Gaining access to international cinema can be a challenge. Films are frequently rare or out of print, and copyright issues occasionally prevent them from being seen at all outside of their host country. But beginning this semester, samples of world cinema are coming straight to campus and anyone can see them at no cost.
The International Cinema Series – a multi-year program sponsored by AU, the National Gallery of Art and several embassies – began in late September with a quartet of Italian films. Each film is carefully selected based on its cultural significance or simply because it is a never-before-seen gem.
The Italian series featured an especially unique blend: two classic films and two contemporary films, each offering its own portrait of lifestyles throughout the country’s history.
International films are different from domestic films in several ways, according to Sharon Metcalf, senior director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs in the School of Communication.
“The foreign films unfold at a different pace, but there’s nothing like film to give you the perspective of day-to-day life,” Metcalf said.
This will be especially evident in the next series of films, beginning Oct. 17. Four documentary features, all made in China, will receive screenings, and one of them (“Nostalgia – The Ballade of Village”) will receive its U.S. premiere. Each film presents a glimpse into the lives of Chinese citizens in both rural and urban locations.
November will feature films created in the Czech Republic, and in December viewers will travel to Greece.
Each screening is preceded by a brief discussion in which speakers offer introductory remarks. “Il Sorpasso”, one of the Italian films, featured opening statements from SOC Dean Emeritus and Film and Media Arts professor Larry Kirkman, as well as Michele Giacalone, public relations officer for the Italian Cultural Institute.
“It’s very enriching for viewers to have that context and appreciate some of the nuances of the film that they might not have been otherwise aware of,” Metcalf said.
Audiences at the International Cinema Series so far have included Gallery members, film aficionados, AU students and staff, diplomats and many more.
The International Cinema Series takes place in the Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater in the McKinley Building. A full schedule is available online at american.edu/nga Cinema Series.
