ROCK HILL, S.C.—Civil wars, poor country musicians,
isolated villages, weddings and a group of priests hiding a Jewish boy during
World War II are all part of the 2012 Foreign Film Series happening at Winthrop
University. The series is sponsored by the Winthrop Art History Student Association, the Departments of Fine Arts, Mass Communication and World Languages and Cultures, and the Global Learning Initiative (GLI).
Professors in departments across campus and members of
the Art History Student Association have selected six films to be shown every
Tuesday, beginning Sept. 4 and ending Oct. 9. The showings count as cultural
event and GLI credit. All showing are free and open to the public.
The films include:
• Sept.
4: Huozhe (To Live, or Lifetimes), China, 1994.
Banned in China, the film is based on a book of the same
title and follows one family throughout the Chinese Civil War, the Great Leap
Forward and the Cultural Revolution in the 20th Century. Introduction by Laura Dufresne, fine arts professor.
• Sept.
11: Au Revoir Les Enfants, France, 1987.
During World War II, brothers Julien and Francois Quentin
travel to a Catholic boarding school, where Julien clashes with new student
Jean Bonnet. However, the two come to respect each other after Julien learns
Jean is Jewish, and the priests are hiding him from the Nazis. After it is
discovered a servant is stealing school supplies and selling them on the black
market, the Gestapo arrives and begins an investigation. Introduction by Karen Stock, fine arts associate professor.
• Sept.
18: Monsoon Wedding, India, 2001.
The film follows a large family in Delhi as one of the
daughters prepares to marry a computer programmer from Houston. He is a
“non-resident Indian” who has returned to meet the bride selected by his
parents for an arranged marriage. Introduction by Padmini Patwardhan, mass
communication professor.
• Sept.
25: La Vie est Belle (Life is Rosy), Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1987.
A comedy layered over the vibrant music scene of the
capital Kinshasa, real-life singer Papa Wemba plays the role of a poor country
musician who travels to the big city seeking musical fame. Introduction by
Alice Burmeister, fine arts associate professor.
• Oct.
2: Heart of Glass, Germany, 1977.
This mysterious film explores the madness that overtakes
an isolated Bavarian village in the 1800s. Introduction by Donald Friedman,
world languages professor.
• Oct.
9: Pan’s Labyrinth, Mexico, 2006.
Set in fascist Spain, the stepdaughter of a sadistic army
officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world. Introduction by
art history students and professors.
Each showing will begin at 7 p.m. in 119 Rutledge Building with an introduction and will be followed by a discussion.
For more information please contact Laura Dufresne at
803/323-2661 or e-mail dufresnel@winthrop.edu.