Since 1997, the organization, created by Gisèle Tsobanian and chaired by Alain Chabat, has been putting together screenings for young hospitalized and disabled children to give them a chance to watch films on a big screen, in proper conditions, just as they come out in theaters.
With the support of the medical profession, the organization:
- Enables access to culture and entertainment for hospitalized children;
- Breaks their harsh routine;
- Helps them fight their disease and gives them strength.
It also gives children a much-needed sense of freedom and a chance to evade their world for a few hours.
In 2012, 50 films were shown by the organization over 344 screenings, allowing close to 21,000 children to watch movies in 140 partner establishments.
Les Toiles Enchantées receives the support of many actors, partners and movie professionals.
Editorial de Gisèle Tsobanian, directrice de l’association
17 years ago, an event changed my life. A ball rolled to my feet, under my desk. It bore the title of a movie, “Un Indien dans la ville”. At the time, I was a production assistant working in the company created by Thierry Lhermitte and Louis Becker and this quirky little film was having the success every movie dreams of having.
I decided to talk to the producers and distributors at Pathé so that they would help me reach my first goal: organize a screening of the movie in real cinema conditions, on a giant screen, with a projector and a 35mmversion of the film in three children hospitals.
The idea was simple!
While thousands of youngsters go to the cinema, many other hospitalized or disabled children and teenagers do not have access to that form of evasion.
After this magical success, there were a few more obstacles to overcome!
We had to find and convince partners to join us in this adventure, find and adapt a specific projector, learn how to install a ton of equipment for each screening, contact distributors…
Because I had another goal, I wanted the movies we screened to be recent releases so that children could share their experience with friends and families and get a little closer to a normal life by taking them out of their solitude.
The movie industry, including distributors, producers, directors and actors jumped right in.
Our team was coming together and the organization was born in 1997. The screenings started with a projector, a big screen and a second film to show, “Le Bossu” by Philippe de Broca.
Since then, we have been going around France to offer young sick or disabled children movie screenings in their hospitals. Meeting rooms and dining halls are transformed into cinemas. Our young movie-goers then arrange their treatment schedule to attend the screenings.
The ball has since been bouncing around 140 medical establishments, reaching 21,000 children every year, all around France. It dribbles through offices, spreads onto walls, it flies to the hearts of children, it turns fiction into reality when actors appear “in the flesh” to tell some stories from the set…
Today, with our second action “Ateliers Cinéma”, directors visit hospitals to work with children to make short films…
…We dream of a Grand Slam,
That the Toiles Enchantées never ceases to project films that bring out shining smiles and allow tens of thousands of children a chance to dream and fall in love with the cinema.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.
Gisèle Tsobanian