CLC hosts monthly international films
Four highly acclaimed international films from 2014 will be presented for free on Friday nights by the College of Lake County Center for International Education.
The spring semester films are: "Force Majeure" Feb. 5; "Calvary" March 11; "Timbuktu" April 1; and "Clouds of Sils Maria" May 6. Films begin at 7 p.m. in Room A162 (Anderson Lecture Hall) on the CLC Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St. They have subtitles when necessary, include adult content and are not suitable for children.
• Feb. 5: "Force Majeure" (Sweden, 2014). A privileged Swedish family enjoys a fantasy ski vacation in the Alps, only to see the father's self-confidence shattered with the speed and force of a (literal) avalanche. Subsequent attempts to heal wounded pride and restore trust soon reveal the fragile, illusory nature of the relationships we rely on most. A darkly funny experience, the film moves seamlessly from cringe-worthy comedy to anguished marital melodrama and incisive satire of bourgeois middle age.
• March 11: "Calvary" (Ireland, 2014). Father Lavelle, a small-town Irish priest, receives a striking confession: a man who was sexually abused at the hands of clergy plans to kill the innocent Lavelle as a form of cosmic retaliation. Dry verbal wit and the highest of spiritual stakes coexist throughout director/playwright John Michael McDonagh's fiery script, enhanced immeasurably by haunting coastal cinematography and the authoritative Brendan Gleeson as the weary believer.
• April 1: "Timbuktu" (Mauritania, 2014): The premise of this Oscar nominee - a rural village in Mali is forced to adapt when militants begin imposing sharia law - belies its gentle, humane tone. Defying bans on cigarettes, music and football, the town's residents display a quiet, even playful dignity in the face of fundamentalism. When a conflict turns violent, however, a legal nightmare exposes the tragic dimensions underlying the new regime.
• May 6: "Clouds of Sils Maria" (France, 2014). Maria, an internationally acclaimed actress navigating middle age, is invited to revisit the play that made her a star in her youth, only now she'll be playing the lead character's mother, facing off against a new rising talent. A warm, witty tribute to female friendships, the craft of acting and the impact of Hollywood on European Cinema, "Clouds of Sils Maria" features assured, multilayered performances from Juliette Binoche as Maria and Kristen Stewart as her personal assistant.
For more information, contact Chris Cooling, CLC film instructor, at (847) 543-2623 or ccooling@clcillinois.edu. Or visit the series' Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CLCInternationalFilmSeries.