In a tale akin to "Romeo and Juliet," the friendship between two children is threatened by their parents' differences. Malú is from an upper-class family and her single mother does not want her to play with Jorgito, as she views his background as coarse and commonplace. Jorgito's mother, a poor socialist proud of her family's social standing, places similar restrictions on her son. What neither woman recognizes is the immense strength of the bond between Malú and Jorgito.

Documentary spanning 5 years of the struggle of one Palestinian villager against the Israeli Separation Barrier threatening his village, from the point of view of the 5 cameras destroyed in the process of making the film (Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi, 2011, 94 min.)

A psychological drama set in a Palestinian household occupied by the Israeli army, focusing on the reactions of the 7 family members (Saverio Costanzo, 2004, 90 min.) English subtitles.

An epic narrative of the history of modern Syria from an autobiographical point of view (Muhammad Malas, 1993, 116 min.) English subtitles.

Yinzling: The University of Pittsburgh Undergraduate Linguistics Club is hosting a Japanese movie night featuring the movie “After Life” (1998, Hirokazu Koreeda), about people who, after death, have just one week to choose one memory to keep for eternity. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Akira (1988) original film production art and screening at the Toonseum with Akira expert Joe Peacock. Free with $5 museum admission! Check out www.toonseum.org for details.

The final film in the Pittsburgh Film Series is Summer Wars (2009), directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Although math whiz Kenji Koiso is a social zero, his avatar flourishes in the online space of Oz -- until he accepts an e-mail request to solve a thorny equation, creating a conduit between the real and virtual worlds that may destroy both.

All films are free and open to the public! Screened in Japanese with English subtitles. More info, including maps and film trailers, at www.tinyurl.com/animepgh

The Pittsburgh Anime Film Series continues with Memories (1995), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Memories is made up of three separate science-fiction stories. In the first, "Magnetic Rose," four space travelers are drawn into an abandoned spaceship that contains a world created by one woman's memories. In "Stink Bomb," a young lab assistant accidentally transforms himself into a human biological weapon set on a direct course for Tokyo. The final episode, "Cannon Fodder," depicts a day in the life of a city whose entire purpose is the firing of cannons at an unseen enemy.

Returning to Pittsburgh is the "Pittsburgh Anime Film Series," this year featuring theatrical films from Japan. The series kicks off with 5 Centimeters Per Second, directed by Makoto Shinkai (2007). Told in three interconnected segments, we follow a young man named Takaki through his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love.