The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre premiered “Ida,” the first of five foreign films, Aug. 18 to kick off the first International Film Series in Moscow.
“Ida,” a Polish film, won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in February, the first Polish film to earn such acclaim.
Jamie Hill, the operations director at the Kenworthy, said the film brought a strong turnout with a positive reception from an enthusiastic crowd as they witnessed a compelling movie about a young woman”s journey to find her Jewish family.
Hill said it was a great opportunity for people who wanted the experience of watching the film on the big screen.
She also said there were a lot of individuals who had already seen the film but enjoyed it so much they wanted to see it again.
“Tangerines,” an Estoninan-Georgian film, will be the second film of the series and will be shown 7 p.m. Sept. 15. The movie takes place during the war in Abkhazia 1992-1993.
Hill said the film”s story takes pace in a tangerine orchard, and its beautiful visuals and contrast the dark side of the world with the beautiful areas surrounding it.
Hill said the films chosen for the series were all nominated for Best Foreign Film last February. If the film series is successful in Moscow, the Kenworthy hopes to host more series with different themes every year.
“Our film committee decided that they wanted to present an International Film Series that was kind of based on something, a theme,” Hill said. “We get a lot of requests from our patrons for international films so we wanted to meet the needs of the community, especially with students and faculty coming back into town.”
Hill said there are often demands for foreign films because they not only showcase different kinds of culture but they also allow viewers to understand a different perspective or way of life.
“I always think that watching foreign films just makes you more rounded,” she said. “It helps you get to see the worldview, so being able to see how other cultures react I think is my favorite part of foreign films.”
Hill said while she encourages everyone to see the films, she hopes many students engage and respond to the film series.
“It”s a way to escape and get away from here for a night,” Hill said. “Especially for students, they can step outside of Moscow and see something completely different.”
The series” upcoming films include “Timbuktu” Oct. 20, “Leviathan” Nov. 17 and “Wild Tales” Dec. 15. Each film will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre and have a $5 admission fee.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected]