In the darkened theatre, a mother rocked her baby while another breastfed her little girl. It’s part of a new trend in Brazil where mothers go to the movies with baby bottles, diapers and toys.
“Getting out of the house with a baby requires a certain amount of organization,” said Irene Nagashima as she placed her six-month-old Eric in a cloth baby carrier before the start of the show at a movie theater in downtown Sao Paulo.
To overcome their isolation, young Brazilian mothers are revamping their social lives through the seventh art. Ms Nagashima, a 40-year-old movie enthusiast, is one of the founders of Cinematerna, a non-profit group that encourages mothers to engage in cultural activities by offering them access to movie theaters decked out just for them and their babies.
Nearly 20,000 mothers have signed up on the group’s website, where they list their choices of films to watch – no violence and no horror.
Working with several movie theatre chains in 14 cities across the country, the group offers special viewing rooms for babies up to 18 months old, with minimal air conditioning, night lights, diaper changing rooms and cushions with toys just about everywhere.