Foreign films are important. They are products of other cultures, reflecting their history, their attitudes towards art and science and politics, the way they see the world. It could be said that foreign films don’t get enough of a theatrical run here, but the University of Louisville’s Institute for Intercultural Communication is helping to facilitate multicultural exposure with the ninth annual International Film Series. The schedule is as follows:
March 1: The First Grader, based on the true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan man who enrolls in the first grade after education is declared open to all; but his struggle for education ignites controversy in his community. The First Grader will screen at 2:00.
March 2: Hero, which tells the story of an assassin in ancient China who is called forth by the King of Qin to explain how he managed to kill his three best warriors. The film is a wandering and convoluted narrative as tales are interwoven in an attempt to find the truth. It is a beautiful film. Hero will screen at 4:00.
March 3: Blancanieves, a Spanish re-telling of the Snow White story. Rather than a queen and a beautiful princess, however, the story features a female bullfighter in 1920’s Seville. Blancanieves will screen at 5:00.
All films are free and open to the public. The screenings will be followed by a discussion. Films will be screened in the Floyd Theater, located on the third floor of the Student Activities Center on the U of L campus. Details about the screening and the discussion moderators can be found here.
Image courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.