The International Cinema Series presents critically acclaimed and important films from around the world (including independent and artistic American films) almost every week. We show restorations of honored classics as well as contemporary films that have captured the attention of critics at recent film festivals.
Eckerd College is committed to creating inclusive and accessible events. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact the program coordinator at andersnt@eckerd.edu. Requests must be made at least 48 hours ahead of the screening. We will attempt to implement late requests, but cannot guarantee they will be met.
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Fall 2023 Film Schedule
Friday, September 8, 2023, 7 p.m.
Past Lives — US & Korea
Directed by Celine Song (English and Korean with English subtitles, 105m, 2023)
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. Chicago Reader called it “without a doubt, one of the best films of the year.”
Friday, September 15, 2023, 7 p.m.
The Eight Mountains – Italy
Directed by Felix van Groningen & Charlotte Vandermeersch (Italian with English subtitles, 157m, 2022)
An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno. The Associated Press critic described it as “a stunning, often profound and frequently jaw-droppingly gorgeous tale of two friends from childhood through adulthood set against the Italian Alps.”
Friday, September 22, 2023, 7 p.m.
(The Childe screening has been cancelled.)
Talk to Me – Australia
Directed by Danny and Michael Phillippou (English, 95m, 2023)
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Content advisory: not for the squeamish, as there are scenes of supernatural horror and violence.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 7 p.m.
Blue Jean — England
Directed by Georgia Oakley (English, 97m, 2022)
Jean, a high school gym teacher, lives a double life in Newcastle, England. It is 1988, and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing homosexuals. The arrival of a new girl at her school forces her to confront the implications of her hidden identity. RogerEbert.com called it “one of this year’s most impressive movies.”
Friday, October 6, 2023, 7 p.m.
Afire – Germany
Directed by Christian Petzold (German with English subtitles, 102m, 2023)
An introverted writer and his outgoing photographer friend have planned a working holiday along the Baltic Sea, and arrive to find that their cabin is already occupied by an enigmatic and free-spirited woman. As forest fires rage in the distance, emotional tensions and complications mount. NPR called it “an emotionally mature film about an emotionally immature character.”
Friday, October 20 2023, 7 p.m.
The Old Oak – England
Directed by Ken Loach (English, 113m, 2023)
Housing is cheap in a Northeast England village, where the mines that once provided jobs for the locals have all shut down. This makes it an ideal location for Syrian refugees, but the locals, who spend their time drinking in the last remaining pub, The Old Oak, resent the newcomers. An unlikely friendship develops between a young Syrian photographer and the owner of the pub
Friday, October 27, 2023, 7 p.m.
The Final Cut – France
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius (French and Japanese with English subtitles, 118m, 2022)
A French film about the making of a film about the making of a remake of a Japanese film about zombies, in which everything seems to go wrong and the zombies are, apparently, real. This love letter to low budget cinema ultimately makes for a very funny and satisfying new film by the Academy-Award winning director of The Artist. Just in time for Halloween.
Friday, November 3, 2023, 7 p.m.
Trenque Lauquen, parts I & II – Argentina
Directed by Laura Citarella (Spanish with English subtitles, 120m x 2, 2022)
A woman vanishes. Two men take to the road in search of her: both of them in love her, neither confides in the other as to their suspicions about where and why she has gone. The mystery of Laura is far stranger and goes far deeper than either of them is capable of suspecting. This two part, four hour, epic is an endlessly fascinating, narrative labyrinth that alludes to Michelangelo Antonioni and Alfred Hitchcock, and draws upon and subverts the conventions of thriller, romance, science fiction, and horror only to create a distinctive work of fiction that is effortlessly enchanting. Both parts of the film will be shown in sequence, with a brief intermission between them.
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 4 p.m.
Blue Heart – Cuba
Directed by Miguel Coyula (Spanish with English subtitles, 110m + Q&A, 2023)
In an alternate reality, Fidel Castro uses genetic engineering to build the new man and thus save utopia. The experiment fails as these beings are highly intelligent but also cruel and uncontrollable. Rejected by their own creators, a group organizes a series of terrorist actions, and chaos reigns on the island. Elena, one of its members, traces the origin of her genes and begins a journey to try to discover her humanity.
Banned in Cuba, the film Blue Heart has been characterized as “a complex, cryptic, compelling film in which Miguel Coyula’s surreal images portray a sci-fi Cuba that attempts to mold young minds through genetic engineering” (The Film Verdict). In Coyula’s own words, ‘Blue Heart’ is a film about the individual’s inability to escape his/ her environment and the violent nature of a revolution and its consequences” (indiegogo.com).
Director Miguel Coyula will be present for this screening and will be available for questions afterwards.
Friday, November 10, 2023, 7 p.m.
Chile ‘76 – Chile
Directed by Manuela Martelli (Spanish with English subtitles, 95m, 2022)
While visiting the family beach house, Carmen, a well-to-do woman is asked by her priest to care for an injured young man he is sheltering in secret. It is 1976, in Chile, three years after Augusto Pinochet seized power in a coup d’etat. Her decision to help forces her to step away from the quiet life she is used to and to put herself and her family in danger.
Friday, November 17, 2023, 7 p.m.
Scarlet – France
Directed by Pietro Marcello (French with English subtitles, 100m, 2022)
A quiet woodcutter returns from service in the First World War, only to find that his wife has died, leaving his daughter behind. Raised by her father in rural Normandy, Juliette is promised by a witch that she will one day be taken away from her village. The film blends the feeling of a fairy tale with the harsh realities of rural poverty.
Friday, December 1, 2023, 7 p.m.
Scrapper – England
Directed by Charlotte Regan (English, 84m, 2023)
Georgie, a highly imaginative 12-year-old girl, lives happily alone in her London flat following the passing of her single mother, making ends meet by stealing bicycles with her best friend. When her estranged father turns up, she is forced to confront reality. IndieWire calls it “a smart, sensitive debut and a promising arrival for its talented director.”
