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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Fall Foreign Film Fest Starts October 30


The ESOL and Foreign Languages Department and the Global Union International Students Association invite students, staff and members of the Rochester community to attend the screening of six foreign language films, starting on October 30.

PROGRAM

Monday, October 30, at the Damon City Campus, Room 4013
"You Are My Hero (Eres my héroe)," Spain, 2004. 103 minutes. Drama in Spanish. Not Rated. Thirteen-year-old Ramon is on the verge of many adolescent discoveries -- and the confusion that goes along with them. Shy and awkward, he's moved from town to town throughout his childhood and believes that life is about winning and losing. But he soon learns it's all about survival. Like Ramon, Spain is in transition (President Francisco Franco is about to die); it's a time of social upheaval marked by change, illusion and struggle.

Tuesday, October 31, at the Warshof Conference Center, Flynn Campus Center (Monroe A and B), Brighton Campus
"A Family Flaw (Un difetto di famiglia)," Italy, 2002. 108 minutes. Comedy in Italian. Unrated. This is the story of two brothers that have not talked to each other for 40 years because one is ashamed of the other for having publicly declared his homosexuality. Their mother’s death brings them together to carry her remains to the land where she was born. The brothers embark on a road trip, and along the way, family secrets are revealed and bonds rekindled. A wonderful movie with all the warm feelings that only the Italians can bring so well to the screen. The movie teaches a lesson to the people that are used to live according to conventions. The renowned Italian actor Nino Manfredi is excellent in the role of the gay brother — this was his last film before he died.

"Lagaan, Part I," India, 2001. 225 minutes. Drama in Hindi and English. Unrated.  A remarkable story about the triumph of the ordinary, set in 1890s India. The ruling British have imposed a harsh tax (lagaan) on the farmers, prompting the villagers of Champaner to plead for a waiver. So, an arrogant and capricious British commander challenges the villagers to a cricket match. If the villagers win, they'll avoid taxation for 3 years; if they lose, they'll pay the tax thrice over. Please note: Due to the length of this feature, we will be showing it in two parts. The second part will be screened on Wednesday, November 1, in the Empire Room of the Warshof Conference Center.

Wednesday, November 1, at the Warshof Conference Center, Flynn Campus Center (Monroe A and B), Brighton Campus
"Happenstance (Battement d’ailes du papillon)," France, 2001. 90 minutes. Drama in French. Rated R for adult themes. Chance, volition, and the large effects of tiny causes swirl through Paris on a single day. A clerk born 11 March 1977 hears her horoscope on the way to work: today she'll meet her true love, but she must be patient. Before the day ends under a full moon, twenty lives intersect time and again in unpredictable, connected ways: a jilted lover holds a souvenir pebble, a stolen coffee maker looks suspicious at a Metro stop, a yellow rain slicker is passed on as a gift, lettuce causes a bicycle accident, a leaf betrays an habitual liar who's just told the truth, and an Algerian waiter, also born 11 March 1977, sees a bug cross a tablecloth. Magical sand from the Sahara is in the air.

"Comedian Harmonists," Germany and Austria, 1996. 126 minutes. Drama in German. Rated R for some nudity.  Comedian Harmonists tells the story of a famous German male sextet, five vocals and piano, the "Comedian Harmonists", from the day they first meet in 1927 to the day in 1934 when they become banned by the upcoming Nazis because three of them are Jewish.

"Lagaan, Part II." The second part of this is being screened in the Empire Room of the Warshof Conference Center.

Thursday, November 2, at the Warshof Conference Center, Flynn Campus Center (Monroe A and B), Brighton Campus
"You Are My Hero (Eres my héroe)," Spain, 2004. 103 minutes. Drama in Spanish. Not Rated. Thirteen-year-old Ramon is on the verge of many adolescent discoveries -- and the confusion that goes along with them. Shy and awkward, he's moved from town to town throughout his childhood and believes that life is about winning and losing. But he soon learns it's all about survival. Like Ramon, Spain is in transition (President Francisco Franco is about to die); it's a time of social upheaval marked by change, illusion and struggle.

"Firefly Dreams (Ichiban utsukushi natsu)," Japan, 2001. 105 minutes. Drama in Japanese. Unrated. Naomi, a seventeen year-old city brat from Nagoya, finds her world turned upside down after the breakup of her parents' marriage. Packed off to the country, she reluctantly works at her aunt's inn until being asked to care for Mrs. Koide, an aging relative with Alzheimer's disease. At first, Naomi dislikes looking after the old woman, but over the course of the summer, the two develop an extraordinary friendship that transcends age and experience. Beautiful photography and breathtaking views of an unspoiled area of Central Japan complement the story in this thilm that was a great success in Japan.

Arrive at 6:00 p.m. to mingle and enjoy some ethnic nibbles and food sampling. The films will be introduced at 6:30 p.m. Two films will be shown concurrently on each of the specified dates at the Brighton Campus. All films have English subtitles. The Foreign Film Fest is free and open to the public.

 
 

Louis Silvers
ESOL & Foreign Languages Department
10/10/2006