The film festival hosted by the Department of World Languages and Literatures and Exploremore in late February was a wonderful chance for Skidmore Students to learn about different cultures and languages. Students were also given the opportunity to discuss these films in a collaborative environment. In this article, I have written my own takes on some of the films and included some of the topics that were discussed.
German Films:
“Das Rad (English title: Rocks)” directed by Chris Stenner, Heidi Wittlinger, and Arvid Uibel: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOPwXNFU7oU)
Whether you’re an environmental activist, into philosophy, or just looking for a cute film to watch, I recommend Das Rad. This first short film was a stop motion animation that warned of human impact on the environment. While the film was somewhat confusing in the beginning, the plot became more clear by the film’s conclusion. The movie centers around two friends, who seem to be living rocks, and how they encounter the world around them. The setting throughout changes rapidly, to reflect that a human lifetime is but a second when compared to the lifespan of a rock. At one point, one of the rock figures picks up a wheel that has been left behind by a man passing through. This wheel disintegrates in his hands as he announces that humans are building a path through his home. Then, over the course of seconds, the film's viewer watches the building and then subsequent disintegration of an entire city, leaving only a billboard that says “made to last.” The rock comments, “That was a close one,” and they continue on with their life. This short film depicts the insignificance of human civilization in the grander scheme of the earth, and how civilization poses a threat to nature – even to rocks. The characterization given to the rocks made the film a very charming and entertaining way to bring to light these ideas.
“Parvaneh” directed by Talkhon Hamzavi
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a coming of age story and as such I loved this film. It follows a girl from Afghanistan –Parvaneh – who is living and working in Germany. Upon finding out that her father is sick, she travels to the city in order to send him money, only to discover she is too young to send it. Fortunately, she finds a girl a little older than herself who is willing to send it for a ten percent cut. Throughout the short film, the two girls become closer and ultimately friends. On the surface, this movie is a classic story of two girls from different backgrounds sharing their coming of age together, yet its depiction of this storyline is particularly beautiful. This is in part due to the profound connection between the two girls forged in such a short period of time.
This film is also a story about assimilation on Parvaneh’s part. Throughout her first trek to the city, she tries to fit in. She removes her head scarf, applies lipstick, drinks alcohol, and even modifies her name so that her new friend will have an easier time pronouncing it.
There are a lot of additional small details to love about this film: for example, as Parvaneh is revealing the meaning of her name to her new friend, she flaps her hands like wings. As she does so, her friend pulls down her shirt to reveal a tattoo of a butterfly. The commonality between the meaning of Parvaneh’s name and the significance of her friend’s tattoo seems almost like a sign of their fated connection. Arguably, this scene also contains the most beautiful visual of the film: as they sit on the roof and watch the sun rise, they are brilliantly silhouetted against the brightening sky. The film ends in a heartfelt way; in the closing scenes, the girls trade scarves and then exchange an emotional goodbye as Parvaneh gets on the train and heads back to work. Although the bittersweet ending may leave the audience wishing for more of their friendship, the profound connection made in such a short amount of time is something that will indubitably continue on in their hearts.
French Film:
“La Haine” directed by Mathieu Kassovitz: (Available on: Apple TV, Prime Video)
This film was, in my opinion, the most powerful of the film festival. It is a potent depiction of the violence and police brutality still prevalent in Paris today. It follows the lives of three friends named Vinz, Said, and Hubert, whose mutual friend falls victim to police brutality. Although it follows a standard day in the characters’ lives, the events may be shocking for audiences that are unaccustomed to such violence. The pervasiveness of this violence in the film made it difficult to watch, but also made the message of the film that much more powerful. The nonchalant attitude with which the characters in the film regard violence shows how normalized it is in their lives. Each of the characters in the film also bring up their own set of issues. For example, Hubert longs, but ultimately fails, to leave the neighborhood where he lives and create a better future for himself. Meanwhile, Vinz is set on avenging his friend by killing a police officer. His goal throughout the film is to find a sense of control in his seemingly powerless life. For those like the characters in the film, it is not only relevant but all too fitting to their lives, and it is an important film to inform those whose lives do not fit into it.
Interestingly, French Prime Minister Alain Juppe (1995-1997) required his cabinet to watch this film, something we discussed after our viewing. This is especially important as it shows that even those funding the police system saw that there was a problem present. Despite the two decades that have passed since the screening of this title, police brutality is still a problem in France, and this movie remains an important insight into this issue. There is a lot to say about La Haine, but truly there is nothing comparable to the experience of watching it yourself.
Chinese Film:
“Please Vote For Me” directed by Weijun Chen: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD1QSX2hOnk)
What better place to introduce democracy than the drama- filled classrooms of children. This film follows the election of class monitors–who are in charge of class discipline– in a classroom in Wuhan, China. It centers around three children: Luo Lei (the previous class monitor), Xu Xiaofei, and Cheng Cheng. The subject of this film is significant because China does not have any national elections. While local officials are directly elected, this film introduced the idea of directly electing the highest standing official – which within a classroom is the class monitor. Since these children were electing someone with such power in their own lives, this film effectively introduced the concepts of direct democracy to school children and even the general public. The fact that the documentary followed children does not diminish the film’s accuracy in depicting the potential dangers and realities of democracy; throughout the film, we see bribery, gossiping and slander, as well as debates and false promises. We see Luo Lei use his father’s money to bribe his classmates and Cheng Cheng’s attempt to fluster his opponent during the talent showcase by booing. This is an experimental film about how Chinese citizens would respond to a more direct democracy, and as such, it shows the pros and cons quite clearly.
Overall this array of films provided a great opportunity to not only listen to different languages, but to dive deeper into different cultural aspects associated with each respective film. This festival offered the chance to enjoy titles that audience members may not have normally selected to watch themselves, and to hear the opinions of others’ opinions on the films. Attending this festival was a great opportunity and one I recommend everyone takes advantage of in the coming years.