World Film Series
The World Film Series is offered to the Wofford community in support of the College’s goals of developing intellectual curiosity and aesthetic sensitivity. Often these films are incorporated into course syllabi to enhance classroom learning and to increase cultural awareness. The Series is funded through the Wofford College Cultural Affairs Committee and the Department of Foreign Languages.
The films will be shown in widescreen DVD. Students are admitted free to all showings. There is no charge for films in DVD. All films are in the original language, with English subtitles when appropriate. The films are presented in the Teaching Theater of the F.W. Olin Building (Olin 101). All films are shown Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., on the dates indicated. Some films may not be appropriate for younger viewers.
2009 Fall Schedule
Sept. 16, 2009
Entre les murs (The Class)
France, 2008. Director: Laurent Cantet. (128 minutes)
In French with English subtitles
Teacher and novelist François Bégaudeau plays a version of himself--a passionate French teacher who presides over a classroom of diverse young minds, as he negotiates a year with his racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood. The Class scooped up the top prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for an Oscar in 2009.
Sept. 30, 2009
Sin nombre (Without Name)
Mexico, USA, 2009. Director: Cary Fukunaga. (96 minutes)
In Spanish with English subtitles
Fleeing retaliation from the violent Central American street gang he has deserted, young Mexican native Willy boards a northbound train, where he takes refuge on top of the moving freight cars and hopes for a fresh start in a new country. Dodging authorities and other dangers, he finds a new friend in Sayra, a Honduran girl also making a run for the American border in hope of a better life. Won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
Oct. 14, 2009
Good Bye, Lenin!
Germany, 2003. Director: Wolfgang Becker. (121 minutes)
In German with English Subtitles
Good-bye, Lenin! starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; the protagonist, Alex, describes how his mother, a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex goes to great lengths to create an illusive reality to convince his mother that communism is still alive. This widely praised, Golden Globe-nominated comedy has played in festivals around the world.
Oct. 28, 2009
Tian xia wu zei (A World Without Thieves)
China, 2004. Director: : Xiaogang Feng. (100 minutes)
In Mandarin with English Subtitles
In this award-winning film, a con-team couple head west after taking a city businessman for his BMW. But an encounter with a naive young carpenter travelling home with his life savings challenges their fate as thieves.
Nov. 11, 2009
Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
France, 2007. Director: Julian Schnabel. (112 minutes)
In French with English subtitles
The remarkable and inspirational true story of Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Bauby learns to communicate, one letter at a time, ultimately using that eye to blink out his memoir. With the help of his speech therapist and a stenographer, Bauby overcomes unimaginable obstacles. This movie was nominated for four Oscars and won two Golden Globes.
Dec. 2, 2009
El baño del Papa (The Pope’s Toilet)
Uruguay, 2007. Director: Enrique Fernandez & Cesar Charlone. (90 minutes)
In Spanish with English subtitles
While the locals in this small, humble Uruguayan border town rush to prepare food and drink in anticipation of making themselves rich with the Pope's arrival, Beto, thinking that he has the best idea of all, turns his attention to other matters: after all, if tourists turn up to eat, they'll also need a place to relieve themselves. But as Beto embarks on his mission to build a public toilet that's fit for the masses, with the intention of charging for its use, he runs into a series of problems that threaten to derail his dreams. His efforts bring about unexpected consequences, and the final results will surprise everyone.