Cinema Out of Sight: the Role of Film Halls for Street Youth in Harare, Zimbabwe

Research on young people’s street lives tends to focus on survival, security, and basic needs, with a plethora of studies examining the survival tactics of young people who navigate street spaces on a daily basis. Yet street life is created and sustained through friendships and relationships, with leisure a key part of this. However, leisure spaces rarely feature in academic work. This chapter examines the divergent ways in which street children and youth in Harare, Zimbabwe, engage with cinema spaces: mapping the film landscapes of street life. This chapter explores the role of cinema spaces in daily life as both a public and a private space, for entertainment, relationships and relaxing, safety, and income generation.