Those looking for Friday evening plans this fall can discover an enriching experience with CineCulture, as complimentary screenings of independent films are presented nearly every week throughout the school year. The screenings are back in person after being virtual since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series will feature thought-provoking movies, each accompanied by engaging post-screening dialogues led by film contributors or subject matter specialists.
CineCulture is a film series provided as a service to Fresno State campus students, faculty and staff, and the broader community. CineCulture is also offered as a three-unit academic course (MCJ 179) in the Media, Communications and Journalism Department. The CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening discussions.
Screenings are held at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Peters Education Center Auditorium (west of Save-Mart Center in the Student Recreation Center Building). All films screened on campus are free and open to the public. Parking is free (not enforced) after 4 p.m. on Fridays.
Fall 2023 CineCulture Lineup
Sept. 1: “Aurora’s Sunrise” (2022)
- Discussant: Inna Sahakyan (director).
- In Armenian, English, Turkish and German with English subtitles.
- 96 minutes.
- Sponsor: The Armenian Studies Program.
Based on a true story, “Aurora’s Sunrise” by Armenian director Inna Sahakyan tells the story of Aurora (Arshaluys) Mardiganian, a 14-year-old Armenian Genocide survivor who managed to escape to the United States through sheer luck and extraordinary courage. Her story became a media sensation, and she starred as herself in “Auction of Souls,” a silent Hollywood blockbuster from 1919 on the Armenian Genocide. Aurora soon became the face of one of the largest charity campaigns in American history. With a blend of vivid animation, interviews with Aurora herself, and 18 minutes of surviving footage from her lost silent epic, Aurora’s Sunrise revives a forgotten story of survival.
Sept. 8: “Stay With Us” (2022)
- Discussant: to be announced.
- In French with English subtitles.
- 93 minutes.
- Sponsors: French Program and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
“Stay with Us” is a comedy by French-speaking Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and director Gad Elmaleh, who was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, to a Berber Jewish family. The film tells the story of Gad, played by himself, who decides to leave New York and move to Paris to convert to Catholicism. In spite of his attempt to hide the truth from his family, played by members of his own family, his parents discover their son’s unconditional love for the Virgin Mary… and for them, it is a nightmare. Determined to bring Gad back to reason and to his Jewish roots, they turn his attempt at conversion into a battlefield. Will Gad follow his heart and convert or surrender to the wishes of his family? This heart-warming and charming comedy by “the Seinfeld of France” is about faith, family and acceptance.
Sept. 15: “The Investigator” (2022)
- Discussant: Vladimir Dzuro (the investigator featured in the film).
- In Czech, Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian with English subtitles.
- 74 minutes.
A former investigator for The Hague Tribunal in The Hague, The Netherlands, returns to the Balkans, to places in Southern Europe where war crimes were committed in the 1990s. Can justice be brought from the outside? Czech film director Victory Portel tells the story of Vladimír Dzuro, the first Czech investigator to have worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Dzuro collected evidence against war criminals and hunted perpetrators of ethnic cleansing. The two biggest cases include the Ovcara massacre related to Vukovar‘s mayor Slavko Dokmanovic, and the ethnic cleansing committed by the Serbian nationalist warlord Željko Ražnatovic Arkan. We join Vladimír Dzuro on his metaphorical and real journey across the places of investigation in the former country of Yugoslavia and meet some survivors of these cases. What is the landscape of the Balkans, which saw a fratricidal conflict twenty-five years ago, like today? What happened to the people who still live there and to their memory? What is the significance and meaning of justice brought from the outside? The film is inspired by Vladimir Dzuro’s bestselling book The Investigator – Demons of the Balkan War (Grada, 2017, and Potomac Books, 2019).
Sept. 22: “Rise” (2022)
- Discussant: to be announced.
- In French with English subtitles.
- 117 minutes.
- Sponsors: French Program and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
Rise is a drama by renowned French director, screenwriter and producer Cédric Klapisch. It tells the story of Elise, a 26-year-old prima ballerina Elise, who is injured during a live performance. Her life is turned upside down upon learning that she can no longer dance. From then on, she tries to find a new purpose in her life while moving between Paris and Brittany, through encounters and experiences, as well as from moments of profound disappointment and glimmers of hope. What will she do with her life? Will she find a new calling and, therefore, a new way of life? This touching feature film, shot in real-life documentary style, invites us to become immersed in the world of dance, focusing on Elise, played by the superbly talented Marion Barbeau, a real ballerina from the Paris Opera Ballet in her first film role.
Sept. 29: “Lighting Up the Stars” (2022)
- Discussant: Dr. Ed EmanuEl.
- In Mandarin with English subtitles.
- 112 minutes.
“Lighting Up the Stars” follows the story of a mortician named Mo San Mei (Zhu Yi Long), recently released from prison and facing an uncertain future. His father considers him a disgrace to the family but still sees fit to give his son a chance to turn his life around. Hoping to retire, he decides the time has come to pass the family business along to his wayward son. Without any real say in the matter, San Mei finds himself the new director of the family’s small funeral home. Living and working at the funeral parlor, he settles comfortably enough into his new life. But things take an extremely unexpected turn when a little girl named Wu Xiaowen, orphaned after the death of her grandmother, walks into his life. He has no choice but to take Xiaowen in. Can this ex-con find a way to become the father this little girl needs? A truly charming story about life, love, and loss, “Lighting Up The Stars” is a 2022 Chinese drama-comedy by Chinese director Liu Jiangjiang.
Oct. 6: “Town Destroyer” (2022)
- Discussant: Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman (directors).
- In English.
- 53 minutes.
“Town Destroyer” by Bay Area-based directors Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman explores the ways we look at art and history at a time of polarized national debate over the power of images, racism, trauma, and what should be taught in schools. The story focuses on a dispute over historic murals depicting the life of George Washington as a slaveowner, general, land speculator, President, and a man Native Seneca leaders called “Town Destroyer” after he ordered their villages destroyed during the Revolutionary War (1775-83). The murals, at San Francisco’s George Washington High School, were painted in 1936 by Russian-born American painter and professor of art Victor Mikhail Arnautoff (1896-1979), a student of world-famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957). The film addresses current debates over trauma, student safety, and cancel culture. Do images trigger trauma in students? How should a changing society deal with controversial works of art? Do the intentions of the artist matter? Or just the impact on viewers? Is it censorship to destroy murals that show painful histories? What does our country owe people who have been historically wronged?
Oct. 13: “La Civil” (2021)
- Discussant: Teodora Mihai (director).
- In Spanish with English subtitles.
- 240 minutes.
Inspired by true events, La Civil by Mexican director Teodora Mihai tells the story of Cielo, a mother in search of her daughter, abducted by a criminal gang in Northern Mexico. As the authorities fail to offer support in the search, Cielo takes matters into her own hands. She begins her own investigation and earns the trust and sympathy of Lamarque, an unconventional army lieutenant based in the region. He agrees to help Cielo because her research data could be useful to his own investigations. Cielo’s collaboration with Lamarque pulls her further into a vicious cycle of violence. The film focuses on Cielo’s emotional rollercoaster, as she is drawn into increasingly dangerous circumstances. The camera stays close, we never lose sight of her as she gradually transforms from a housewife into an avenging activist. As events unfold, she gets closer to the truth: discovering a mass grave, obtaining official DNA analyses, and confronting one of the presumed kidnappers, but corruption and apathy keep her from finding a resolution. Until the end finally comes, unpredictable and uninvited.
Oct. 20: “Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella” (2023)
- Discussant: Barry Avrich (director).
- In English.
- 84 minutes.
- Sponsors: The French Program and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
Despite the political ill-winds that blow over our border, Canadians still do many things differently. Our respective Supreme Courts are a case in point. The U.S. Supremes are celebrities, infamous ones in some cases. By contrast, Canadian Supreme Court justices fairly fly below the radar. This is why acclaimed Canadian director Barry Avrich’s Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella commands our attention. The film chronicles the career of Rosalie Abella, the former Supreme Court Justice of Canada, who stood up for many marginalized communities during her long legal career. Without Precedent features interviews with friends, colleagues and admirers from diverse political and ideological backgrounds, such as author Margaret Atwood, former Canadian PMs Brian Mulroney and Paul Martin, essayist, New Times staff writer Adam Gopnik and many others. This timely documentary presents a fascinating personality of whom the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “If I have a Canadian sister, her name would be Rosie Abella.” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was present at the film’s world première in Toronto, Canada, stated this: “Rosalie Abella forces each of us to examine our conscience. Where else does justice come from? From our conscience.”
Oct. 27: “Orca” (2021)
- Discussant: to be announced.
- In Farsi with English subtitles.
- 107 minutes.
Based on a true story, Orca by Iranian director Sahar Mosayebi follows the tribulations of Elham Asghari, a young divorced Iranian woman who survives a horrific assault by her estranged husband. Trying to rebuild her life, she finds solace in the water and becomes an amazing endurance swimmer. In the fight of her life, she faces political, religious and personal obstacles in a bid to swim further than anyone else has done. Will she realize her dream of a Guinness Record and be recognized in Iran for her astonishing feat?
Nov. 3: “Inside Russia: Traitors and Heroes” (2023)
- Discussant: to be announced.
- In Russian with English subtitles.
- 52 minutes.
Inside Russia: Traitors and Heroes document an extraordinary year in the lives of ordinary Russians. As anti-war protests are brutally suppressed across the country, a local politician condemns the war on social media. The authorities decided to press charges. She must decide whether to face a criminal conviction or flee the country. A group of young graffiti artists begins a campaign of subversive art to mock the government’s pro-war propaganda. Soon one of their members is arrested. It has been dangerous for ordinary Russians to speak up against Vladimir Putin’s regime for years. New censorship laws, introduced since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have made it tougher than ever. Since then, many thousands have fled Russia and those who stayed have had to choose: to stay silent, or to oppose, or to support the Russian government.
Nov. 10: Veteran’s Day (no screening)
Nov. 17: “Goldfish” (2022)
- Discussant: to be announced.
- In English and Hindi with English subtitles.
- 103 minutes.
Goldfish, by Indian director Pushan Kripalani, is about forgiveness. It is also about memory, music, mental health and identity. Anamika, the child of a mixed marriage –her father was a British university professor and her mother an Indian singer— returns home to the UK during the Covid-19 lockdown, to deal with her estranged mother Sadhana’s dementia and the scars of her childhood. She returns to a neighborhood she barely remembers and to a woman who at times, does not recognize her own daughter. This Indian-British-American production brings together two powerhouse talents to tell the delicate, timeless story of a mother, stuck in a land not her own, and a daughter, unsure of who she is because she lives between two cultures. It also superbly portrays the diverse community of Diaspora Indians where Anamika grew up.
Nov. 24: Thanksgiving break (no screening)
Dec. 1: Film to be announced
Fresno State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, contact 559.278.6890. Visit the CineCulture website for more information, or contact Dr. Mary Husain, instructor and club adviser.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 