The Foreign Film Series provides the Cedarville community an opportunity to view interesting and challenging films from around the world. The series allows viewers to peer into often unfamiliar cultures through the eyes of the cultures themselves.
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Life Is Beautiful
Drama/Italy
Date and location: 6:00 p.m., February 27th, SCC Theater
Description: A motion picture masterpiece, Life Is Beautiful was nominated for 7 Academy Awards—winning three Oscars—including Best Actor Roberto Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni), a charming but bungling waiter who is gifted with colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor, has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II. Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate. Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart.
Director: Roberto Benigni
Performers: Roberto Benigni, Nicolette Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini
Reviews:
The last act is monumental - in its crushing revelations, the inevitable deterioration and near-misses of the complex charade, and the chance coincidences that constitute alternating hope and despair. –Mike Massie, Gone with the Twins
Benigni does a fabulous job of building his characters and telling his story while planting the reality of their situations in our subconscious. I knew the dangers and I knew the stakes were high. –Keith Garlington, Keith & the Movies
Benigni's infectious energy and sharp comedic talents deliver a beautiful message of hope and love amongst such horror and tragedy. –Fico Cangiano, CineXpress
Benigni's point, made with tender sensitivity, is that a child's innocence is worth protecting. –Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal
Audiences will be laughing hysterically while crying their eyes out. –Chris Gore, Film Threat
Inspiring, heartrending, funny, sad, surprising and richly imagined. –Margaret A McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Shows how humor is a rich spiritual resource that enables us to cope with the unexpected and to smile through the unbearable. –Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
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The Lady
Drama/Myanmar
Date and location: 6:00 p.m., March 20th, SCC Theater
Description: The Lady is the extraordinary true story of Aung San Suu Kyi, the woman who is at the core of Burma’s democracy movement, and her husband, Michael Aris. Despite distance, long separations and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endures until the very end. It is a story of devotion and human understanding, set against a backdrop of political turmoil that continues today.
Director: Luc Besson
Performers: Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis
Reviews:
The Lady is a portrait in moral and physical courage, a sort of analysis of what constitutes greatness. –Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Yeoh brings a glowing compassion to this role...a story that has global implications and which can't help but move you with its story of one woman's bravery and strength. –Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine
Elegant biopic about Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's iconic freedom fighter, known as South Asia's 'steel orchid.' –Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate
An inspiring portrait of a passionate female freedom fighter and an exquisite love story set in the darkness of violence, repression, and tyranny in Burma. –Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
A worthwhile tribute with unforgettable scenes and an awards-worthy performance from Yeoh. –Anna Smith, Time Out
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Bread & Roses
Documentary
Date and location: 6:00 p.m., SCC Theater, April 17th.
Description: In the wake of the Taliban’s return to power, a group of Kabul women lead a revolutionary fight for their rights–and their lives.
Director: Sahra Mani
Reviews:
While challenging, Bread & Roses is an edifying and ultimately inspiring clarion call for freedom and solidarity for all women. –Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
With the Taliban not allowing many women to leave their homes in Afghanistan, this is an incredibly brave piece of film-making. –Dulcie Pearce, The Sun (UK)
Balancing outrage with compassion, it digs beneath sociopolitical stalemates to spotlight the heroic efforts of these women while acknowledging their uphill battle, yielding a persuasive call to action. –Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogu
Put together hastily from camera phone footage, Bread and Roses is a reminder that suffering still goes on after the headlines have left the news cycle. –Victoria Luxford, City AM
A sobering reflection of how fragile freedom can be, and how crucial it is to continue supporting those whose voices are being silenced. –Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots