Film & Media Culture

Pelikan Blue  Hungary, 2023 Directed by: László Csáki 

1990s Hungary. The iron curtain has fallen, and Hungarians are free to travel Europe. But travel is expensive. A taste of freedom, but not enough to truly revel in it. 

So, three Hungarian teens beat the system. Wild, fluid, and surreal animation tells the true story of Ákos, Laci and Petya as they begin to forge international train tickets that are easily manipulated due to an easy-to-remove ink: Pelican Blue. Matters turn dangerous for the youngsters when they unwittingly establish an underground crime syndicate and outrun the slow churn of the Hungarian Police. Watch an unforgettable tale of the battle between the law and the spirit of youth. 

Come join us in Dana Auditorium @ 7 PM for an unforgettable experience, pizza, and the chance to win a prize! (Pizza served at 6:30). 

“Pelikan Blue is the type of film that leaves a permanent smile on the viewer’s face” - Cineeuropa

“Transcends the medium of documentary” - Max Gibson ’25

“Had an absolute ball watching this” - Mu Paw ‘25

“One of the most engaging and interesting movies Hirschfield has seen” - Kalani Martial ‘25

“Visually inventive and completely immersive” - Graydon Hanson ‘25

“I am going to name my first-born child Pelikan Blue” - Ross Davis ‘27

Director Philippe Lesage in attendance, Q and A to follow the screening.
 
Who by Fire
Canada, 2024
Directed by Philippe Lesage
 
A “beautiful, unusual coming of age story” (Guy Lodge, Variety) this ensemble character drama is both subtle and shocking in a most understated way.

Zoljargal Purevdash’s debut film, If Only I Could Hibernate, is the first Mongolian film to be shown in Cannes’ official selection and Mongolia’s entry to this year’s International Film Oscar competition. This coming-of-age drama takes place during a harsh winter in Mongolia and follows Ulzii, an academically gifted teenager from a struggling family. His journey of overcoming the odds leads to a difficult decision between supporting his family and fulfilling his dreams.

The October screening of the Hirschfield series features a Chinese film that premiered in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Only the River Flows is an atmospheric thriller set in rural China, following a murder investigation that quickly leads to an obvious arrest and to many unanswered questions. Professor Chialan Sharon Wang will introduce the film, and the screening will be followed by a brief discussion led by Professor Nikolina Dobreva. Join us outside Dana to celebrate with pizza and popcorn at 6:30 PM

“There is no other movie like Emilia Perez.”

-Vanity Fair

In this moment of environmental, political, and social change, what are the stories of “now”? Who is doing the telling?  And why does it matter?

Reality Frictions explores the intersection of fact and fiction on the screens of Hollywood, highlighting moments when images, people or events from the real world intrude on the cinematic one. Set against the historical backdrop of the current fascination with machine learning and generative AI, Reality Frictions also touches on the phenomena of deepfake videos, “latent histories” and image synthesis that reveal the reciprocal relationship of human and machine vision.

German film director Henk Handloetgen, co-writer and and co-director of the hit TV-series “Babylon Berlin”, faculty, and student panelists will discuss the series’ lasting success, its aesthetic and historical contexts in Weimar German culture and modern film technology, and its relevance for the 21st century. Free and open to the public.

Season 4 of the German hit series “Babylon Berlin” has finally arrived in the United States. Set in the early 1930s in Germany and the period of the National Socialists’ rapid rise to absolute power, season 4 once again follows police inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) and police assistant Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries) as they try to solve a murder-mystery set in the streets of Berlin. However, it is Gereon’s slow surrender to the power of Fascism that really drives this season and the relationship between the two protagonists who were once on the same page …

Season 4 of the German hit series “Babylon Berlin” has finally arrived in the United States. Set in the early 1930s in Germany and the period of the National Socialists’ rapid rise to absolute power, season 4 once again follows police inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) and police assistant Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries) as they try to solve a murder-mystery set in the streets of Berlin. However, it is Gereon’s slow surrender to the power of Fascism that really drives this season and the relationship between the two protagonists who were once on the same page …