Festival News 2009 - Magazine of the Tampere Film Festival

Editorial:

Health Lives at the Theater

Henna Tuominen
Soile Räihä, translation


Henna Tuominen, kuva Marita Waenerberg

How come you tend to forget all the mundane troubles and feel so much alive when you leave the dark movie theater behind? Science has an explanation to offer: studies tell that cultural experiences not only lift the spirits but also improve physical health.

Swedish Boinkum Benson Konlaan researched the health records and their spare time activities of 25.000 Swedes in the beginning of the 21st century. Konlaan concluded that a person who doesn’t care about cultural life is over 50 percent more likely to feel sick than the person who enjoys cultural experiences.

If you are interested in culture, your blood pressure and stress hormone level are lower, and the amount of good cholesterol in your blood is higher. Your entire experience of your own well-being improves. The best ways to boost your health are going to the movies, concerts, art exhibitions, and museums.

Now the benefits of cultural experiences have been noticed also in the Finnish legislation. Since the beginning of this year, employers have been able to support their employees’ cultural activities tax-free. Now, in addition to the normal Liikuntaseteli vouchers for purchasing exercise services, many companies offer also new culture vouchers.

So where could you use these voucher oddities? This week you can thin down the thick block of voucher in your wallet at the Tampere Film Festival’s screenings. Five entire days of short films is quite a health treatment.

Tamere Film Festival offers you a great opportunity to dive into the world of culture. Also the cultural novices should take advantage of the benefits that the movies offer. Your health is not yet lost, even if the world of art isn’t that familiar to you. According to the Swedish research the beginners felt soon almost as good as the more experienced cultureholics.

So don’t limit to the gyms and swimming pools if you are looking for health. Give your sneakers a day off and look for some culture every so often. What if Ms. or Mr. Well-Being sits right next to you at the movie theater? You’ll get the concentrated dose of culture, if you continue your evening at the festival clubs.

Updated 04 March 2009 11:53