During any crises, art has the potential to become a great tool for stress relief as well as expression of complex emotions. This resident of Cork, Ireland is using classic cinematic art to breed solidarity amongst his neighbours.
Scott Duggan projected the Marilyn Monroe comedy ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ on a wall at the side of a house for the street to enjoy. He also broadcast the signal on FM radio for people to watch and listen to together.
Not just for entertainment purposes, Duggan also collected contributions for the community event. These are meant to go to Age Action, which is an organization based in Ireland that advocates for the rights and conveniences of elderly people. Given that anyone over the age of 65 is currently grouped under ‘high risk’ for COVID-19 infection, this choice of charity seems aptly put.
Many of Duggan’s neighbours appreciated the effort to keep people entertained during these trying times. They simultaneously tweeted about their support for the initiative.
Here is what tweeple had to say:
{{/usCountry}}Here is what tweeple had to say:
{{/usCountry}}There is no information about how much money was raised for charity during this screening. However, Duggan’s neighbour who has lived on Windmill Rd, where the movie was projected, for 54 years spoke to Irish Examiner about her experience. Resident, Ann Lynch, said that this was the best community event she had ever seen.
What are your thoughts on this endeavour to build a sense of community through some old school comedy classics?