Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
January 20, 2005
U of G hosts international film and documentary series
The University of Guelph is hosting a both a documentary film series and its annual international film series, “Beyond Hollywood,” this semester. Sixteen documentary films are being shown in Room 1307 of the Thornbrough Building on 11 nights beginning Jan. 26 and ending April 6. The international film series, which began in the fall, will show its three final films Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and March 6 at 7 p.m. in Room 384 of the McLaughlin Library. All screenings are free and open to the public.
Beyond Hollywood screenings:
The Son of the Bride, directed by Juan Jose Campenella of Argentinia, will be introduced by U of G English professor Martha Nandorfy Jan. 30. Recipient of an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film in 2001, The Son of the Bride focuses on Rafael Belvedere, a divorced restaurateur feeling overwhelmed by his responsibilities.
Kadosh, a 1999 film by one of Israel’s most important contemporary filmmakers, Amos Gitai, will be introduced by U of G psychology professor Michael Grand Feb. 13. Kadosh, the first Israeli film in 25 years to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival, was shot in Mea Shearim, the ultra-orthodox Jewish quarter of Jerusalem that is little known to the outside world. It follows two sisters whose lives are both sustained and complicated by their ultra-orthodox faith.
Chunhyang, a film by Im Kwon Taek, who is known as the father of New Korean cinema and has made close to 100 films, will be shown March 6. Chunhyang is set in 18th-century Korea and retells a classic story of forbidden love during the era of the Chosun Dynasty. For this film, Kwon Taek makes use of pansori, an ancient form of operatic storytelling.
Doors will open each evening at 6:30 p.m. A guest speaker will give a brief introduction to the film at 6:45 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7 p.m. Free snacks will be provided, and viewers are invited to stay after the screening for informal discussion.
For more details, contact Salmon at psalmon@uoguelph.ca or visit www.lib.uoguelph.ca/news/films.htm.
Documentary screenings:
The documentary series will showcase films from Canada, Britain, Mexico and the United States that focus on political, social and environmental issues. The series begins Jan. 26 with the screening of Discordia. On Feb. 2., the winner of best documentary at the 2003 Sundance Festival, Passion of Maria Elena, will be shown. Shorter documentaries Ropa Americana, The Great British Job Takeaway and Cheated of Childhood will be shown Feb. 9. The screenings of Crapshoot: The Gamble With Our Wastes and Troubled Waters: The Dilemma of Dams will take place Feb. 16.
On March 3, filmmaker Avi Lewis will be on campus to show his film The Take in Room 1200 of the Thornbrough Building, followed by a question and answer period. Litigating Disaster and Forgive Us Our Debts will be shown March 9; Kent State: The Day the War Came Home and America: Love it or Leave it can be seen March 16; Dreamland will be shown March 23; End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream will be shown March 30; and the series concludes April 6 with State of Denial.
Doors will open each evening at 7 p.m. and screenings will begin at 7:15 p.m. All documentaries are part of the McLaughlin Library Media Collection.
For more information, contact Krys Mooney at kmoon@uoguelph.ca or John Bonnar at jbonnar@uoguelph.ca, or visit www.lib.uoguelph.ca/news/docurama.htm.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, Ext. 56982.
