International Film Festival at Ursinus College

Ursinus College will present an International Film Festival throughout the fall semester. All films, which will be shown with English subtitles, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Olin Auditorium, followed by refreshments and conversation. All screenings are free and open to the public.

Sept. 13: Go for Zucker, German, directed by Dani Levi — After the death of his mother, lawyer turned bankrupt pool hustler Jaeckie Zucker (Henry Huebchen) receives a visit from his Orthodox Jewish brother Samuel Zuckermann (Udo Samel). During the wake for their mother, Jaeckie secretly takes part in a pool championship to win the money he needs to pay off his debts.

Oct. 4: Even the Rain, Spanish, directed by Icíar Bollaín — In this historical drama, the politics of the past and present begin to merge during the making of a film about Columbus’ exploration and exploitation of the New World. As director Sebastián (Gael García Bernal) and his producer, Costa (Luis Tosar), stage scenes of revolt against would-be colonists, a real battle is brewing in Colombia: the government has privatized the national water works, and the price of water has jumped by 300 percent, leading to protests and riots.

Oct. 25: The Sun Also Rises, Chinese, directed by Jiang Wen — Loosely inspired by Ye Mi’s novel Velvet, this follow-up to Devils on the Doorstep drifts between Yunnan’s Shangri-la and the Gobi Desert to follow four narratives exploring the roles that culture and revolution have played in Chinese history.

 Nov. 1: Tomboy, French, directed by Céline Sciamma — A tender childhood drama in which 10-year-old Laure (Zoe Heran) moves to a new neighborhood and meets Lisa, who assumes that Laure is a boy. Laure then assumes the identity of Mikael and quietly plays along. Before long, Mikael has made friends with the other children in the neighborhood as well. Meanwhile, the closer Lisa and Mikael become, the more delicate Laure’s deception grows.

Nov. 15: Dolls, Japanese, directed by Takeshi Kitano — An operatic tale of lost love inspired by traditional Japanese Bunraku doll theater that focuses on the story of Matsumoto (Hidetoshi Nishijima), who agrees to an arranged marriage despite his love for Sawako (Miho Kanno). When he leaves his bride-to-be at the altar, he returns to Sawako, only to find her so incapable of caring for herself that she needs to be tied to him with a red rope. As they wander through Japan, they encounter a woman who, while waiting for a lost love to return, brings lunch to a park for over three decades, and a disfigured pop star who is followed by a devoted fan.

Dec. 6: Satin Rouge, Arabic, directed by Raja Amari — When a newly widowed middle-aged woman (Hiam Abbass) learns her teenage daughter (Hend El Fahem) is dating an older musician named Chokri (Maher Kamoun), she goes to the nightclub where he performs to confront him. While there, she is drawn to the club’s troupe of belly dancers and soon begins learning how to perform the sensuous dances herself. In time, she becomes a performer at the club and becomes closer to Chokri.

For more information, contact Dr. Colette Trout at ctrout@ursinus.edu or 610-409-2432.