Arts and Entertainment
January 19, 2024
From: Foreign Film FestivalEvery February, the Film Lovers in Carroll County (FLICC) select four international films that broaden our view of cinema. This year’s films immerse audiences in new cultures and stories, from South Korean childhood sweethearts reuniting, to a father witnessing prejudice in a remote Transylvanian village, to a single mother’s tense Paris transit journey, to a young girl called upon to teach in rural China.
Fridays in February Screenings for each film at 1pm and 7:30pm
Schedule:
February 2, 2024
Past Lives (USA / South Korea)
21st Annual Foreign Film Festival
2023; 1 h 45 m; PG-13 for some strong language
Nora and Hae Sung (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Decades later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront destiny, love and the choices that make a life. This heartrending modern romance from writer-director Celine Song (in her feature directorial debut) has been universally praised by critics for its subtle, sensitive observations on the human condition.
February 9, 2024
R.M.N. (Romania)
2022; 2 h 5 m; NR (nudity, mature thematic material, and some violence)
Having quit his job in Germany, Matthias returns to his multi-ethnic Transylvanian village. He wishes to involve himself more in the education of his son, Rudi, left for too long in the care of his mother, Ana, and to rid the boy of the unresolved fears that have taken hold of him. He’s preoccupied with his old father, Otto, and also eager to see his ex-lover, Csilla. When a few new workers are hired at the small factory that Csilla manages, the peace of the community is disturbed, underlying fears grip the adults, and frustrations, conflicts, and passions erupt through the thin veneer of apparent understanding and calm. Award-winning director Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days) creates a gripping portrait of ethnic and economic resentments tearing at the fabric of a small mountain town.
February 16, 2024
2021; 1 h 28 m; NR (some mature thematic content)
Single mother Julie (César award-winning actress Laure Calamy) works a grueling job as a head chambermaid in a five-star Parisian hotel. Julie’s daily balance of commuting from her remote suburb into Paris, tenuous childcare and search for a new job to get her out of debt, becomes unmanageable during a paralyzing transport strike in Paris. Literally running from dawn to sunset to get to her job and back home in time to fetch her children, Julie is constantly on the verge of a breakdown. When she finally gets a job interview for a position more suited to her skill set, Julie has to walk a very tightrope between keeping her current job, and sneaking out while calling on co-workers to cover for her as more obstacles pile up in front of her. Breathlessly tense, the film serves as a sobering reminder that just staying financially afloat can sometimes feel like a white-knuckle thriller.
February 23, 2024
Not One Less (China)
1999; 1 h 46 m; G
In the crushing poverty of rural China, a 13-year-old girl is ordered to a remote village to be their one-room schoolhouse’s substitute teacher. Barely older than her students, the shy girl is charged with keeping the class intact for one month or she won’t be paid. Faced with overwhelming family debt, her biggest little troublemaker disappears into the city to find work. The stubborn teacher, however, is determined to follow the boy and bring him back to school. Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Wei Minzhi, Huike Zhang, and Zhenda Tian, Not One Less was adapted from Shi Xiangsheng’s 1997 story “A Sun in the Sky” and went on to win the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion Award for Best Picture and Best Director from China’s prestigious Golden Rooster Awards.
February 2 - 23, 2024
Time:
Screenings for each film at 1pm and 7:30pm
Location:
Carroll County Arts Council -
91 W Main St
Westminster, MD 21157
Cost:
$8 Adults
$6 ages 25 & Under, and ages 60 & Up.
$27 Adult Full Series Subscription
$21 Student/Senior Full Series Subscription
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