Spring 2004 Film Series
All films begin at 6pm in Jonas 305.
All films shown on DVD unless noted. Free and Open to the Public.
The series is sponsored by the BHSU Honors Program.

Thursday, January 15

"Cold Fever" (1995)
dir. Friğrik Şór Friğriksson

Hirata finds himself canceling his vacation plans to Hawaii when his grandfather reminds him of his duty to his parents. Seven years earlier, Hirata's parents had been killed in an accident in Iceland, and Japanese tradition holds that their souls will not be at ease until the proper ceremonies have been performed. Thus, Hirata sets out on a journey, a quest to the river where his parents perished. Along the way, in this Icelandic-Japanese road movie, he encounters many difficulties, tough situations, and odd people in the land of fire and ice. Fridrik Thor Fridriksson's vision infuses Iceland's stark and beautiful landscape with a haunting spirituality. (In English, German, Icelandic, and Japanese with subtitles. 85 minutes; shown on VHS video)  

Thursday, February 12

"Whale Rider" (2002)
dir. Niki Caro

One of the most charming and critically acclaimed films of the year, this hit from New Zealand combines Maori tribal tradition with the timely "girl power" of a vibrant new millennium. Despite the discouragement of her gruff and disapproving grandfather, who nearly disowns her because she is female and therefore traditionally disqualified from tribal leadership, 12-year-old Pai  is convinced that she is a tribal leader, and sets about to prove it. Based on a novel by Witi Ihimaera, the film presents the mythic whale rider--the ultimate symbol of Maori connection to nature--as the harbinger of Pai's destiny. (In English. 101 minutes)

Thursday, March 18

"Local Hero" (1983)
dir. Bill Forsyth

When Mac MacIntyre (played with deadpan perfection by Peter Riegert) is sent by his star-gazing, slightly insane Knox Oil and Gas boss (Burt Lancaster) to Scotland's West Coast to buy the rights to a seaside town slated to be the site of an oil refinery, Mac embarks on his journey reluctantly. What he discovers is an entirely new sense of home in the small Scottish village, inhabited with quirky characters, including Gordon Urquhart, who acts as town accountant, bartender, innkeeper, and community representative in the land deal. Terrific soundtrack by Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits). (In English. 111 minutes)

Thursday, April 15

"Winged Migration" (2001)
dir. Jacques Cluzaud and Michel Debats

This film was a festival favorite. A documentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents, the film is a beautiful ode to an annual event most of us take little notice of. The artistry of the film, and the painstaking way it was shot, is rivaled only by the beauty of the birds themselves. Bird lovers, photographers, film lovers–all will enjoy this beautiful work. (In English and French with subtitles. 98 minutes)

Thursday, April 29

"Russian Ark" (2002)
dir. Aleksandr Sokurov

2000 Actors. 300 years of Russian History. 33 Rooms at the Hermitage Museum. 3 Live Orchestras. 1 Single Continuous Shot. This is film is most noted for being one continuous 96 minute shot, but it is also an intriguing story. After an accident, a man comes to in complete darkness, not sure where he is. When his eyes focus, he sees before him a carriage of aristocrats hurrying through the cold to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Invisible, he follows them into the palace where he meets a French Marquis. Together, they roam the halls of the Hermitage, discussing art, people and Russia while spying on Catherine the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, Pushkin and other great figures of Russian history. The film is worth seeing if only for the "tour" of the Hermitage, a museum most Americans will never see. (In Russian with subtitles. 96 minutes)

All films begin at 6pm and are shown at Black Hills State University in Jonas Hall 305 unless otherwise noted. Questions or comments? Contact Professor David A. Salomon at davidsalomon@bhsu.edu or 642-6249.