10 · 03 · 23

Cine para todxs 2023: Get to Know The Museo Arocena in Coahuila

Established in the absence of cultural spaces such as a cinema or film library, the Museo Arocena aims to promote quality cinema and provide alternatives to the usual commercial cinema. It has received more than 50,000 spectators in the City of Torreón, Coahuila, and nearly 800 films, documentaries and short films have been screened through its "Cuadro X Cuadro" program. In addition, the Arocena Museum is part of Cine para todxs 2023, a project carried out by FICM with the intention of promoting the work and talent of Mexican filmmakers.

In this interview, Carlos Sáenz, Coordinator of film programs and member of the communication and promotion team of the Museo Arocena, comments on how the public has responded to such a cultural initiative.

FICM: How do you encourage the education of the audience?  

Carlos Sáenz: Over the years we have realized that the spectators who come to the museum are more than an audience. We like to call them users, because they come in search not only of an aesthetic experience, but also of an intellectual, emotional and social experience. Therefore, we try to ensure that, unlike a commercial cinema, in the museum each film is accompanied by feedback before and after each screening. The group of volunteers (most of us are moviegoers with extensive film backgrounds) are responsible for guiding users regarding what they will see. Many times it is necessary to contextualize the piece and orient the viewer. Also, sometimes at the end there are doubts. In the same way, we ensure that there is an exchange of ideas, that there is space to interact with others and that it is an enriching experience for everyone. A pleased user always returns. The same for the group of volunteers, it is something we have been doing for years and it is something we really enjoy. So, in short, that's what it is: seeing the movie theater as a space for face-to-face exchange. 

FICM: How was the reception? Do you feel that the work you do through your exhibition spaces has changed or positively influenced your community?  

CS: The reception from the community has been mostly positive. The project has changed and evolved over time, but there was a very big change when we started hearing what users wanted to see. Our selection processes became broader, trying to include different genres and cinematographic aspects. There was a terrible pause during the pandemic, we had to opt for digital screenings for more than a year, so we had to encourage in-person film programs when we returned. 

As for the positive influence in the community, it is something we can always notice. In 2017 we made a diagnosis of our regular film club and discovered that the project has contributed not only to complement their leisure and recreational activities, but has also contributed to educational, social and psychological aspects of their lives. Likewise, we have seen how the perspective of some users has changed significantly, especially with our thematic cycles in which we are also accompanied by experts (psychologists, social workers, civil associations, etc.). For example, there is a group of elderly people who come from the early years of the cinema club; before they expressed themselves pejoratively of the LGBTQ community, but their concepts have changed and turned positively.

FICM: How do you start a space like this and what have you learned at the beginning?

CS: Obviously you need a place, technical equipment (even if it is basic), but, above all, a lot of will. For example: this project has not represented a relevant financial outlay for the institution, since it is managed from existing resources such as space and equipment, but with a lot of voluntary (and passionate) work. Obviously it must be sustainable, but there are creative ways to achieve it. 

As I mentioned earlier, one of the most significant lessons we learned was to start listening to the "public" and, more than that, to conceive them rather as people who seek interaction. This may be because we are attached to the museum and therefore users seek an experience closer to education, or to the sociability of a cultural community center. However, listening and having feedback from users has led us to modify, evolve, but, above all, enrich the way we do things. Users and volunteers are the fundamental engine of this project. Together we created a community.

FICM: What has been your tangible experience in educating new audiences?  

CS: As I mentioned earlier, the project must remain in constant evolution. For example, first we had screenings curated with "the best" of international cinema, but it was a more conventional, more dictatorial format, leaving the viewer aside. When we started interacting with them and asking them what they wanted to see, we decided to "relax", but most importantly, we started commenting on the films and if it was something that required some prior knowledge, we had to contextualize. At the beginning we did it through printed texts that we delivered at the beginning of the screenings, and little by little we started to have a better direct interaction with the users. 

Then we had two major crises: the first in 2012 when insecurity began in the city's downtown sector. We changed the scrrening times and offeer parking to make it a safer experience for the user. Some time later, the pandemic forced us to become a virtual cinema club, for almost a year and a half. Back in person, it was necessary to recover previous users but also to devise new ways to interest other audiences. 

I think that, like every project, it applies the cliché of trial and error... we test what works, taking note, but always paying attention to what the community wants or needs from us.