There are those who look for absolute darkness and perfect silence at the cinema. And then there are those who, without disturbing anyone, take out a ball of yarn, two needles and start knitting while the opening credits roll. It is from this image, simple and at the same time surprising, that it was born Cinesferruzzoa program that combines culture, sociality and well-being, created by Nicoletta Confaloniericoach and founder of SferruzzaMente (project founded in 2016 which offers knitting and crochet courses and workshops). On May 7th at Anteo City Life in Milan it will be possible to knit while it will be projected on the big screen The Devil Wears Prada 2.
The idea takes shape in Milan, right in the rooms of Anteo City Life, but looks far ahead: «The idea of doing it at the cinema came to me… a couple of years ago seeing what was happening in Northern Europe», says Confalonieri. «I followed designers, knitters, and since then it has spread». A simple intuition, but with a precise cut: no exclusive event or commercial operation, but rather an open proposal, included in the normal programming.
“I liked the idea of it being normal programming, that is, a normal cinema that keeps the lights partially on, which therefore allows you to knit.” A detail that makes the difference: Cinesferruzzo is not just designed for knitters. “A friend or boyfriend who doesn’t knit can also come.” No surcharge: «You get the ticket through the usual channels… the costs are the same. It’s not a marketing event.”
A more inclusive cinema
It is precisely this openness that makes the project interesting also on a social level. The gesture of knitting, often perceived as individual or domestic, becomes an opportunity for meeting. “Whoever knits a little is always doing something else while doing it: listening to an audiobook, watching television, chatting.” Taking him to the cinema is, after all, natural.
And then something more happens: «It’s very aggregative… friendships are always created within these groups». The film becomes a pretext, a context in which relationships are born that continue outside the cinema: «You go to the cinema, then you go out for dinner… it’s nice because it allows you to create new synergies, new meetings».
Who are the participants
The audience is surprisingly diverse. Not just adult women, as you might imagine, but also young people and men. «Last week, during an event organized in the company, there were 30 people and I would say that 10-12 were men, all under 35», says Nicoletta Confalonieri. «Sometimes more determined than girls».
A different sensitivity also emerges among the younger ones: «Thehandmade contrasts the fast fashion… young people pay much more attention to recycling and consuming to the end.” Knitting thus becomes a creative, sustainable and identifying gesture: “Making something with your own hands that is unique… I really like it.”
And then there is the practical dimension: “You take it everywhere… it’s a different pastime from your cell phone.” It is no coincidence that SferruzzaMente was also invited to “smartphone-free” initiatives, where the wire replaces the device screen. Like the event Chill in the park (note to boomers: “chill” means relaxation), a sort of “smartphone detox day”, which will be held next May 16th at Triangoli Park in Milan and which also includes a space for needles and balls.
The therapeutic value of the gesture
But the heart of the act of knitting contains deeper benefits. Nicoletta Confalonieri has no doubts: «It is very healing». The repetitive movement of the irons has concrete effects: «It relaxes, calms… it is also proven on anxiety, heart rate, blood pressure».
Then there is a mental and symbolic dimension: «Seeing these balls of yarn transformed into artefacts… is extremely gratifying». And again: «It fills the mind with positive thoughts, distracting you from serious situations».
In this regard, the founder of SferruzzaMente recounts an episode that says more than many theories: «We had a lady… who lost a 38-year-old son. He died on Thursday, she came to the group on Monday.” Not to forget, but to find a welcoming place to be with her pain: «For her the group is home».
In these spaces there is no competitionunderlines: «It doesn’t have to be… very beautiful friendships are created». Bonds that often go beyond the laboratory: “They help each other externally, they go on little trips together.”
Cinesferruzzo is, after all, this: a thread that unites. Cinema and craftsmanship, individuality and community, leisure and care. A small project, but capable of intercepting the profound needs of our time: slowing down, creating, being together.
