International Cinema Series: Humanist Tales of the Old World

About this course:

The International Cinema Series is a showcase of critically acclaimed films from around the world— including classic, foreign, independent and mainstream works—carefully selected for their cultural significance, entertaining value, and their ability to use film language creatively. This edition includes six films written and directed by some of the most creative European filmmakers of our times, such as Jaco van Dormael, Patrice LeConte and Josef von Sternberg. Their stories couldn't be more different—a documentary on the adventurous life of Italian Truffle Hunters; the drama of a former Russian officer who thinks he’s fighting a real war while on the set of a war movie (The Last Command); a comedy on the daily predicaments of God, who works from his apartment in Brussels (The Brand New Testament); the chance encounter between a knife thrower and a suicidal young suicidal woman (The Girl on the Bridge); and a family reunion on the death anniversary of a famous Latin Lover. However, the final message behind these unique tales shares the same humanist approach: the idea that we have the personal ability and social responsibility to lead ethical lives, seek knowledge, and create a more humane society for the greater good.