What: Internationally acclaimed movies that probe the promises and limits of democracy will be shown in coming months as part of Trinity College’s “Participating in Democracy” project. The “Democracy in Film” series, which is free and open to the public, will explore such topics as the effects of U.S. intervention in promoting democracy around the world; the use of violence and/or revolution; alternative forms of government; and the effect of a nation’s past on its modern-day politics.
When: For a complete listing of movies and dates, see below. Each of the movies will be shown at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cinestudio on the Trinity campus, 300 Summit Street, Hartford.
Background: Each of the movies will be followed by a brief discussion. The series is as follows:
To give his students a real-world example of how dictatorships can grow powerful, a high school teacher starts a social experiment that gives some of his students a strong advantage while leaving others subservient and powerless. The discussion will be led by Johannes Evelein, associate professor of language and culture studies.
- The Black Power MixTape – February 9.
From 1967 to 1975, a film crew directed their cameras at major figures in the American Black Power movement, generating hours of footage that remained unreleased for three decades. Archival footage of Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver speak to the movement’s evolution while contemporary African-American thinkers, including performers Harry Belafonte and Erykah Badu, reflect on their legacy. The discussion will be led by Seth Markle, assistant professor of history and international studies.
- The Blue Kite – February 16.
This critically acclaimed award winner, banned in China for its harshly realistic portrayal of life under Mao Zedong, founder of The People’s Republic of China and its longtime leader, is an epic look at recent Chinese history and how politics affect peoples’ lives. The film follows young Tietou in the midst of the Cultural Revolution, watching colleagues denounce each other and neighbors spy on one another. Tietou’s family and friends – and even Tietou himself – get caught up in the violent upheaval. The discussion will be led by Yipeng Shen, assistant professor of language and culture studies and international studies.
- The Yacoubian Building – February 23.
A scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the coup d’etat of 1952, this sprawling tapestry of modern-day Egypt weaves together multiple stories of the residents of the Yacoubian Building, a structure built in Cairo in 1937 to house the city’s wealthy residents. The discussion will be led by Kifah Hanna, assistant professor of language and culture studies.
- My So-Called Enemy – March 1.
Defying generations of prejudice, six Israeli and Palestinian girls join together to try to move beyond the cycles of violence that have plagued their communities, as recounted in this earnest and compelling documentary. In 2002, as tensions once again rise between Israel and Palestine, the girls join in a project called Building Bridges for Peace. Seven years later, they reflect on the worth of their efforts to foster mutual acceptance. The discussion will be led by the film’s director, Lisa Gossels.
The film series is sponsored by the Campus Climate Advisory Committee; the Center for Urban and Global Studies; the Dean of Faculty’s Office; the Department of International Studies; Jewish Studies; The Department of Language and Culture Studies; The Zachs Hillel House; and the Trinity Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies.
For more information, please visit: http://commons.trincoll.edu/democracyinfilm/