One thing that bonds all college students together is the search for free entertainment. Free anything really, and not just any form of entertainment but one that is accessible, stress-relieving, and exciting. For students that live on campus, Monmouth Mall may feel out of reach, and for those who commute, it’s difficult to know what happens on campus, and all its hidden gems.
I recently found one of those hidden gems, which stares us in the face, literally. Walking across the underground tunnel to the quads, on the screen are displayed the dates for each movie presented by the World Cinema Series.
Professor of Spanish and Latin American culture, Priscilla Gac-Artigas, Ph.D. described the series as “Foreign, thought provoking films… that students will probably not see in any commercial theater in the U.S.”
Besides the entertaining and unwinding aspects of watching a film, Gac-Artigas further explained that the films will, “Put [students] in front of a unique experience that will engage them in thinking critically about global problems, intercultural interactions, world history, and issues of social justice and ethics.”
The series was founded by history professor, Thomas Pearson, Ph.D., with the purpose to showcase films that would provide educational value, and anthropology.
Pearson stated that the series, “Started back in 2008 while I was still the Provost, and the series was called the Provost Film Series. I’ve always used films in my classes, going back to 1980… [and] the Provost Film Series (like the World Cinema Series) focused on presenting films, from around the world, that were united by a particular theme.”
Pearson expressed what some call his labor of love to have spread beyond himself to an advisory committee involving faculty, which is currently looking for two students to get involed on campus in a film-related area.
The committee have begun to meet this semester to pick an overarching theme, and narrow down the best movies to play at Monmouth for 2020-2021. However, this year’s theme is Women: Power and Identity, which commenced on Sept. 25. The first film was Brazil’s The Second Mother, in collaboration with Hispanic Heritage Month.
Winner of awards at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival, the film is about a housekeeper’s daughter who suddenly appears and rattles the house.
Gac Artigas specified what the events are like: “The film is shown on a big screen, like in the theatre, but after there is always a speaker invited to give a short introduction about the film and to answer questions the film may arouse in the audience.”
The cinematography in a film, whether foreign or domestic, is only emphasized and truly appreciated once displayed on a large screen where the viewer sits back and absorbs the most detail.
While Netflix is surely nice and handy, it shouldn’t deprive us of the remarkable uniqueness of a larger screen.
In the endeavour of getting students to be more involved on campus, professors in occasion offer extra credit for seeing the film and writing a short critical piece.
In doing so, Gac-Artigas who’s offered the option says she’s seen, “[the students] always mention that the films make them get to know and better understand other cultures and peoples… [and] inspire them to get involved in groups that fight for social justice, the kind of subjects developed in many of the films.”
As both Pearson and Gac-Artigas agree, foreign films go in hand with the University’s values: to open our eyes to the wider world and understand other cultures, therefore becoming globally educated citizens by providing intellectual and cultural enrichment.
And for students who do not go abroad, watching an educational film provides empathy, sensitivity and plants the seed of discussion in regards to issues and conflicts not faced in the U.S. It’s the non-physical exposure to an entirely different environment.
Pearson, who engages in the series as speaker, says, “I’m hoping that this really becomes a university-wide endeavour, and that thepeople on the committee run with the opportunity of picking themes that will appeal across the campus community, then pick a slate of films that address that theme.”
The World Cinema Series, as he summarized, is “Really all about getting the audience excited, emotionally involved in the film, and then be willing to talk about it.”
After Sept. 25’s screening of The Second Mother, the series picks up on Jan. 28 with 2008’s Israeli film Lemon Tree. It’s about a Palestinian widow defends her lemontree field when her new neighbor, an Israeli Defense Minister, threatens to tare it down.
Then comes the BAFTA nominated The Eagle Huntress on Feb. 25. The film follows a 13-year-old girl training to be the first eagle hunter in her family.
On Mar. 24 is a screening of the Turkish film Mustang. It’s about five orphan girls who are forced into an arranged marriage by their guardians after they’re seen playing with boys on a beach.
The final screening is the Oscar nominated Iranian animated film Persepolis. It’s an incredible coming-of-age movie on an Iranian girl named Marjane growing up during the Islamic Revolution.
For the upcoming year, the world is at your fingertips and on your screen.
IMAGE TAKEN from Sclance
