Past Events

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? reflects on a word we often take for granted. This philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government, to modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse, and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. This urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? asks the right questions. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/whatisdemocracy.html.

3 FACES is Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s fourth completed feature since he was officially banned from filmmaking. The film follows well-known actress Behnaz Jafari--playing herself--as she becomes distraught after watching a provincial girl’s video plea for help. Through tears, the girl laments she is oppressed by her family, who will not let her pursue her studies at the drama conservatory in Tehran. Behnaz, fearing for the young girls life, abandons her shoot and turns to filmmaker Jafar Panahi--playing himself--to help solve the mystery of the young girl’s troubles. They travel by car to the rural northwest where they have amusing encounters with the charmingS folk of the girl’s mountain village, but the city visitors soon discover that the protection of age-old traditions may make their impromptu quest more difficult than they thought. Jafar’s intimate portrait of Tehran life in the mountains provides an insightful, and surprisingly humorous, portrayal of village culture. 3 FACES is a road trip worth taking. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/3_faces.html.

Director Lila Avilés's compelling debut follows Eve, who works long hours as a maid at a luxurious hotel in Mexico City. A young, single mother who travels far to get to her place of work, Eve has aspirations for the future and hopes that her diligence will get her a coveted spot as the cleaner on an executive floor. She enrolls in the hotel's adult education program in her quest for a better life, but quickly discovers that it's not necessarily the most hard-working who get noticed for advancement. Employing striking documentary-style cinematography, coupled with a meditative tone and intimate direction, THE CHAMBERMAID takes us through Eve's daily routine and path to self discovery, which humbly reflects the everyday struggles of laborers in Mexico City. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/thechambermaid.html.

Intended as a workshop to foster critical thinking skills, this program will feature presentations by two scholars who work on similar issues in entirely different parts of the world. Dr. David Kenley (Elizabethtown College, PA) will speak on “Remembering and Forgetting: War Memorials in East Asia” with a particular focus on WWII memorials. Dr. Kirk Savage (University of Pittsburgh) will talk about “Curating History: Civil War Commemoration and Social Justice.” The program will include Q&A with the speakers. Attendees will receive Act 48 (if Pennsylvania teachers), dinner, free parking, and materials. Space is limited, and registration deadline is April 1, 2019. Register at https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/ncta/whose-narrative-re-examining-war-memorial....

MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL borrows from cinema verite and video bloggers to create a rare naturalism in style and performance. Katie, a young, rich American, decides to make a documentary film about Alicja, an impulsive Polish actress living in London. During the making of the film, the interference of Katie in the life of her character proves to have serious consequences, both in their relationship and the film’s narrative. Set in a post-Brexit-vote London, Katie’s colonizing, disruptive presence in Alicja’s life mirrors the treatment of migrants in the UK: Welcomed, used, then discarded. MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL is a raw, sexual, and visually brash film exploring the abusive power and control over someone’s intimacy. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/myfriendthepolishgirl.html.

The first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes & banned in its home country, RAFIKI bursts onto the screen with fresh energy. “Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena and Ziki long for something more. A tender tale of forbidden first love told in an electric, colorful Afropop style, RAFIKI tells the story of the touching, but illegal romance between Kena, a skateboarding tomboy, and Ziki, the charismatic daughter of a conservative local politician. When rumors begin to swirl about the nature of their relationship, the young lovers find themselves in great jeopardy. Combined with the charming leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, RAFIKI is another highlight in esteemed director Wanuri Kahiu’s filmography. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/rafiki.html.

Wu is in her mid-twenties and lives with her mother in a traditional one-story house in one of Beijing’s hutongs. Both consider themselves to be writers, but success has so far eluded them. Their unhealthily close relationship is characterised by reproaches and quibbling; only during meals do they appear to lay down their verbal weapons. The situation escalates when both Wu and her mother hit an emotional low. Often compared to the fellow mother-daughter film, LADYBIRD, GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY is both a funny and dramatic depiction of a complicated parent-child relationship, elevated by the charming performances of the two leads: An Nai and director Yang Mingming herself. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/girlsalwayshappy.html.