Introduce *Young* Kids to Silent Film

Join us for a screening of Modern Times on 35mm on August 24th in Los Angeles Aero Theater

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It was an epic moment for me when American Cinematheque reached out and invited Raising Cinephiles to introduce a film for their Friend of the Festival at the end of August. I created a list of films I’d love to show my son in a movie theater, and together, we landed on MODERN TIMES - the Charlie Chaplin classic.

The idea first came to me from early conversations on the podcast, where a few guests recommended silent film-era movies for kids. Couper Samuelson mentioned taking his boys to Laurel and Hardy shorts at The Hammer Museum, which was a hit for them. After that, I brainstormed what to show my son and his friends on his second birthday, and Modern Times made the list. He loves gadgets and tools, and there’s nothing better than the clown-inspired acting of Charlie Chaplin.

Raising a child who truly loves cinema is more than expanding their attention span; rather, it means falling in love with telling stories via moving images. Losing oneself in a theater, being hypnotized by the light, and entering a movie's world and emotional life. Something that can happen at home but is more likely to happen in a packed movie theater.

Charlie Chaplin is not a perfect man, but what he’s done for cinema and Hollywood tells stories that are delivered in a light, fun fashion but comment on what was happening in the world at the time and ring true today. Works lost their jobs to machines, ahem, AI? Capitalism and poverty during the Great Depression which isn’t so different from today’s economic climate. This is genius to me, as our kids can sit and laugh while the film tugs on our hearts and intellects.

I hope you’ll join us on August 24th, when I’ll reiterate much of this as I introduce Modern Times to an audience full of kids (and their parents!).