The OKCU Film Institute hosts free monthly screenings of international films.
The Petree College of Arts and Sciences screens international movies at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month in the large studio in Norick Art Center.
Tracy Floreani, director of the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature, said the OKCU Film Institute has been screening international movies for 38 years now. The movies shown are chosen based on the year’s theme.
“The theme for this year is women film-makers,” Floreani said. “Anyone who has suggestions for movies to include in future series can contact us at filmlit@okcu.edu.”
Floreani also said the movies are a combination of new releases and classics, and are chosen with respect to representing different cultures.
“We try to feature a country every year that we’ve never shown a film from before. Last September we showed our first film from the Philippines,” Floreani said.
The OKCU Film Institute was established by Jeanne Hoffman Smith, a member of the university’s board of trustees.
“Smith is a counselor and therapist and she believes very strongly in the power of film and literature to help people understand themselves and others,” Floreani said.
All of the screenings are free and open to the public.
“When I was a student, I always loved this kind of thing,” Floreani said. “It’s important to expand your cultural exposure. You learn a lot about other cultures and other world views.”
Zoe Dongas, music theater junior, attended the first screening of the semester, “Capernaum,” directed by Nadine Labaki in 2018.
“It was about a son who sues his family for being born within a societal and economic crisis,” Dongas said. “I really enjoyed the movie. The screenings are great because they give us access to international films that we wouldn’t have watched on our own.”
OKCU Film Institute’s next event will be a screening of “Daughters of the Dust,” written, directed and produced by Julie Dash. Floreani said this film was chosen for Black History Month, as Dash was the first African-American woman director to ever have a major film distributed in the United States. The film will be screened at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 in the large studio in Norick Art Center.
Floreani said the film institute hosts a discussion after each screening for anyone who wishes to stay.
“I love the films that motivate a lot of discussion,” Floreani said. “Our last screening of Capernaum really got people motivated to brainstorm what we can do to solve problems like the ones we saw in the movie.”
To stay updated with OKCU Film Institute’s monthly screenings and special events, readers can follow the organization on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. For any questions about upcoming events, email filmlit@okcu.edu.
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