Cinema da casa beams much-loved films onto Roman buildings.

"Got a projector? Illuminate your city!"

With Rome in total lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, numerous initiatives have taken place to raise spirits, notably the balcony singsongs each evening at 18.00.

Another uplifting campaign, Cinema da casa, takes place four hours later, in a growing number of suburbs around the capital.

Behind the initiative is Alice in Città, the independent sidebar of the Rome Film Festival dedicated to children, directed by Fabia Bettini and Gianluca Giannelli.

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Anyone with a projector can take part, or else tune in to Alice in Città on Facebook and watch live at 22.00.

"The initiative was born by chance" - says Bettini - "after the children told us that the city was dark and silent."

It began in the Trieste-Salario area of the capital and was soon joined by other districts including S. Lorenzo, Appia, Centocelle and Monte Mario.

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Such is the popularity of the Roman initiative that it has since spread to other Italian cities such as Turin, Pisa, Palermo and Florence.

So far the most requested movies include Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore, Miracolo a Milano by Vittorio De Sica, and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times.

Other popular requests include scenes from international films such as Tom Hanks running in Forrest Gump, John Travolta dancing with Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, along with kids' classics Mary Poppins and The Aristocats.

"We have chosen 22.00 to make everyone go to sleep with a slightly lighter heart", says Bettini. Stay tuned here.