Travel the World of Foreign Films

by Krista Cascio

For local cinephiles and movie buffs, Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) offers a weekly screening of films from across the globe to broaden horizons and entertain.

For nearly 28 years 4Cs has offered a free Foreign Film Series which takes place in Lecture Hall A of the Science Building, every Tuesday at 3:30 PM.

The series was originated by Dr. Lore DeBower, who currently works alongside Cindy Pavlos in choosing the films each semester. Pavlos explained that the idea behind the Foreign Film Series stemmed from DeBower’s “love with travel[ing], and discovering new places, people and cultures.”

The lineup for the current semester includes films representing cultures across the board such as Italy, France, Persia and more.

Photo: Among those in attendance at a recent Foreign Film showing – Donna Hannigan and Judith Jacobson.

“Film is a kind of window on the greater world,” said Pavlos.

One example of the type of world you can be transported to can be seen in the October 1 viewing of the movie titled Z (pronounced: Zedd). This 1960’s Algerian-French film based on the assassination of a Grecian politician won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language in 1969. The movie was spoken in French but contained English subtitles, for audience members who are unfamiliar with the language to follow along.

Some upcoming films this semester include All About My Mother set in Spain, A Separation set in Iran, two other films set in France as well as many more from across the continents.

“The audience is quite a mix of people. Some are current students; some are on campus for the Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) classes. Others come specifically for the films,” said Pavlos. “Many film-goers have come for years and years – real regulars.”

This is the case for foreign film lover Bill McCormick, who has been attending the films with his spouse for around 15 years.

Judith Jacobson is another regular attendee who has been frequenting the Foreign Film series for about 5 years, after she was initially invited to check out the opportunity by a friend.

“The diversity is great,” said Jacobson, who looks forward each week to “‘traveling’ to other countries through these films.”

Donna Hannigan, having spoke French in college, visited the Foreign Film Series for the first time to see the recent film Z. She feels that foreign films are superior to typical Hollywood films as they are “more thought provoking.”

These films provide the opportunity to become enlightened to the fact that the joys and sorrows of life are generally universal, regardless of what language you speak or culture you practice. The Foreign Film Series is a great way to indulge these other cultures from the comfort of Cape Cod.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Around Campus