Fall 2015
Wednesday, September 9
Cry Freedom
Presented by: Clive Mentzel, Director of the Office of Active Citizenship and Service, and Frank Dobson, Assistant Dean and Director of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center.
United Kingdom (1987) Dir: Richard Attenborough.
South African Journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country after attempting to investigate the death of his friend and anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. Denzel Washington does a remarkable job of transforming himself into the mesmerizing black
nationalist leader, whose refusal to keep silent led to his death in police custody and a subsequent coverup. English. Rated PG. 157 minutes. DVD. Partial funding provided by the Office of Active Citizenship & Service and the Black Cultural Center.
Wednesday, September 16
The Green Prince
Presented by: Orit Yeret, Senior Lecturer, Program in Jewish Studies.
Set against the chaotic backdrop of recent events in the Middle East, Schirman retraces the
details of a highly unprecedented partnership that developed between sworn enemies. In the style of a tense psychological thriller, this extraordinary documentary recounts the true story of听 the son of a Hamas leader who emerged as one of Israel鈥檚 prized informants, and the Shin Bet agent who risked his career to protect him.听English and Hebrew with English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 101 minutes. Blu-ray. Funding provided by the Program in Jewish Studies
Wednesday, September 23
Guten Tag, Ramon
Presented by: Center for Latin American Studies and the Max Kade听Center for European and German听Studies.
Mexico/Germany (2013) Dir: Jorge Ramirez Suarez. The heartwarming story of a young man from a small Mexican town who travels to Germany to find work to support his family and becomes stranded without shelter or money. He struggles to survive on the streets until he meets Ruth, a lonely senior citizen with whom he develops an astonishing and touching friendship that transcends borders and prejudices.听German and Spanish with English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. DVD.
Tuesday, September 29
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Presented by: Laura Carpenter, Associate Professor of Sociology.
USA (2014) Dir: Ana Lily Amirpour.
In an Iranian ghost-town, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware that they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. The first Iranian Vampire Western ever made, Ana Lily Amirpour鈥檚 debut basks in the sheer pleasure of pulp. A joyful mashup of genre, archetype, and iconography, its prolific influences span spaghetti westerns, graphic novels, horror films, and the Iranian New Wave. Persian with English subtitles. Unrated. 101 minutes. Blu-ray. Partial Funding provided by the Department of Women & Gender Studies.
Wednesday, September 30
The Intruder
Presented by: Jennifer Fay, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Arts and English; and Thomas McGrath, class of 2016.
Wednesday, October 7
A Tale of Two Sisters
Presented by: Haerin Shin, Assistant Professor of
English.
South Korea (2003) Dir: Jee-Woon Kim. Loosely based on a Korean folktale, a family is听 haunted by tragedies of deaths within the family. The atmosphere of mounting dread is听 matched by just-right performances, design and camerawork. There鈥檚 a reason why Hollywood听 has been so busy in recent years remaking Asian horror movies. Scare for scare, they鈥檙e听 generally better. Korean with English subtitles. Korean with English subtitles. Rated R. 115 minutes. DVD.听 Funding provided by Cinema & Media Arts and the Department of English
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Monday, October 12
108
Presented by: Chris Purcell, Director of the Office of LGBTQI Life and Jamie Lee Marks, Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Latin American Studies.
Paraguay (2010) Dir: Renate Costa. This documentary tells the story of the life and death of听 the director鈥檚 uncle, Rodolfo. He was the one who never married, who lived alone, who听 wanted to be a dancer rather than a laborer, and who wore clothes his brothers thought were inappropriate. Rodolfo was included in one of 108 lists of homosexuals, arrested and tortured听 in 1980s Paraguay. Cuchillo de Palo (aka 108) takes its name from a derogatory name for听 gays still used in Paraguay, and tells the story of her uncle鈥檚 life and death while also听 examining how little circumstances听 have improved for Paraguay鈥檚 gay community in the 21st听 Century.听Spanish with English subtitles. Unrated. 93 minutes. DVD. Funding provided by the Office of LGBTQI Life and the Center for Latin American Studies.
Monday, October 19
Tears of the Black Tiger
Presented by: Ben Tran, Assistant Professor of Asian Studies and English.
Thailand (2000) Dir: Wisit Sasanatieng. A boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girlagain story. This Thai cult film is a parody and homage to the classic American Western and romantic tearjerker. One of the most elaborate productions ever mounted in Thailand 鈥 a听 candy-colored Western made in the high-energy style that characterizes much of contemporary Thai cinema.听Thai with English subtitles. Unrated. 110 minutes. 35mm. Partial funding provided by the听 program in Asian Studies.
Wednesday, October 21
Ida
Presented by: Holocaust Lecture Series.
Poland/Denmark/France/UK (2013) Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski.
Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she听 discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation. The weight of history is everywhere, but the scale falls within the scope of a young woman learning about听 the secrets of her own past. This intersection of the personal with momentous historic events听 makes for a powerful听 and affecting film.听Polish, Latin, and French with English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 82 minutes. Blu-ray. Funding听 provided by The Holocaust Lecture Series.
Monday, October 26
The Witches
Presented by: Andrea Mirabile, Associate Professor of Italian and Cinema & Media Arts.
Italy/France (1967) Dir: Mauro Bolognini, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Franco Rossi,听 Luchino Visconti. Five short stories loosely dealing with the roles of women in society. A听 superstar actress travels to a mountain resort, only to evoke jealousy from women and lust from听 men. A woman offers to take an injured man to the hospital. A widowed father and his听 son seek a new wife and mother. A man seeks revenge for a woman鈥檚 honor. A bored听 housewife tries to explain to her husband that he鈥檚 not as romantic as he used to be.听Italian with English subtitles. Unrated. 105 minutes. DVD. Partial funding provided by the Department of French & Italian.
Wednesday, October 28
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Presented by: Lutz Koepnick, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of German and Cinema听 and Media Arts and Leslie Reed, Ph.D. candidate in German.
Germany (1974) Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder. An almost accidental romance is kindled听 between a lonely German cleaning woman in her mid-sixties and an equally lonely Moroccan听 mechanic around twenty-five years younger. They听 abruptly decide to marry,听 appalling everyone around them. Fassbinder directed, produced, scripted the film, and听 designed the sets. It won the international critic鈥檚 prize at the Cannes Film Festival.听German and Arabic with English subtitles. Unrated. 94 minutes. Blu-ray. Partial Funding provided the Department of German & Slavic Languages.
Wednesday, November 4
The Edge of Heaven
Presented by: Lutz Koepnick, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of German and Cinema听 and Media Arts and Sophia Clark, Ph.D. Candidate in German.
Germany/Turkey/Italy (2007) Dir: Fatih Akin.
This multi-layered drama follows the stories of six people 鈥 four Turks and two Germans 鈥 as听 they realize the meaning of love while facing the harsh realities of the world we live in. It听 is a beautiful, unexpectedly enrapturing story about a world in transition and both the听 closeness and unbridgeable divide between generations and cultures.听German,Turkish, and English with English subtitles. Unrated. 116 minutes. 35mm. Partial听听 funding provided by the Department of German & Slavic Languages.
Tuesday, November 10
Viola
Presented by: Jennifer Fay, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Arts and English; Nick Kline, Class of 2016.
Argentina/USA (2012) Dir: Matias Pineiro. A mystery of romantic entanglements and intrigues听 among a troupe of young actors performing Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淭welfth Night鈥 in a small theater in听 Buenos Aires. Directed by Mat铆as Pi帽eiro, one of Argentinian cinema鈥檚 most sensuous and听 daring new voices.听Spanish with English subtitles. Unrated. 65 minutes. Blu-ray. Funding provided by Cinema &听 Media Arts.
POSTPONED TILL SPRING 2016
Pandora鈥檚 Promise
Presented by: Bethany Burkhardt, Civil & Environmental Engineering.
United States / United Kingdom (2013) Dir: Robert Stone.
From Chernobyl to Fukushima, Pandora鈥檚 Promise provides a modern perspective on issues associated with听nuclear power.听 The film explores the journey of former antinuclear activists and weaves in illuminating听footage from all over the world.听 Interviews with prominent scientists provide a view of the potential of nuclear power.听听English.听 Rated PG.听 87 minutes.听 DVD.
Monday, November 16
Elena
Presented by: Jason Strudler, Mellon Assistant Professor of Russian.
Russia (2011) Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir and Elena uneasily share a听 palatial Moscow apartment. He is a virile, wealthy businessman; she is his dowdy former nurse听 who has clearly 鈥渕arried up.鈥 Estranged from his own wild-child daughter, Vladimir听 openly despises his wife鈥檚 freeloading son and family. When a sudden illness and an听 unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife鈥檚 potential inheritance, she must hatch a听 desperate plan. Masterfully crafted cinema which features evocative, Hitchcockian music by听 Philip Glass. Elena is a subtly stylish exploration of crime, punishment and human nature.听Russian with English subtitles. Unrated. 109 minutes. DVD. Partial funding provided by the Department of German & Slavic Languages.
Wednesday, December 2
Yesterday
Presented by: Kristin Michelitch, Assistant Professor of Political Science.
South Africa (2004) Dir: Darrell Roodt.
After falling ill, Yesterday learns that she is HIV positive. With her husband in denial and听 young daughter to tend听 to, Yesterday鈥檚 one goal is to live long enough to see her child go to school. This film communicates critical reasons to viewers why it is not simple to live with and combat HIV in rural Africa. Set in the Zulu culture of Sub-Saharan South Africa.听Zulu with English subtitles. Rated R. 96 minutes. DVD. Partially funded by the Department of Political Science.