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The World of International Films (and they're free!) by Amanda Peterka
This semester, samurai, flappers and a pair
of doomed lovers are among the many historical attractions students
can gaze upon at the Biomedical & Physical
Sciences building. No, they’re not being dissected or examined
under a microscope-these attributes are part of the International
Film Series that take place every Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in room
1410. In its second semester, the film series is
sponsored by the history department and is a free chance for students,
faculty and community members alike to take a trip back in time and
around the world. It’s
also a way for the history faculty to supplement classes that aren’t
long enough to show a feature film. “We don’t always have time in our classes, especially for
those of us who don’t have modern history,” said Lisa
Fine, professor of history. “Films are so popular, both
as a window to the past and a way to understand visual impacts,” she
added. Fine hosted the U.S. film, It, on Feb. 27. According to her,
it’s considered the classic flapper film of the era and complements
her women’s history class. “The film is a fun way to get an inside look into what people
were thinking at the time,” she said. “It’s
not a very serious film, but it still represents the changes in gender
ideas and roles in the 20s and 30s. Some of my colleagues have
very serious films, but mine is very fluffy, more of a diversion.” Fine’s movie is the only one to represent the United States. Other
professors will be showing a variety of historical movies from around
the world. Professor Peter Alegi of the history department
will be hosting the showing of Amandla! on March 27. Amandla!
came out in 2002 and tells the story of South African struggle for
freedom through music. “We’ve heard a lot about Nelson Mandela and other activists,” Alegi
said, “but we don’t really know about the musicians who
often were the ones who kept people’s hopes alive in the darkest
of times.” Most people also don’t realize that Dave Matthews, versatile
music guru, was one of the movie’s producers. According
to Alegi, very few people even know he was born and grew up in South
Africa. “I think he’s trying to expose people to the
rich heritage of South African music, Alegi said. “The movie’s
a great success in doing that.” Before the films, the professors will give
a short description of the movie. Like most professors, Alegi plans to discuss some background
information about the culture, history and making of the movie. He
will also hold a brief discussion after the film is over. Some professors, however, don’t plan on holding a discussion
afterwards because of extra credit offerings to their students. Fine’s
students have two weeks after the movie to express what they walked
away with after seeing the movie. When they turn in their papers,
she hopes to see that the film did more than just entertain them with
flappers. “I love that ability that films have to transport you into another
time or place,” she said, adding that she hopes students feel
the same way. Film is also a vital way in understanding the
past, according to Fine, and students need to be equipped with the
proper skills to interpret them because “what you see on film is not always an accurate recognition
of the past.” Fine cited The Crucible as an example, which
was originally a play by Arthur Miller that was turned into a movie. Although the play
and film are about the Salem Witch Trials on the surface, according
to Fine they’re really about the McCarthyism of the 1950s told
through the story of the 1600s. “We want the students to understand how these historical documents
are representing the time in which they were made,” she said,
adding that “people use historical events to say things about
the present.” The Last Samurai, which was shown in January,
is a classic example of a historical representation with a few historical
errors. In
a lecture about the movie, Ethan Segal, associate professor of history
and founder of the movie series, pointed out that while he likes the
movie for its entertainment purposes, the historical basis is a bit
skewed. For example, Tom Cruise would never have made
it as a samurai. End
of story. However, despite minor discrepancies such as
that, the film series has been a success in its run of two semesters. “It’s pretty much here to stay,” Alegi said. “It’s
a great opportunity to bring together faculty, staff, students, and
community members.” |
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