European film series begins this week

Watch a movie and take a trip.  

The East-Central European Film Series for the spring semester begins this week. Movies will be screened at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays until April 21 in the Student Building 015 unless otherwise specified.

Films from European countries will be brought to Bloomington audiences thanks to the Polish Studies Center and the Russian and East European Institute.

This is the second year of the series, but this year’s series will differ from last year, said Bill Johnston, chairman of the comparative literature department. Johnston compiled the list of films to be screened.

“This year we are casting the net wider in terms of countries of origin,” Johnston said.
In the past, the series has exclusively shown Polish films. Russian, Hungarian, Romanian and Polish films constitute this year’s lineup.

Despite their different countries of origin, most of the movies have shared themes.

“We have a particular interest in films that go beyond national boundaries and involve cultural contact,” Johnston said.

Director of Polish Studies Padraic Kenney said many of these films look back on a country’s recent past and many incorporate the concept of communism. He also said the films showcase ordinary people caught up in changes and making sense of them.

Johnston said this trend of turning to more intimate subject matter is a new emergence in European cinema.

Apart from showcasing the films, the series will provide unique opportunities for attendees to come in contact with industry professionals.  Croatian feminist writer Slavenka Drakulic will be present for the U.S. premiere of “As If I’m Not There,” a film based on one of her novels.  

“I’ve been wanting to see her speak on campus, so when we heard she was coming, we naturally asked if we could show the film,” Kenney said.

Both Kenney and Johnston stressed that the series is a valuable chance to experience foreign film. Johnston said many films in the United States are quite narrow in their subject matter, style and film technique, and as such, they don’t always show the potential filmmakers have.  Similarly, Kenney said European filmmakers are often more experimental with the medium.

Johnston said, the range of topics and the striking storytelling and acting incorporated in European cinema can serve as more than entertainment for American audiences.

“They can extend our appreciation of film and inform us about the world we don’t know about. They are a valuable and accessible way to extend our horizons,” Johnston said.