January 15-18, 2010
Offered in conjunction with the 9th Whitehead International Film Festival
Taught by Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki
Special guest: Benoit Pilon, director of Necessities of Life
The class fulfills several purposes: 1) to increase our ability to understand the artistic merits in film; 2) to explore ways of utilizing films to probe issues of faith; 3) to serve as a jury for the 9th Annual Whitehead International Film Festival, deciding which of the ten feature films best meets the criteria of “Celebrating Films that Promote the Common Good.”
Because the class functions as a jury for the festival, it is necessary that the class have a private screening of the final film in order to include it in their deliberations. Therefore, the class will begin by watching Rain together. We will then use this viewing as background for the first day’s discussion.
Schedule
Friday, January 15, 2010
10:00 Private screening of Rain
1:00 Guest speakers on how to discern artistic excellence in film-making, issues involving scripts
3:00 Class break
3:20 Spirited class discussion and evaluation of Rain
4:00 Several models for using films in church settings
5:00 Class break
5:30 Wine and cheese reception with Benoit Pilon, director of festival-opening film, Necessities of Life
6:00 Dinner, followed by speech from Benoit Pilon
7:30 Public screening of short film, Necktie, and feature, Necessities of Life
Saturday, January 16, 2010
9:00 Class meets with Benoit Pilon to discuss the making of his film
10:00 Public screening of short film, Adam Avenger, and feature, Munyurangabo (Kenya)
1:00 Class discussion of the Munyurangabo
2:00 Public screening of short film, The Bed by the Window, and feature, Departures (Japan)
4:00 Class discussion of Departures
7:00 Public screening of short film, Video 3000, and feature, The Empty Nest (Argentina)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
1:00 Public screening of The Window (Argentina)
2:30 Class discussion of The Empty Nest and The Window
3:00 Public screening short film, Noodles, and feature, Fraulein (Germany), followed by discussion of Fraulein
7:00 Public screening of short film, Das Rad, and feature, Kabei (Japan)
Monday, January 18, 2010
9:00 Class discussion of Kabei
10:00 Public Screening of short film, Pudge, and feature, Ramchand Pakistani (Pakistan)
1:00 Class discussion of Ramchand Pakistani
2:00 Public screening of short film, Song of Sloman, and feature, Lemon Tree (Israel)
4:00 Dinner meeting, discussion of Lemon Tree, and determination of which film receives the Whitehead Award.
7:00 Public screening of short film, Alptraum, and feature, Rain (Bahamas)
9:00 Announcement of Whitehead Award.
Course Leader:
Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, professor emerita, Claremont School of Theology;
director of WIFF and Process & Faith, Ecumenical Prize jurist, Montreal Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival.
Location
Mudd Theatre
Claremont School of Theology
1325 No. College Ave.
Claremont, CA