Hot tea, sweet coffee, classic movies… those have recently made the Charlie Chaplin Hall of the Hoa Sen University in Ho Chi Minh City a familiar destination for many cine fans in town every Friday.

Every week, the 180-seat room of the school is full of people who flock to the place for free movies screened as part of a program showcasing renowned films launched by Art House Cine. The program has so far brought several movies by late renowned Japanese director and screenwriter Ozu Yasujito and “Safety Last!,” the 1923 silent romantic comedy starring renowned American comedian Harold Lloyd to local audiences.

According to Vu Thuy, the school’s representative, the screening program aims to offer cine fans wider knowledge on classical cinematography as well as the technique of making the movies through exchanges with local film directors and researchers at the screenings. “Having more knowledge about cinematography, you will know that silent movie era didn’t have only Charles Chaplin, we also had Harold Loyld and Buster Keaton,” she said.

Film director Ba Vu, founder of Art House Cine, said he initially planned to screen movies to mark the 110th birthday of the late director Ozu Yasujito but then changed his mind to make the screening a weekly event with the hope of bringing more classic works to people. The decision was made after the director talked to a retired researcher who patiently came to the 3 screenings of Ozu’s films despite his cancer and diabetes.

“The researcher often left without attending the exchange with audiences and said he was sorry but couldn’t stay for longer because of his illness,” Vu remembered. “I was speechless at the time and aware that I have enough motivation for a longer periodic screening program.”

Currently, the screening is halted for Tet holiday and will be back on February 21. The March schedule will showcase movies honoring women on the occasion of Women’s Day on March 8.