Languages and Philosophy Department Hosts Annual Film Festival
Published: February 14, 2024 | Author: Clare-Estelle Perkins | Read Time: 5 minutes
Southern Utah University’s Department of Language and Philosophy will host its annual International Cinema at SUU between February 5 and February 22, 2024. The eight film screenings will be shown in the Sharwan Smith Theater (ST 161D). All films are subtitled, free and open to the public.
Upcoming films
February 15 @ 5:30 pmChinese Odyssey Part II: Cinderella (1993) – Hong Kong – Comedy/Romance/Fantasy - Director: Jeffrey Lau. Chinese Odyssey Part II: Cinderella combines elements of comedy, romance, and fantasy. Viewers are taken on a whimsical journey filled with clever dialogue, imaginative settings, and comedic scenarios. The film is celebrated for its creative storytelling, charismatic performances, and its ability to blend ancient mythology with contemporary humor. Under the guise of a comedy, this film delves into existential nihilism, portraying the struggles of an ordinary man. It has gained immense popularity among Chinese college students.
February 20 @ 5:30 pmLe Hérisson (The Hedgehog) (2011) – France – Comedy/Drama - Director: Mona Achache The timely story of a girl bent on ending it all on her upcoming twelfth birthday. Using her father's old camcorder to chronicle the hypocrisy she sees in adults, Paloma begins to learn about life from the grumpy building concierge, Renée Michel (Josiane Balasko). When Paloma's camera reveals the extensive secret library in Renée's back room, and that the often gruff matron reads Tolstoy to her cat, Paloma begins to understand that there are allies to be found beneath the prickliest of exteriors.
February 22 @ 5:30 pmNight on Earth (1991) – United States - Comedy/Drama - Director: Jim Jarmusch Night on Earth is a collection of five vignettes portraying taxi rides that all take place during the same night. Night on Earth, a masterpiece of world cinema, explores the temporary bond between taxi drivers and passengers, with sequences in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki, with an all-star cast including Wynona Rider, Gena Rowlands, Rosie Perez, Roberto Benigni, and many others.
Previously Shown Films from the 2024 SUU International Film Festival
February 5 @ 5:30 pmVolver (2005) - Spain – Comedy/Drama - Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Volver won Best Actress and Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. The film, which stars several great Spanish actresses including Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura, is about two sisters and their journey to discover their past after the untimely death of their parents. Volver is set in the region of La Mancha in Spain, where Almodóvar was born, and deals with themes such as death, loneliness and tradition. Although less over the top than some of Almodóvar's earlier films, Volver still contains a number of his characteristic film styles: farce, comedy, tragedy, melodrama, and magical realism.
Fleeing by Night (1999) – Taiwan/China – Drama - Directors: Hsu Li-kong, Chi Yin
Fleeing by Night is about the triangular relationship between a violinist, a Beijing Opera actor, and the daughter of a theater owner. This film is more than just a love story. It represents the endeavors of young Chinese musicians in the 1930s, who bridged the gap between Chinese and American cultures.
Mr Klein (1976) – France – Drama/Thriller - Director: Joseph Losey
One of the crowning achievements of blacklisted Hollywood director Joseph Losey’s European exile, Mr Klein is a spellbinding modernist mystery that puts a chilling twist on the wrong-man thriller. Iconic actor Alain Delon plays Robert Klein, a decadent art dealer in Paris during World War II who makes a tidy profit buying up paintings from his desperate Jewish clients. As Klein searches for a Jewish man with the same name for whom he has been mistaken, he finds himself plunged into a Kafkaesque nightmare in which his identity seems to dissolve and the forces of history close in on him. Met with considerable controversy on its release for its portrayal of the real-life wrongdoings of the Vichy government, this haunting, disturbingly beautiful film shivers with existential dread as it traces a society’s descent into fascistic fear and inhumanity.
Corsage (2022) – Austria/France – Historical drama - Director: Marie Kreutzer
Corsage is a historical drama that traces the ups and downs of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (1837-1898) at age 40. According to Kreutzer's film, Sissi (as she was popularly known) desperately seeks happiness and fulfillment outside of her role as empress of Austria, pursuing her love of riding and hunting, among other activities. Often feeling crushed under the weight of the responsibilities she faces at the imperial court in Vienna, Sissi frequently finds refuge in Hungary, a special bond that eventually led to the formation of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867. While the Sissi films of the 1950s focused on the early life of Princess Elizabeth and her marriage to the crown prince, Corsage portrays Sissi as a real, vulnerable human being whose personal unhappiness was often sacrificed for the good of the empire.
Tiempo de Valientes (On Probation) (2005) – Argentina – Comedy/Action - Director: Damián Szifron
When Mariano (Diego Peretti) is found at fault for a car accident, the uptight therapist is given community service as a punishment and is assigned to tag along with a police officer. Alfredo (Luis Luque) is the officer he's teamed up with, and Mariano quickly realizes that Alfredo is a depressed wreck who hates his job. But the odd couple finds common ground, as Mariano helps Alfredo open up about his feelings, and Alfredo helps the paranoid Mariano discover whether his wife is unfaithful.
The Festival is made possible by the support of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences and the Department of Languages & Philosophy.
Tags: College of Humanities and Social Sciences CurStu Languages and Philosophy Community
Contact Information:
Nikki Koontz
435-586-5400
nikkikoontz@suu.edu