The GSC Progressive Film Series sponsored by Pi Gamma Mu, the Social Science Honor Society, will be presenting four films during the Spring Semester. The films will be shown on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Mollohan Campus Community Center Auditorium.
The schedule will kick off on January 22nd with the showing of Pixar鈥檚 animated gem 鈥榃ALL-E鈥. Undoubtedly one of Pixar鈥檚 best-ever, the film is about a robot named WALL-E (an acronym for 鈥淲aste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class鈥), who is the only thing left on earth with some sort of emotion. He meets another robot named EVE, and the trip begins. WALL-E has been heralded by social activists for tackling a 鈥渢opical, ecologically-minded agenda,鈥 and denounced by conservative commentators as 鈥渓eftist propaganda about the evils of mankind.鈥 But, more than anything else, WALL-E is a fun, heart-warming movie. It has already won dozens of awards and is a shoo-in to win the Oscar for best animated feature at the Academy Awards in February.
In recognition of Black History Month, The GSC Progressive Film Series will present 鈥楾he untold Story of Emmett Louis Till鈥 on February 25th. The 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till and subsequent sham of a trial for his murderers were key catalysts for the American Civil Rights Movement. Keith Beauchamp's groundbreaking film is the result of a ten-year journey to uncover the truth behind Till鈥檚 nightmarish murder, and features archival footage and interviews with many of the people directly involved with the investigation and trial, including Till鈥檚 mother, Mamie Till Mobley. Discover for yourself why the Chicago Tribune wrote, 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 believe film can change the world, you haven鈥檛 seen 鈥楾he Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till鈥.鈥
鈥楤lind Mountain鈥, writer/director Li Yang鈥檚 denunciation of corruption and injustice in contemporary China will be shown on March 25th. The film stars Huang Lu as Bai, a young saleswoman who accompanies her boss and a colleague on a business trip to an isolated rural village. There, the men drug her and sell her into slavery. Trapped in the fiercely traditional town, the young woman finds that her avenues of escape are all blocked. As she searches for allies, including a young boy, a school teacher and a mailman, she suffers from being raped by her 鈥渉usband鈥 and continued beatings at the hands of the villagers, her husband, and her husband鈥檚 parents. 鈥楤lind Mountain鈥 is filmed in Mandarin with English subtitles.
The series will wrap up with the screening of 鈥楽treet of Shame鈥 on April 29th. Famed director Kenjo Mizoguchi specialized in realistic depictions of Japan鈥檚 seamy underside. His last movie, 鈥楽treet of Shame,鈥 is a sympathetic portrayal of the women of Tokyo鈥檚 red-light district, filmed during a debate in Japan鈥檚 Diet over whether legalized prostitution should be outlawed. Starring Machiko Kyo as Mickey, a tough girl who has a memorable confrontation with her father when he tries to take her back to their home town. 鈥楽treet of Shame鈥 features an unusual and haunting musical score by Toshiro Mayuzumi. This film is in Japanese with English subtitles.
All screenings of the 鈥楪SC progressive Film Series鈥 are in the Mollohan Campus Community Center Theatre. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
For more information, contact Dr. Arthur DeMatteo, GSC Assistant Professor of History and Faculty Advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, at (304) 462-7361 ext. 7273.