Claire Smith
Features Editor
Cinema International has been a unique part of Murray State’s culture for over three decades. Hosting the program in the Curris Center Theatre gives students and the community a cinematic experience right on campus.
Thérèse Saint Paul, director of Cinema International and an associate French professor, has been running the program for the last three years.
The program has a long history at Murray State, beginning over 35 years ago, the program is one that is enjoyed not only by students but also the community.
When construction began on the Curris Center the theatre was built with Cinema International in mind.
“Dr. Curris was the one who donated the money to create the Curris Center and in the Curris Center he wanted a cinema, a real cinema; with soundproof equipment,” Saint Paul said.
The theatre also featured a 16 millimeter projector to give audiences a complete cinematic experience.
The program has changed directors several times over the years as faculty members retire and the program changes hands.
Saint Paul has run the program for the last few years. She has made a few changes but also kept several of the traditions.
“I’ve personally made some changes,” Saint Paul said. “I tried to give more visibility to the program because it was really something that some people knew and a lot of people didn’t know about.”
She began placing colored posters around campus, advertising on WKMS and posting announcements on TV screens throughout campus. “We’ve always had a tradition of showing 10 movies,” Saint Paul said. “Sometimes we’ve shown 11 movies.”
The showings run for 10 to 11 weeks each semester on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Curris Center Theatre.
This semester there have been some changes to the program.
“The Curris Center has made changes to the reservations, as per this semester, and has cut us down by one day,” Saint Paul said.
The first two showings took place on Thursday and Friday and for the rest of the semester they will be hosted on Thursday and Saturday.
In addition to the date changes the Thursday showings have been moved to the Barkley Room in the Curris Center until Sept. 26. Saturday showings will continue to be hosted in the theatre.
“That is a bit of a problem for our public especially the public that has come to be expecting a cinema experience which is unique,” Saint Paul said. “It is unique for Universities to have that kind of cinema free.”
The program has to pay licensing fees for the films shown because it isn’t only for students, it’s for the community as well.
A lot of collaboration goes into the running of Cinema International. Faculty members suggest films based on their curriculum, some film choices are based on a theme and others are collaborations with other departments on campus.
Saint Paul has also began hosting discussions about each film that occur after the show.
“My goal is to increase collaboration with colleagues all over the University and the community,” Saint Paul said.
This semester the program is running a German Film Special that features four films. They have also collaborated with the music department.
Moving locations loses the cinematic experience that makes the program unique. But, Saint Paul is hopeful there can be an open dialogue about the changes.
“I’m sure if we had a good dialogue with the Curris Center and people who want to use the space we could probably come up with some happy medium that would make everybody happy and the public would retain an opportunity for culture,” Saint
Paul said.
Robert Fritz, a Spanish professor, has incorporated Cinema International into his courses and lead post-screening discussions.
“Cinema International is a cultural treasure with a history going back decades,” Fritz said.
The Curris Center has “long been a loyal partner” of the program.
“I think that recent scheduling changes reflect a desire on the part of the Curris Center to further its mission to serve our community with a mix of cultural, social and recreational programming,” Fritz said.
Saint Paul is looking forward to collaborating with the Curris Center to continue bringing in visitors.