It’s a sad state of affairs when our international film festivals have moved out of the theaters and onto the campus. University of Louisville frequently shows new, first-run foreign films in its Floyd Theater. Bellarmine had a solid festival last year. And right now, IU Southeast is having a festival through its department of modern languages.
A few of the films have been seen before on Louisville screens but were missed by most of us. “Vitus” (Saturday, April 12) is a German film about a prodigy, who, all of 6 years old, is already lamenting his lost childhood. “The Motorcycle Diaries” (Sunday, April 13) is the dramatization of young Che Guevara’s famed travels through Latin America; it’s both a beautiful travelogue and commanding polemic about poverty and politics. The former was shown here last year, and the latter a few years ago.
“La Turbulence Des Fluides” (Friday, April 11) is a joint Canadian/French film about a seismologist who returns to her home town in Quebec to investigate some strange happenings. Most importantly, the tides have ceased to flow, which, to her, indicates a possible earthquake, but to the locals, it’s something closer to magic.
Rounding out the festival is “Shall We Dance” (Saturday, April 12), a Japanese movie about a middle-aged salaryman who takes to ballroom dancing almost by accident. It’s definitely a feel-good movie: think a Japanese version of “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.”
All screenings take place in the Recital Hall of the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center. They start at 7 p.m. and are free. For more information, call (812) 941-2232.
This article appears in April 8, 2008.