RELEASED: March 3, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—German professor Ian Wilson felt something was missing from campus life at Centre College. While teaching a course on German film last spring, Wilson noticed a lack of international films on campus. "I'd recently moved to the area from Chapel Hill, a college town with six art-house screens and a variety of opportunities on campus. And when I was in college, I used to watch as many as four films per weekend thanks to various campus film societies at the University of Wisconsin." Wilson was convinced he could emphasize quality over quantity and could explore a niche in the campus intellectual and cultural offerings.

"I began to speak with professor Rubén Dupertuis about the matter," says Wilson. "He had just taught a course on religion and film during the Centreterm of 2004, and together we developed the idea of focusing on international films." Wilson and Dupertuis polled the faculty and staff and came up with a rough list of about 10 films. They initially aimed at finding recent examples of international cinema that might not otherwise be seen on campus. The series found enthusiastic support from Dean John Ward, who is sponsoring this semester's series as a test run. By fall the list had been narrowed to the four films in the current series. Wilson sought the help of two sophomores he knew to be film buffs, Emily Wilson of Henderson, Ky., and Elisha Sircy of Paducah, Ky., to help with publicity and organizing the program.

According to Sircy, "This film festival shows Centre's commitment to diversity and to expanding the range of experience for every student by addressing films and cultures not always acknowledged in traditional curricula. In addition to making the features accessible to all of the Centre community, the discussions will allow students to fully engage and, hopefully, appreciate the pieces that much more."

Professor Wilson will introduce the films and lead discussions after the credits roll. Sircy and Emily Wilson will help out with those tasks, too, as will two other students on campus, Yi Yang of Nanjing, China, and Bana Mehrbakhsh of Hazard, Ky. The International Students Association and the campus Film Society have been consulted, and Wilson hopes future series can be developed with these and other Centre cultural groups.

The first film in the series, 2002's City of God, was shown on March 1. The three remaining films in the series also show in Centre's Division of Science and Mathematics building (Young Hall101) at 7 p.m. every other Tuesday.

On Tuesday, March 15, the 2000 Hong Kong film In the Mood for Love will be shown. It features a strange love story between a man and a woman whose spouses are having an affair. The film features lush colors, great 1960s costumes and a pace that allows the audience to savor its details. The film and a discussion following it will be a convo. On Tuesday, March 29, audiences can see the 2000 Danish comedy Italian for Beginners. Finally, on Tuesday, April 12, the 2002 Iranian film Ten will be shown.

"I hope this series takes off and becomes a regular Centre event," Wilson says. "I could watch 20 films a week if I had the chance, and I love to combine watching Hollywood films like The Incredibles or Collateral with glimpses into other types of experiences, whether that's through the films of John Sayles or via international cinema. I hope the rest of the campus feels that way, too."

All films are free to all members of the Centre College community. To get more information and to view trailers, visit the Spring 2005 International Film Series Webpage at http://web.centre.edu/wilsoni/film/.

- end -

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.

Back to News and Events Home Page