Students gathered in the halls of Manzanita Hall on Friday to talk about the films they saw during the 2007 College of Humanities Film Festival in the Amber Screening Room.
“I really enjoyed being able to come to at least some of the films today,” Yesenia Gutierrez, an attendee said. “Many of these films I have never heard of before so it’s rewarding that CSUN puts together opportunities like this that support films from other countries.”
“I’m from Guatemala and me and my friends came to see Estrella de la Linea, which is from my country. But we’ve come back this evening to see Red Doors which tells the story of a Chinese American family,” Gutierrez said.
“It’s about supporting all the films or at least trying something new out and I think that’s why me and my friends came to this, just to experience and see something new,” Gutierrez said.
From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., students, staff members and the general public were given the opportunity to view any of the seven films showed. The films were from countries that ranged from the United Kingdom to India. And the films from the United States were all directed by International directors who expressed culture, experiences and even struggles through documentaries, drama or comedic form.
The theme of the festival was immigration with each film telling a story that in one way or another affected each countries culture or simply just told a compelling or inspirational story. The films included, Dirty Pretty Things from the United Kingdom, Estrella de la Linea (The Stars of the Line), from Guatemala which out of all the films that day stood out as a very sad yet inspirational story. It tells the story of a group of prostitutes who live in Guatemala City slum and sell their bodies for two dollars. The women form a soccer team, but the leagues organizer expels them when they reveal their profession. The ban sparked national attention.
It was films like this one that captured the attention of students like Gutierrez who spoke of the culture experience she gained from attending CSUN’s International Film Festival.
Other films shown and followed by Q’A sessions included, Maid in America, a documentary looking in on the lives of three Latin American Immigrants who reside in Los Angeles.
Maybe more familiar to audiences was Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, more of a comedic take on experiences as immigrants, the inspiration behind it came from thousand of interviews conducted nationwide during a period of 20 years, by Culture Clash themselves.
“There is so much to be gained from having a chance to look at film which is an art through other cultures eyes and perspectives,” Carl Pearson an audience member of the Red Door said, ” One of the best ways to get an idea of how other people from different places look at things is through film.”
“I’m in my 70’s now and me and my wife spend a lot of time watching films. We’ve traveled all over the world and with time, age and knowledge of other cultures we have an appreciation for international films and not just American,” Pearson said, “It’s good to broaden your horizon.”
The last three films showed included Lost Boys of Sudan, Bollywood Crossings, from India and Red Doors that concluded the all day event.
Elizabeth Moore a L.A. Unified school teacher came to view films because of her love for cinema. ” As an alumni I sometimes wish I would’ve at least minored in film. I’ve always had an interest in film so since I live locally I decided to make an evening out of this festival and instead of watching the same DVD’s at home I’d come out and support my school,” she said.
“I think this festival is a great thing and all schools even grammar level should take part in exposing students to international film, art or even literature,” Moore added, “It’s a beneficial and rewarding experience.”
