MacKenzie Rogers
ContributingWriter
mrogers42@murraystate.edu
Cinema International is back for the fall 2022 semester with another lineup of global films, kicking off September’s showings with “Victoria and Abdul” in collaboration with the history department.
Cinema International is a 40-year-old program that presents 10 films each semester that showcase the numerous cultures and languages from across the world.
This was a way to bring the world to Murray’s campus says Director of Cinema International and Associate French Professor Thérèse St. Paul.
“Cinema International has been here forever,” St. Paul said. “We tend to think that everyone knows about it because [of] word of mouth, but there’s still a lot of people that don’t.”
This semester’s lineup features films spoken in all six of the foreign languages taught in the global languages department, which is a trend seen in every Cinema International. St. Paul says it assists with the understanding of the cultures and interaction of the taught languages.
“They all have something different to offer,” St. Paul said. “Sometimes there is a theme that emerges, and maybe not for all, and this time I think there is a theme, and it is the theme of searching.”
The fall semester’s lineup features 10 historic films and some collaborations with other departments on campus. The upcoming film “Victoria and Abdul,” set to show on Thursday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 10, is a British biographical historical drama film. This showing is in collaboration with the history department.
In the past, Cinema International has collaborated with the history, political science, English, biology, agriculture, business, nonprofit leadership studies and art departments.
“I think a lot of these movies are not usual ones you see in the cinemas,” St. Paul said. “But they are international for the most and therefore, not so well known.”
Cinema International makes publicity efforts in hopes of spreading the word and attracting a larger audience. Every Wednesday around 12:15 p.m., St. Paul discusses the films scheduled for the week with the cast of “Sounds Good” on WKMS, the University’s National Public Radio Station.
The program also displays posters and flyers for each film, along with digital screens in various locations across campus.
“I hope that this willingness to support this tradition … that’s been going on for 40 years continues,” St. Paul said.
Anyone interested in donating can contact the Office of Development or by visiting the Cinema International webpage on murraystate.edu.
“We struggle,” St. Paul said. “Recently, in the past years, it has gotten harder and harder because the budget—the University budget—has been squeezed.”
The films are shown on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s showings are located in the Barkley Room in the Curris Center, and the Saturday showings are in the Curris Center Theater. Both locations are on the third floor.
“We have worked hard to make a good selection every time,” St. Paul said. “I feel that there are two that should be seen because they kind of piggyback on one another, and it’s ‘Network’ and ‘France.’”
“Network” is an American film that focuses on media and misinformation.“France,” a French film, focuses on maintaining identity in a corrosive culture. “Network” is being shown on Sept. 22 and 24, and “France” is being shown on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1.
The films are free and open to the public. Each showing is followed by a short discussion with the audience with occasional guest speakers from the collaborative departments to give deeper insight into the films and their topics.
For more information about cinema international and upcoming showings, visit murraystate.edu/cinemainternational.