Cinema International’s first showing of the semester is primed for Family Weekend with the 2022 blockbuster “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a seven-time Oscar-winning film about a Chinese immigrant named Evelyn and her experience in a multiverse odyssey. It explores aspects of science fiction, martial arts, familial relationships and more from the viewpoint of immigrant communities in the United States.
Feinstein and Post have taken on directing positions for the program this year following the retirement of former director Thérèse Saint Paul. Before becoming co-directors, Feintsein and Post were part of Cinema International’s committee of University faculty. Committee members help curate the selection, introduce the film, operate screening technology and direct the post-screening discussion.
“We often try to input a more blockbuster-style movie toward the beginning of the program, and we also set this up so that it comes during Family Weekend,” Cinema International co-director Ben Post said. “We’re hopeful that some families visiting Murray State will come see this film and get a sense of what it’s like.”
The movie will be screened Thursday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 14. All Cinema International screenings are held in Faculty Hall room 208 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
“Cinema International gives people the opportunity to talk with people… You get insights you wouldn’t get from just sitting (in a theater),” co-director Tamara Feinstein said. “It’s good to bring a friend. You can make it a family affair too, for the first one. The more people, the better this experience is going to be.”
Post said this semester will feature five guest speakers from many departments in the University. These speakers have expertise in the films’ topics such as cultures, regions, time periods and events. This lends to a more in-depth discussion of the film and its surrounding context.
Feinstein started as a guest speaker for the screening of the Peruvian film “Retablo” (2017) in the fall semester of 2021. She said she jumped at the chance to join and share information from her Latin American specialization.
“It’s great when you get someone who’s an expert, either in the region or the topic,” Feinstein said. “There’s been stuff from the Watershed Institute and from the nonprofit leadership program. Having people like that… to tell the general public about what’s going on is very useful.”
The program will screen six more films throughout September and October. These include motion pictures from Germany/Austria and France, a documentary from Canada and a collection of American classics. Subtitles are included in all non-English films.
Feinstein and Post both said they are excited for the three horror films they have slated for October. This will start with the original “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) and the semester’s last film, “Carnival of Souls” (1962).
“I’m a horror fan, so I’ve been pushing for us to show ‘Carnival of Souls’ on Halloween for a while,” Feinstein said. “It influenced other filmmakers (in the) horror genre, even though it’s probably less well known than some of the other big franchises.”
During the film selection process, Cinema International often takes requests from professors. Several movies from this semester’s lineup were requested specifically, including “The Fox” (2022) and “The Artisans” (2018).
“In many cases, the faculty members, especially those who teach other languages, are requesting films that we can show so that students… have a chance to practice hearing the language and to experience a cultural product that’s connected to the language and cultures they’re studying,” Post said.
Feinstein said in the future of Cinema International, she would like to encourage faculty to involve their students directly with the program. Last semester, students in her Political Violence and Human Rights in Latin America course gave formal presentations for the screening of “Argentina, 1985” (2022).
Feinstein also said the invitation to request relevant films extends to student organizations and clubs. She and Post are open to these organizations contacting them for future program selections.
For more information on upcoming Cinema International screenings, visit WKMS’s Sounds Good for weekly interviews with committee representatives and guest speakers.
