The Department of Languages and Communication is looking to provide a splash of foreign culture and language through the annual Fanfare Foreign Language Movie Series.
The French, Italian, German and Spanish languages are each represented through a film in the language as well as the cultural setting. The films will be shown at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre, with one playing each Tuesday in October, starting on Oct. 9. Everyone is invited to attend free of charge.
“The foreign language movie series is a good opportunity for students to listen to their target language and be exposed to the culture,” said Aileen Mootoo, French instructor and coordinator of the Fanfare Foreign Language Movie Series. “For those who are not taking the language course, it will help expose them to other cultures through cinema.”
According to Mootoo, the film series has been hosted annually for at least 10 years.
The foreign films are all rated PG-13 with the exception of the Spanish film, “Talk to Her,” which is rated R.
“I don’t watch all the movies we choose,” said Mootoo. “I ask my colleagues for different titles and suggestions, and then I check for appropriateness. I make sure instructors make it very clear when the movie is rated R, why it is rated R.”
The Italian film to be shown, entitled “Life is Beautiful,” was made in 1997 and won both the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Foreign Language Film. The star actor, Roberto Benigni, also won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Elisabetta LeJeune, an English instructor, will present the film.
“‘Life is Beautiful,’ or ‘La vita e`bella,’ is the bitter-sweet story of an Italian family who ends up in a concentration camp during WWII,” said LeJeune. “Despite the tragic and serious situation the characters are facing, there is a great deal of comic relief.”
The German movie to be shown, entitled “Rosenstrasse,” is based on a true story. It was made in 2003, directed by Margarethe von Trotta and will be presented by German instructor Andrea Morshaeuser.
“During the Third Reich, the Nazis arrested Jewish husbands of non-Jewish wives,” said Morshaeuser. “The wives gathered in front of the interim police in the Rosenstrasse, Rose Street, and protested. They eventually got their rights and the men were freed.”
The Spanish film, “Talk to Her,” was made in 2002, directed by Pedro Almodovar and will be presented by Marta Gumpert, a Spanish and French instructor. The film focuses on the odd friendship of two men caring for their girlfriends, who are both in deep comas.
“It’s a love story with a surprise ending,” said Mootoo.
The French film to be shown, entitled “My Best Friend,” was made in 2006, directed by Patrice Leconte and will be presented by Mootoo. This comedic film focuses on the story of a man learning how to be a friend.
“There isn’t a particular theme,” said Mootoo. “We just pick whatever movies are good and compliment what the students are learning in class. We try to stay current and show recent movies, which isn’t always possible. So sometimes we show old movies.”
Several of the language instructors offer their students extra credit for attendance.
“We invite all to come.  It is not necessary to understand the language to enjoy these movies.  They have subtitles,” said LeJeune. “Watching a movie in a foreign language can be an interesting experience that allows the viewer to focus on some aspects of the movie that sometimes are not noticed, such as the musical score or the choreography. In addition, all these movies have been chosen because they represent the best cinema of those countries.”