Films are screened in Lindou Auditorium,
lower level of Michener Library,
on the West Campus of UNC
Show times (unless otherwise noted):
Thursdays at 7:00 and 9:15 p.m.
Fridays at 8:00 p.m.

Admission: $3 for UNC students, $5 for non-students.
Attend in a group of four or more and receive a $1 discount per patron.

See a fifth film for free
with the purchase of a pass
for the price of four regular tickets!
Passes can be purchased at the door
before each show.

Non English-language films shown in the original language
with English subtitles. All films are shown in 35mm.

International Film Series is a volunteer effort.
If you would like to help out, e-mail us.

Click on the picture for a larger version of the image;
click on the title to go to the film’s official site.

January 31-February 1

The Code: Legend of the Gamers (USA, 2007) Co-owners of A Film Company, Thomas Fowler and Eric Olson, both UNC alumni, bring you to the world of gamers where competition is fierce and tension is high. Gaming teams must face the opposition and personal inadequacies as they contend for the win of the Colorado Gaming Tournament and the right to attend the National Championship. The teams’ stories intertwine as they become more involved with one another than they anticipate in this hilarious comedy. —ab

February 7-8

Eagle vs Shark (New Zealand, 2007, 88 mins.) An adorably awkward love story with a hint of adventure, Jarrod (Flight of the Conchords star/band-member Jemaine Clement) is our unlikely hero, guiding us through his rather ridiculous reality while Lily (Loren Horsley) guides us through her equally ludicrous life. The stunningly smart soundtrack adds just the right amount of charm to this peculiar film, adding to its lovable quirkiness. —lj-e

 

February 12-15 — Chinese New Year Film Festival

February 12

Infernal Affairs (China, 2002, 101 mins.) An undercover police officer works to penetrate the Triads of Hong Kong mafia while a young mafia member attempts to infiltrate the police force. The constant mafia-police war is heightened when members of the mafia and police feed information about the intruders to undermine the other side. This film is filled with intense action, and is the basis for the 2006 Oscar-winning remake The Departed.—ab

February 14

Three Times (Taiwan, 2005, 120 mins.) Three relationships. Three time periods. The cinematic stories, “A Time for Love,” “A Time for Freedom,” and “A Time for Youth” are set in 1966, 1911, and 2005, respectively, depict the changes in intimacy and communication for the couples. Though the actors for each story are the same, the romances vary by reflecting the historical time period in which they are set. —ab

February 15

Not One Less (China, 1999, 106 mins.) A 13-year old girl named Gao becomes a substitute teacher in a remote village’s local school after the regular teacher leaves. With only one piece of chalk per day and the promise of a compensatory bonus if at the end of the month all 28 students are still present, Gao must cope with the village’s extreme poverty while teaching students not much younger than herself. —ab

 

February 21-22 — Archive Night

Nights of Caberia (Italy, 1957, 110 mins.) Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria is a movie that has spoken to every subsequent generation of filmgoer. Its success is due largely to Fellini’s wife, Giulietta Masina, who plays the role of Cabiria, a prostitute in Rome. Cabiria is much too jaded to think she can find true love, yet she appears to find it anyway. Masina based her performance on the acting style used by Charlie Chaplin in his famous role as a tramp in the film City Lights. The result is one of cinema’s most likeable and memorable characters, uniquely complex and accessible. Part satire, part love story, part religious allegory, Fellini’s circular narrative reminds us that being tough enough to survive means allowing yourself to hope. —dc

February 28-29

Pan’s Labyrinth (Spain, 2006, 112 mins.) Stunningly beautiful and occasionally brutal, Pan’s Labyrinth opens us to a world of realistic fantasy of which the Brothers Grimm would be proud. Set in Spain shortly after the Spanish Civil War, the film follows our young protagonist Ofelia as she completes three tasks to reclaim her rightful spot on the throne of the Underground Realm. —lj-e

March 6-7 — 2007 Academy Award Nominated Documentary Shorts

2007 Academy Award Nominated Documentary Shorts (Various countries.) “The Blood of Yingzhou District,” “Recycled Life,” “Rehearsing a Dream,” and “Two Hands.” These documentary shorts tell the stories of a Chinese AIDS orphan, families who make a living re-using garbage items in Guatemala, high school performing arts students, and a pianist who has use of only one hand. —ab

March 13-14, 20-21 — Spring Break – No Film

March 27-28

Como Agua Para Chocolate / Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico, 1992, 105 mins.) Water for chocolate (i.e., water that’s just at the boiling point) describes the barely contained energy of Tita, the film’s lead character. She’s keeping two things bottled inside her: her hatred for her mother and her love for her sister’s husband. Tita’s story is handed down among generations of women in the kitchen of a Northern Mexican ranch, along with the family recipes. With a kitchen brimming with explosive secrets, is it any wonder that the food this family cooks tickles more than the tastebuds? You’ll leave this film feeling nourished by a narrative that’s more than a little spicy. (Bring a pad and paper to jot down some recipes, too.) The film is directed by Alfonso Arau, based on the novel by Laura Esquivel. —dc

April 3-4

Sicko (USA, 2007, 123 mins.) Michael Moore is back again, generating criticism and controversy as usual. This time he’s focusing on America’s for-profit health insurance and pharmaceutical industry, comparing it to the health care systems of Canada, the UK, France, and even Cuba. Shocking, frightening, and incredibly well done, Michael Moore certainly knows how to make a documentary. Whether or not it’s as full of baloney as some of his other films may have been is up to you. —lj-e

April 10-11 — Academic Excellence Week – No Film

April 17-18

Once (Ireland, 2006, 85 mins.) A young Dublin man who fixes vacuums by day and plays guitar by night; a young Czech woman who also makes a living by day in odd jobs and plays piano. When the two meet, their relationship flourishes and the talented twosome record an album together. This Oscar-nominated musical’s cast is made up entirely of professional musicians and boasts an impressive soundtrack. —ab

Synopses written by Angie Bartleson, David Caldwell, and Luke James-Erickson