World Cinema Festival, March 21-24, Promotes Intercultural Appreciation

March 7, 2016 (Notre Dame, IN.)- Saint Mary’s College will hold its annual World Cinema Festival Monday, March 21 through Thursday, March 24. This event is hosted by the College’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL). The festival will feature four international films over the course of the week. All showings will be at 7 p.m. in the Vander Vennet Theatre in the Student Center. Admission is free of charge and the event is open to the public.

“Saint Mary’s World Cinema Festival continues to support the ongoing internationalization of the curriculum and the College community. In addition, the festival brings to light the rich cinematic body of work that is being produced outside of the United States,” said Mana Derakshani, associate director of CWIL, director of the Intercultural Studies Program, and professor in the Department of Modern Languages. “We hope the Michiana community will appreciate the variety and quality of this year’s festival offerings.” 

World Cinema Festival Schedule:

Monday, March 21

The Intouchables

An irreverent, uplifting comedy, The Intouchables broke box office records in its native France and across Europe. Based on a true story of friendship between a disabled millionaire (Francois Cluzet) and his street-smart ex-con caretaker (Omar Sy), The Intouchables depicts an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor between two individuals who, on the surface, would seem to have nothing in common.

Tuesday, March 22

About Elly

From the Academy Award-winning director of A Separation comes this gripping mystery set among a group of old friends on a holiday retreat. With the return of their close friend Ahmad from Germany, a group of former college pals decides to reunite for a weekend outing by the Caspian Sea. The group quickly catches on to the plan of lively Sepidah, who has brought along Elly in hopes of setting her up with recently divorced Ahmad. But seemingly trivial lies suddenly surface when Elly vanishes. Her mysterious disappearance sets in motion a series of deceptions and revelations that threaten to shatter everything they hold dear.

Wednesday, March 23

The Secret in Their Eyes

A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unrequited love for his supervisor – both of which still haunt him decades later. The film intertwines events from the Argentina of 1974 and 2000. Winner of the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Thursday, March 24

Linda, Linda, Linda

Four schoolgirls put the axiom “the show must go on” to the test in this rock & roll teen comedy drama from Japan. Nozumi and Kyoto are two friends who attend the same high school and decide to put together a rock band to play the school’s talent show. Things are going well until two days before the show, when the group’s lead guitarist quits for fear of breaking her fingernails and the singer walks due to lack of interest.

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews. 

Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579

~Press release written by Kate FitzMaurice ’17, media relations intern.