KWU plans International Film Festival
MEDIA CONTACT: Leslie Eikleberry, Director of Public Relations, 785-827-5541 ext. 1127
August 17, 2008
Cinematic works from 11 countries will be shown this fall during Kansas Wesleyan University’s International Film Festival.
Each showing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in 325 Pioneer Hall and is open to the public at no charge. A discussion will follow each screening.
“Many nations, in addition to the U.S., have thriving and respected motion picture industries. Many excellent award-winning feature films are produce around the world every year,” said Dr. Mike Russell, Assistant Professor of History.
Russell said the films in the festival were selected for their cinematographic quality, intellectual stimulation, and social statement. The films were selected by Dr. Anita Specht, Chair in the Department of History, Dr. Haakayoo Zoggyie, Associate Professor of Spanish, and Russell.
Films in the festival include the following.
August 27, 2008 – SUGAR CANE ALLEY (1983, Martinique) Euzhan Palcy
Sugar Cane Alley is about the struggle for survival in those parts of the world that have been left behind by the information and technology age. The film tells the story of José, a bright 11 year-old boy who lives with his grandmother and hundreds of other black families on Sugar Cane Alley, a dirt road lined with shacks. Tough and wise, grandma is determined to save José from the hard life of the plantation. When José wins a scholarship to study in the city, she is ready to sacrifice everything to make sure this happens. Rated PG. French with English subtitles. 103 minutes.
September 3, 2008 – FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006, United States)
Directed by Clint Eastwood, this movie tells the story of the Marines who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi during the battle for Iwo Jima during World War II. Six Marines raised the flag, three of them were killed as the battle continued during the ensuing three months, and the remaining three were promoted as heroes, taken from the front lines, and headlined a war bond tour. The film raises issues of survivor’s guilt and government manipulation of information during wartime. Rated R. English. 132 minutes.
September 10, 2008 – DEADLY CURRENTS (1992, Israel)
Acclaimed as the most valuable film yet made on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Deadly Currents examines the brutal hostility on both sides, giving voice to the full spectrum of opinion: Arabs and Jews, doves and militants, rational academics and bloodied combatants. With an impartial eye Deadly Currents vividly captures the human struggles in a world where bloodshed is an everyday reality. Unrated (violence). Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. 115 Minutes.
September 17, 2008 – THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE (1982, France)
Based on a true 16th century story, this film is about a young French peasant (Martin Guerre) and his equally young wife. Married too young to understand or accept his responsibilities, Martin runs off to war and returns after several years a more mature and loving husband. But did he really return? Winner of four French Academy Awards and nominated for one American Academy Award. Stars Gerard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye. Rated R for brief nudity and sexual content. French with English subtitles. 123 Minutes.
September 24, 2008 – SHALL WE DANCE? (1997, Japan) Masayuki Suo.
An irresistible comedy that inspired the new Hollywood hit by same title, Shall We Dance? is the story of Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho), a middle-aged workaholic whose incredibly dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class – just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally muscles up the nerve for lessons, he winds up with a different instructor and her colorfully eccentric class of beginners! Shall We Dance? is especially noteworthy for contrasting the boldness of social dance with the buttoned-up societal mores of Japan. Rated PG. Japanese with English subtitles, 119 minutes.
October 1, 2008 – LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (2007, United States)
In this film, Clint Eastwood completes his portrayal of the battle for Iwo Jima, depicting the perspective of the island’s Japanese defenders. The film focuses on the choices of General Kuribayshi as he tried to defend the island using a strategy that conflicted with Japanese military traditions. It also shows the perspective of the common soldiers who did their duty in meeting a determined American attack. Rated R. English with Japanese dialogue. 140 minutes.
October 15, 2008 – PIÈCES D’IDENTITÉS (1998, Democratic Republic of the Congo) Mweze Ngangura.
In the story Mani Kongo, the venerable king of Bakongo, sets out alone on a quest for his long lost daughter, whom he sent to Belgium to study medicine many years earlier. As soon as he leaves his village and enters the Westernized world of Kinshasa, he finds his identity challenged. Eventually, robbed, homeless, and penniless, the king is tricked into pawning his royal regalia, literally his “pieces of identity,” to an unscrupulous art dealer. While he has only temporarily lost his ID, the younger generation finds itself adrift in Europe without ever having one. The villain of the tale is Europe itself, an economic and cultural dragon grasping Africa’s children, art, and spiritual vitality. Rated PG. French/Indigenous African language with English subtitles. 93 minutes
October 22, 2008 – THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976, Great Britain/Italy)
Intended as a thinly veiled anti-American “no nukes in Europe” statement, this film tells the story of a passenger train infected with pneumonic plague (from an illegal germ warfare lab housed in an American diplomatic mission in Geneva) and how the American military in Europe deals with the catastrophe. All-star cast includes Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, O.J. Simpson, and a very young
Martin Sheen. Rated PG. English. 132 Minutes.
November 5, 2008 – THE STORY OF QIU JU (1993, China)
Zhang Yimou. The kick is never shown, but the entire film is based around it. International film sensation Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha) gives a luminous performance as Qiu Ju, a stoic peasant woman who demands an apology when her husband is kicked by the village chief. But the chief is a headstrong man who refuses to apologize, sending Qiu Ju on a futile trek through the complicated Chinese judicial system. From her small village, to a nearby city and, finally, to the large and impersonal district court, hers is a universal battle against bureaucracy and indifference. The Story of Qiu Ju presents modern day China as a country where bureaucrats run the show and the citizens – especially the women – must suffer the consequences. Rated PG. Chinese with English subtitles. 100 minutes.
November 12, 2008 – LA ULTIMA CENA (THE LAST SUPPER) (1976, Cuba ) Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
A plantation slave owner convinces himself that he is moral and benevolent. Imagining himself in the Christ role, the slave owner stages a formal dinner - a last supper - by inviting 12 black slaves to dine with him, believing the blacks will thank him for his "goodness." Instead, the plantation owner lets loose the Africans' passions, hatred, and desperation for freedom. In response, the slave owner forgets all about Christ as he ruthlessly hunts down and punishes the rebellious blacks. This is a unique and provocative film about the African experience in Cuba. Unrated (violence). Spanish with English subtitles. 101 Minutes.
