UVSC Newspaper Article on International Cinema

Here is the school article I appeared in today:

Free films from far, far away
Utah Valley International Cinema announces this year's screening roster

Jason Pyles
September 17, 2007

If you've been interested in exploring international cinema, but haven't known where to begin, hang this article on your fridge.

Beginning its second year, the Utah Valley International Cinema is cordially inviting students to attend free monthly screenings of foreign films.

Sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa and Reel Film Series, UVIC's primary purpose is to enable students to experience and enjoy international cinema.

Torben Bernhard, the president of UVIC, explained his motivation for launching the program: "At the time I started the cinema, I was probably watching five to 10 foreign films per week. I suppose I initially just wanted people to see the beautiful things I was seeing, and experience the films in the same way I was experiencing them."

Bernhard said that foreign films have a way of transporting us to a new culture that we know nothing about.

Jans Wager, the coordinator of the upcoming cinema studies minor, said, "One of the great things about international cinema is we see things that are outside of our context [...] It won't enable you to understand Germany, for example, but you get a small slice of 'German-ness.'"

"In many ways, foreign films put a face to cultures we know little about," Bernhard said, "they provide an opportunity for us to see through new lenses, providing a more eclectic worldview."

Rick Moody, UVSC's film program coordinator, agrees that international films have the capacity to teach. "In order to improve things in the world, one must be familiar with other cultures. One easy and very substantial approach is to watch films from that country," Moody said.

It has been Bernhard's aim to select entertaining films, as well as those with deeper significance. "I tried to choose a roster full of films that would act as catalysts to discuss global issues," Bernhard said.

In order to enhance the viewing experience, Bernhard plans to invite various faculty members to give brief introductions to the films, providing additional insights about the culture or the director or the film itself.

Bernhard invites any faculty who are interested in introducing one of these films to contact him at torben.bernhard@gmail.com.

Without further ado, the Utah Valley International Cinema roster for is as follows:

Sept. 20: AMELIE (2001, France) - directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Oct. 18: AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (1972, Germany) - directed by Werner Herzog

Nov. 15: VOLVER (2006, Spain) - directed by Pedro Almod�var

Dec. 6: MY LIFE AS A DOG (1985, Sweden) - directed by Lasse Hallstr�m

Jan. 17: PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006, Mexico) - directed by Guillermo del Toro

Feb. 21: THE VIRGIN SPRING (1960, Sweden) - directed by Ingmar Bergman

March 20: TSOTSI (2005, South Africa) - directed by Gavin Hood

April 3: THE COLOR OF PARADISE (1999, Iran) - directed by Majid Majidi

Note: The 2008 dates are tentative and subject to change due to scheduling restrictions, but the UVIC Web site below will post any changes. Further information about these films can be found at www.imdb.com

Films will play on every third Thursday (with the exception of December, due to finals). All films will be screened in LA 101 at 6 p.m. For more information on the Utah Valley International Cinema, visit www.uvscic.blogspot.com