Sessa is enriched by a new museum


National recognition for

Cine Museo 65 dedicated to amateur filming

Inaugurated in 2015, the Cine Museo 65 in Sessa has been recognized by the Association of Swiss Museums, an organization that groups and represents over 750 exhibition realities scattered throughout the country. Among these, two others are located in the town of Malcantone: the Small Museum of Rural Civilization and the recent Mining Museum. Located at the I Grappoli hotel, the Cine Museo 65 exhibits more than 2,000 pieces of equipment linked to the world of amateur filming: relics, various instruments and films dating from 1922 onwards.

The soul of the museum is Rolf Leuenberger. He has been filming since the age of 15, mostly on his travels. In 2010, he was in charge of organizing the 75th National Film and Video Festival in Spiez, where he met many veteran non-commercial film lovers who were concerned about the fate of their "tools"

that often do not find continuity of interest in the family and risk ending up in oblivion. Here then was born the idea of the museum, which thanks to lucky encounters and a continuous search among antique markets, brokers and especially private, is accomplished in 2015.

 

Its goal is to be able to document for future generations the history and evolution of amateur shooting. In an age where it is normal for everyone to take pictures and film, Rolf tells about cameras, projectors, films with imprinted family events, travels, chronicles of happy and sad events... He tells the story through the images of ordinary people in ordinary places. Leuenberger does not only collect pieces: one of his desires is to allow the old 8mm (1932-1965) and Super 8 (1965 to the present day) to live again. His dream in the drawer is the creation of an atelier that would allow these relics to be touched and used with proper respect. In order to achieve this, he needs someone to help him with inventory work, object control and maintenance. No special skills or expertise are needed, just reliability, perseverance and time.