Free Harper College film series to display diversity of cinematic voices

This semester, the new South Asian Film Series will join the Harper Film Series to bring an even greater variety of films from around the world to the Harper College campus. The two series will feature modern classics such as “Do the Right the Thing” and “Dazed and Confused” alongside recent South Asian films including “Joyland,” the first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The college’s Communication Arts Department will present the Harper Film Series, with screenings on select Wednesdays from Feb. 7 through April 17. Then the South Asian series, presented by Harper’s Office of International Education, will take over from April 24 through May 8. Each movie in both series will have two free screenings — at 2 and 6 p.m. — in Building E, Room E108 on Harper’s campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine.

As with previous film series, the events are open to everyone and will feature brief introductions by Harper instructors followed by optional discussions. February screenings will highlight Black filmmakers for Black History Month, with works by directors Melvin Van Peebles, Spike Lee and John Singleton. March will feature two different takes on the western: The American-made “The Professionals” and the Korean-made “The Good, the Bad, the Weird.” The South Asian Film Series will highlight works by Pakistan’s Saim Sadiq and India’s Devashish Makhija and Samyuktha Vijayan.

See the full slate of films below:

Harper Film Series Spring 2024:

• “Watermelon Man” (1970), Feb. 7

• “Do the Right Thing” (1989), Feb. 21

• “Boyz n The Hood” (1991), Feb. 28

• “The Professionals” (1966), March 13

• “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2008), March 20

• “Dazed and Confused” (1993), April 17

South Asian Film Series:

• “Joyland” (2022), April 24

• “Ajji” (2017), May 1

• “Blue Sunshine” (2023), May 8