Film & Media Culture

Seniors majoring in Film and Media Culture will present on their written senior thesis work.

Whether we like it or not, social media platforms have become key spaces for youth political expression. Yet young people’s engagement with politics on social media looks and feels different from adult conceptions of political expression: it is creative, making inventive use of platform affordances; it is personal, shaped by young people’s experiences and identities; and it is meaningful to young people, as a space to exert their political voice. This talk, based on Dr.

Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

 Germany, 2024

 Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

Betania
Brazil, 2024
Written and directed by Marcelo Botta
 
This remarkable debut film is set in the north-east of Brazil, in a breathtaking scenery defined by endless sand dunes, and features mostly non-professional actors. The protagonist, Betania, has to move away from her community upon the death of her husband - and this disruption brings up all flavors of conflict, from the intra-familial struggles to the global issues of overtourism and ecological sustainability.

No Other Land, 2024. Written, directed, produced and edited by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor.
For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israeli occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with an Israeli journalist who wants to join his fight.  Together, as part of a Palestinian-Israeli filmmaking collective, they created one of the most intense films of last year.

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