Art Cinema for Tots: How to Play a Film

Director: Multiple Dirs

2011 / 44min / DCP

Born out of a commitment to the idea that it’s never too early to introduce kids to the pleasures of movies made outside of the commercial mainstream—and the suspicion that young audiences are often more open-minded and curious than their elders when it comes to such matters—Metrograph presents the latest iteration of Art Cinema for Tots, a celebration of handcrafted, kid-friendly films that reconcile the smart and the silly. In this edition, join us for How to Play a Film, a suite of enchanting, adventurous shorts, including Abbas Kiarostami’s early pedagogical documentary Orderly or Disorderly; Baby, D.A. Pennebaker’s document of a trip to the Central Park Zoo, and Francis Alÿs’s Reel/Unreel, which observes the game-playing of a group of Kabul children.

Director of Programming (and mom) Inge de Leeuw describes the experience: “The sound levels will be dimmed, and there will be a gentle light on, creating a relaxed atmosphere where young viewers feel at ease. They won’t be confined to their seats; they can move around, explore, and enjoy the wonder of the big screen. It will be a playful, interactive cinematic journey, designed with little explorers in mind.

Orderly or Disorderly (Abbas Kiarostami, 1981, 17 mins)

Baby (D.A. Pennebaker, 1954, 6 mins)

REEL/UNREEL (Francis Alÿs, 2011, 20 mins)