The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine
The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine
Cinemeducation at Locarno Film Festival: What films would you prescribe for your doctor's education?
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Background: Cinemeducation refers to the use of films in health professions education. It involves screening fiction and documentary films followed by structured discussions on medical themes. Since 2024, medical students who organise such cinemeducation initiatives have taken part in the transdisciplinary exchange at BaseCamp, an eleven-day programme of the Locarno Film Festival that enables young participants to explore and experiment with new forms of creative practice.
Objectives: To design an effective communication starter that would initiate dialogue between medical students and students from the arts, film, and natural sciences, with the broader aim of identifying opportunities for future transdisciplinary collaboration.
Methods: Participating medical students formulated a guiding question to prompt conversation with peers from the arts, film, and natural sciences at the BaseCamp exchange. Graphic designers created an interactive poster based on this question, and two medical students developed a complementary website to facilitate engagement.
Results/Insights: The students presented the question “What films would you prescribe for your doctor’s education?” through an interactive poster and a complementary website. A total of 34 films were suggested for use in cinemeducation. Natural science students subsequently organised a film screening followed by a discussion at their laboratory for PhD students on the theme of burnout. Medical students wished to produce their own films.
Conclusion/Implications: The transdisciplinary exchange demonstrates clear potential to generate new ideas and foster collaboration across disciplines. A film festival can serve as an effective space for experimentation, enabling students to translate emerging project ideas back into their respective university contexts.



