【Turkyie】Movie Night in Demirkopru

Peace Winds organized an open-air movie event on September 23rd for the children affected by the earthquake that shook southeastern part of Turkyie in February. The even took place in a schoolyard in Demirkopru village in Hatay Prefecture. Staff of Peace Winds Iskenderun office came up with this plan so that the children can set the difficult reality aside and have fun watching a movie with friends.

There is no movie theater in the village and some adults had never attended an open-air cinema before. So, their excitement was obvious. The movie night was supposed to start at 19:30, but children started arriving more than four hours in advance, asking when the movie would begin. Then the “movie night” actually started with a soccer games.

At dusk, tickets were issued to those eagerly waited in a queue. Peace Winds Turkish team wanted to give the children real feeling of going to movie theaters, so the staff designed and created original movie tickets for children.

There is no fun in a movie night if not for popcorn. So, we prepared popcorn with drinks for each participant. About 200 children and 50 parents came to this event. It was a challenge to manage the excited children because they want to grab a good position to watch the movie after receiving the popcorn and drink. There were no lights in the schoolyard, but villagers helped us with the lights from motorcycles and mobile phones as soon as they noticed we were having difficulty.

With everyone seated, the movie began. Some were glued to the screen with curiosity, while others enjoyed the atmosphere with occasional chat with friends. We noticed some adults really paying attention and enjoying the movie, too. Some children came up to the Peace Winds staff to watch the movie together. It seems they enjoyed the interaction as much as enjoying the movie.

The movie night was a brief but important getaway from difficult life in temporary housings such as tents and container houses. Adults are too busy trying to get back on their feet recovering from the disaster to find time to play with kids. It was our honor and pleasure if we could have provided some peaceful time for children.

The final surprise was the famous Hatay handmade “lemon ice cream.” A cup of ice cream was provided in return for the empty bottle and popcorn package (garbage). The children showed their happy faces when the ice cream was handed out. As a result of this exchange system, we found no garbage left behind when the event was over.

Now the hottest season is ending but it means the severe cold is approaching. Peace Winds continue to support the lives of those who were affected by the disaster. We ask for your continuous support. Thank you.