive cinema which is in accordance with the needs of today children and young adults and meanwhile consider themselves as teachers who have the duty of upbringing the children by the best and most effective media which is the cinema. We must educate our children to take care of the main of main of main of themselves and their souls.
As the representative of CIFEJ, the Institute which has 110 members from 40 countries, I want to thank and say congratulations to Athina Rikaki, our old friend who has spent her life for the children and always have brilliant and attractive ideas and works tirelessly. I also thank Michel Cacoyannis Foundation for its nice and kind hosting. Sorry for taking your time. Be happy and have fun and be childish that is the main of main of main of ourselves.
Mohsen Chiniforoushan
Secretary General of CIFEJ