Mind's Eye Cinema enhances movie-going experience of visually impaired people

Mind's Eye Cinema, a non-profit cinema for blind people, has told over 1000 movie stories to its targeted audience since it opened in Junly, 2005. Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2022 shows two visually impaired people listening attentively to a movie story.(Pan Di/Guangming Picture)

On Oct. 13, 2022, Huiai Mansion in Beijing's Fengtai District welcomed a group of special customers--a dozen of visually impaired people. There was going to be a movie adapted for them. At 8:30 in the morning, several of them chatted on the seats at the restroom on the first floor. Among them is Xiao Huanyi, who started "watching movies" 0at the cinema since the year of 2006 and has become a hard core fan of this special cinema. Photo taken on Oct.13 2022 shows a staff member talking to the audience.(Pan Di/Guangming Picture)

For Xiao Huanyi, going to the cinema has become an important pastime, and it also offers an opportunity to meet people. He would occasionally take the role as the host in the room, chatting with other visitors and remind people to keep warm when it gets cold. Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2022 shows Xiao Huanyi speaking in front of the screen.(Pan Di/Guangming Picture)

During the movie, Xiao Huanyi listened attentively. He said that in the past he had had to listen to the sound of the movie, trying hard to diferrentiate between characters, but now, at the Mind's Eye Cinema, with the story tellers describing the background story, he could finally "watch" the movie. Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2022 shows Xiao Huanyi talking with his movie fellows.

Mind's Eye Cinema has opened for 17 years, and it has gathered around 60 veteran story tellers. Wang Yuchan is one of them. Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2022 shows Wang Yuchan describing the movie scenes to the audience with a microphone.