The Ultimate Cinema Experience: Miners, Movies, and Mayhem!
Well, whoever thought that the phrase “going underground” would take on a whole new meaning for a group of 24 children last Saturday? Yes, indeed! In a plot twist that would leave even the best filmmakers scratching their heads, a full-blown cinema experience unfolded in the Altenkirchen district of Germany, right in the powder room of the Bindweide mine. A Hollywood backdrop? Nope, just a lot of hard hats and a mine train! I can hear the applause from here… it’s like they took “The Goonies” and made it educational!
In a collaboration that screams PR genius, the district youth welfare service teamed up with medien.rlp (which I imagine is a hip tech-savvy organization) and, *drumroll please* the Bindweide pit, known for… well, not being a cinema! But hey, what’s a bit of film magic without a little adventure, right? So, armed with shiny yellow rain jackets and helmets—because you can’t watch claymation without proper PPE—the kids hopped on a mine train. A mine train! Suddenly, those school field trips to the local museum seem embarrassing in comparison!
If you thought a ride through 450 meters of old mine shaft wouldn’t make for a thrilling lead-in to a film, think again! Just think of it like Halloween but instead of candy, you get a film that takes you back to a time when life was simple: the Stone Age.
Now, onto the cinematic treat of the day! The kids were treated to “Early Man – Stone Age Ready,” a claymation film that’s equal parts riotous and nostalgic. Picture this: cavemen battling invading Bronze Age thugs! It’s “Jurassic Park” meets “Caveman”—and yet absolutely suitable for family viewing! Very educational, if you ask me. And who knew the fate of an entire tribe would rest on a prehistoric football game? Watch out, FIFA—we might be recruiting from the Stone Age soon!
The ever-so-enthusiastic media educator Frank Temme guided these budding cinephiles, explaining the film’s themes and cleverly linking it to the bizarre yet fascinating backdrop of the mine. You know it’s good when the kids pipe up with, “It’s great that something like this is being made for children,”—which really translates to “Why can’t we live here, Mom?!”
But wait, don’t put away those crafts just yet! After the cinematic rollercoaster, the kids got their hands dirty (literally!) with craft lessons in the miners’ room, where they produced the ultimate souvenir: friendship bracelets. Nothing says “we survived the mine” like some good old-fashioned beading!
For those intrigued by this wonderfully chaotic blend of history, adventure, and creativity, mark your calendars—because there’s more on the way! The next district youth care campaign is a PC kids course scheduled for November 8th and 9th, 2024. Places are still available, so don’t let your little ones miss out on connecting tech and crafts—because why not make future gamers as well-rounded as their friendship bracelets?!
If you’re interested in wanting more fun and possibly chaotic educational experiences for kids, Jennifer Weitershagen at the district youth welfare office is the go-to person. She’s got all the details, and boy, if this event was any indication, we’re in for one hell of a ride!
On the first Saturday of the holiday, 24 children experienced what was probably the most extraordinary cinema performance in the Altenkirchen district in the powder room of the Bindweide mine.
The district youth welfare service offered this unique action cinema in collaboration with medien.rlp and the Bindweide pit. After a short tour with mine guide Joachim Weger from the mining team through the museum’s exhibition, yellow rain jackets and helmets were fitted. So well equipped, the group started the adventurous ride in the mine train to the “cinema hall”, which was reached after 450 meters.
There, media educator Frank Temme from Medien-rlp in Mainz showed the surprise film “Early Man – Stone Age Ready” – a claymation animation film that takes the children back to the Stone Age, in which a tribe of Stone Age people defend themselves against the invaders from the Bronze Age . The Stone Age people who were driven into caves want to return to their valley, where they had a good and carefree life.
It’s an exciting adventure in which the children can cheer along with the good cavemen. The fight against the evil invaders is ultimately decided by a prehistoric football game, which the lovable Stone Age people miraculously win with cunning and are allowed to live freely in their country again.
Jennifer Weitershagen from the district youth welfare office and Frank Temme work with the children to find out what the film is about and establish the connection between the cavemen from the Stone Age and the special performance location in the Bindweide pit.
All the children had a lot of fun watching this exciting and funny film and said: “It’s great that something like this is being made for children.”
After the cinema fun, we continued with a craft lesson in the miners’ room of the visitor center: There the boys and girls made friendship bracelets.
Information and registrations for other district youth care offers can be found at 02681-812541 or [email protected]
The next district youth care campaign is a PC kids course on November 8th and 9th, 2024, where there are still a few places available.
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