As the sun begins to set, an inflatable cinema screen rises in the middle of a town plaza. Children stop to watch as it unfolds. Families arrive carrying folding chairs, blankets and thermoses of mate. Before long, an ordinary public space has become an outdoor cinema.
That is the experience Ñande Cine hopes to create across Paraguay. The mobile cinema initiative brings free screenings of Paraguayan films to communities where a trip to the cinema is often impossible, giving audiences the chance to see national stories on the big screen close to home.
“Ñande Cine really as a concept was born around 20 years ago, with the idea of bringing national cinema to the interior of the country,” says general coordinator Rafael Kohan. The need is clear. Most of Paraguay’s cinemas are concentrated in the country’s largest cities, leaving many communities with few opportunities to watch Paraguayan productions.
“We basically have cinemas in Asunción, more or less in Encarnación, in Ciudad del Este, but very little elsewhere,” Kohan says.
More than a movie screening
For Kohan, the project is about much more than showing films. Every screening becomes a community event where neighbours gather, spend time together and celebrate Paraguayan culture. “Cinema is something that brings the community together. It is a social activity.”
An inflatable outdoor screen allows Ñande Cine to recreate that experience almost anywhere. Whether the venue is a plaza, a school or another public space, the team can quickly transform it into a cinema without relying on permanent facilities. “It has its own mystique,” Kohan says.
The organisation is also preparing to introduce an inflatable cinema room capable of seating around 35 to 40 people, making it easier to bring screenings into schools and other indoor venues.
Discovering Paraguayan stories
Before the first film even begins, the screen itself attracts attention. “They see the screen opening and unfolding. It is striking to watch.” Many spectators stay out of curiosity. Others discover something unexpected: Paraguayan cinema. “Many people did not know national cinema existed,” he says.
Even some of the country’s best-known productions remain new to many audiences. Kohan points to 7 Cajas, which premiered more than a decade ago. “Many people were very young at the time and never had the opportunity to watch it.”
Ñande Cine has screened films including 7 Cajas, The Chiperita, The Gold Seekers and Mangoré. After many screenings, audiences stay behind to discuss what they have watched. “Someone always stays talking about the film,” Kohan says.
Seeing Paraguay on screen
Watching a film outdoors is different from sitting inside a traditional cinema. Kohan acknowledges that the sound cannot match a purpose-built theatre, but he believes the atmosphere offers something equally valuable.
Families bring chairs and blankets. Friends share mate while children play nearby before the film begins. Even on cold evenings, many viewers stay until the closing credits. “We had screenings where people were very cold and still stayed to watch the film,” he says.
In smaller towns, the experience extends beyond the screening itself. Conversations continue the next day as neighbours discuss the stories they have seen together. For Kohan, the most meaningful moments come when audiences recognise themselves on screen. “A word people use a lot is, ‘That is exactly how it is,'” he says.
Whether it is a chipa seller, children playing football in the plaza or everyday family life, viewers connect with stories that reflect their own experiences. Those moments reinforce Ñande Cine’s mission to make Paraguayan cinema accessible throughout the country.
Expanding the screen
Although Ñande Cine has operated for only about a year, interest continues to grow. Communities now contact the organisation directly to request screenings, and the team is working with the Ministry of Education and Sciences to bring Paraguayan films into schools.
Kohan hopes the project will eventually become a permanent part of Paraguay’s film industry and an alternative distribution channel for national productions. “I hope that every weekend, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we are in a different place in the country showing films,” he says. Despite the logistical challenges of travelling across Paraguay, he believes the vision is entirely achievable.
“Having a mobile cinema permanently travelling around and showing films is 100 per cent viable and can work permanently.”For communities without a local cinema, Ñande Cine is proving that all it takes is an open space, a screen and a shared story to create a memorable night at the movies.
To find out where the project will screen next, follow Ñande Cine on Instagram. The next outdoor cinema experience could be coming to a community near you.
