Showing independent and foreign films weekly on the Purdue campus. All screenings are subject to availability; we will make every effort to show the listed films as shown. We will update this list if/when changes need to be made.

The Fall 2016 Season runs September 2-December 16, 2016. All screenings but one for this season begin at 7:00 p.m. in Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239, 640 Oval Drive. Parking is available in the University Street parking garage, on the Purdue University campus. (Screening on September 9 will be in Forney Hall, G124, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, parking in Northwestern Avenue garage.)

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Announcing the Fall 2013 Season

The Fall 2013 Season is August 21 – December 11, 2013.

All screenings for this season begin at 7:00 p.m. in Forney Hall, Room B124, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, on the Purdue University campus.

Parking is available in the Northwestern Avenue parking garage.

  • Wednesday, August 21, 2013, The Other Son, 2012; Director: Lorraine Levy; Origin: France; Language(s): French | English | Arabic | Hebrew; Running time: 105 min
  • Wednesday, August 28, 2013, Barfi!, 2012; Director: Anurag Basu; Origin: India; Language(s): Hindi; Running time: 151 min
Three featuring actor Gael Garcia Bernal
  • Wednesday, September 4, 2013, Mammoth, 2009; Director: Lukas Moodysson; Origin: Sweden | Denmark | Germany; Language(s): English | Tagalog | Thai; Running time: 125 min
  • Wednesday, September 11, 2013, The Loneliest Planet, 2011; Director: Julia Loktev; Origin: USA | Germany; Language(s): English | Georgian | Spanish; Running time: 113 min
  • Wednesday, September 18, 2013, No, 2012; Director: Pablo Larrain; Origin: Chile; Language(s): Spanish; Running time: 118 min
  • Wednesday, September 25, 2013, The Big Picture, 2010; Director: Eric Lartigau; Origin: France; Language(s): French | Serbian | English; Running time: 114 min
  • Wednesday, October 2, 2013, Amour, 2012; Director: Michael Haneke; Origin: Austria; Language(s): French | English; Running time: 127 min
  • Wednesday, October 9, 2013, Safety Not Guaranteed, 2012; Director: Colin Trevorrow; Origin: US; Language(s): English; Running time: 86 min
  • Wednesday, October 16, 2013, A Royal Affair, 2012; Director: Nikolaj Arcel; Origin: Denmark | Sweden | Czech Republic; Language(s): Danish | English | German | French; Running time: 137 min
  • Wednesday, October 23, 2013, A Late Quartet, 2012; Director: Yaron Zilberman; Origin: USA; Language(s): English; Running time: 105 min
  • Wednesday, October 30, 2013, Pieta, 2012; Director: Kim Ki-Duk; Origin: South Korea; Language(s): Italian | French | English; Running time: 105 min
  • Wednesday, November 6, 2013, Reality, 2012; Director: Matteo Garrone; Origin: Italy; Language(s): Italian | Neapolitan | English | Latin; Running time: 116 min
  • Wednesday, November 13, 2013, The Edge, 2010; Director: Aleksei Uchitel; Origin: Language(s): Russian | German; Russian | German; Running time: 124 min
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2013, Mud, 2012; Director: Jeff Nichols; Origin: US; Language(s): English; Running time: 130 min
  • Wednesday, November 27, 2013, NO SCREENING
  • Wednesday, December 4, 2013, Lore, 2012; Director: Cate Shortland; Origin: Germany; Language(s): German | English; Running time: 109 min
  • Wednesday, December 11, 2013, Boy, 2010; Director: Taika Waititi; Origin: New Zeland; Language(s): English | Maori; Running time: 87 min

Thursday, August 15, 2013

August 21, 2013 - "The Other Son" (2012)

The first film of the Fall 2013 season, which will be announced early next week . . .
 
The Other Son, 2012
Director: Lorraine Levy
Origin: France
Languages: French | English | Arabic | Hebrew
Running time: 105 min

While preparing to enter the Israeli military for his compulsory service, young Joseph Silberg learns he was accidentally switched at birth with the son of an Arab couple from the West Bank -- a shocking revelation that sends both families reeling. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $1,160,773
Watch the trailer at IMDB.

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Review of the previous film (Starlet, 4 stars)
Steven says: This is a film about isolation - how we get there, how we remain there, how hard it is to reverse. In the midst of this are two women, a widow and a porn star (which it takes a while to realize) who find an unlikely friendship. It's sweet and frustrating, and even a little eye-opening.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

August 7, 2013 - "Starlet" (2012)

Final film of the summer 2013 season . . .
 
Starlet, 2012
Director: Sean Barker
Origin: USA
Language: English
Running time: 103 minutes

Jane, a 21-year-old slacker, finds $10,000 stashed in a thermos she buys at a garage sale. Unsure what to do with the money, she begins spending time with Sadie, the elderly widow who held the garage sale, and an unlikely friendship develops. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $87,910
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("I Wish", 3.5 stars) 
Steven says: A great look at life and its problems from the perspective of pre-teens. Groups of friends try to balance their current lives with their wants and desires -- from dreams of stardom to bringing a broken family back together. In the process, they begin to see how the adult world operates and how they can maneuver within that framework.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

July 31, 2013 - "I Wish" (2011)

I Wish, 2011
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
Running time: 128 minutes

When he learns that a bullet train will soon connect the city where his mother lives to the city where his estranged father resides, young lad Koichi and his kid brother hatch a wildly imaginative plan to use the new train to reconnect their parents. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $145,697
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film ("Found Memories", 5 stars) 
Steven says: Stunning cinematography in a simply lovely film. Each scene is meticulously framed and staged for maximum beauty. And without feeling mystical, the film makes you wonder if the characters are real or simply forgotten memories. After you have time to think about the possibilities, I think a second viewing is in order, to relive the simple beauty and ponder alternate realities.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

July 24, 2013 - "Found Memories" (2011)

Found Memories, 2011
Director: JĂșlia Murat
Origin: Brazil | Argentina | France
Language: Portuguese
Running time: 98 minutes

Life in a quiet village rolls slowly from one day to the next with little excitement -- until a young photographer named Rita arrives. Intent on capturing the town on film, Rita forms a profound bond with Madalena, an elderly baker. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $7,489
Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film ("Be With Me", 4 stars)
Steven says: There are three stories and there are three themes -- communication, love, and Theresa Chan (though she embodies the other two). Chan's story is terrific (in an inspiring sense), and her scenes, especially the final one, speak to her grace and her ability to overcome great challenges. All the senses are engaged, even if only through the actor's experiences. This is a real treat (though the editing can be seen as clunky at times).

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

July 17, 2013 - "Be With Me" (2005)

Be With Me, 2005

Director: Eric Khoo
Origin: Singapore
Languages: Cantonese | English | Hokkien | Mandarin
Running time: 93 minutes

This poetic film weaves together three stories of human connection with a minimalist flair. In "Meant to Be," an elderly shopkeeper experiences intense loneliness until he reads the autobiography of an extraordinary blind and deaf woman. "So in Love" explores the bittersweet relationship between two teenage girls, and "Finding Love" tells the story of a security guard who has twin passions: for food and for a woman who works in his building. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Abel", XXX stars)
Steven says: This is definitely not a neatly packaged film, which makes for great interpretation and analysis. What is the true role of a father, and can it even be simply defined? Add to that mental health issues, and you have a film that takes you on an interesting, and sometimes freaky, journey.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

July 10, 2013 - "Abel" (2011)

Abel, 2011
Director: Diego Luna
Origin: Mexico
Language: Spanish
Running time: 82 minutes

When 9-year-old Abel assumes his absent father's role as man of the house, he garners his family's respect, and life resumes a comfortable rhythm -- until a man arrives at the house, claiming he's the long-lost patriarch. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film ("The Kid with a Bike", 3 stars)
Steven says: I really like the Dardenne brothers and their films, and this one had great reviews. But it seemed to lack the nuance and believability of their other films. It is still packed with emotion, and the directors know how to get the audience to care about their characters. It's also an interesting look at institutional justice vs. street justice.