SOU hosts Foreign Language Film Festival this weekend

A festival that will celebrate cinema in a variety of languages, including American Sign Language, is coming to Southern Oregon University.
SOU’s inaugural Foreign Language Film Festival runs Friday through Sunday, May 1-3, on campus.
Hosted by SOU’s Foreign Language Department, the festival will feature eight films in five languages, including French, German, Japanese, Spanish and American Sign Language.
SOU German professor Christiane Pyle said the festival will replace the college’s poetry festival.
“It seemed that movies were more attractive to students in general, and many of us in foreign language teach movies in advanced classes,” Pyle said. “Communication between cultures is something we’re always looking for.”
The event is designed to get students excited about learning a foreign language, organizers said. Showings are free and open to anyone, but seating is limited. Reservations can be made by contacting Kyla Boswell at [email protected], Pyle said. Beyond that, seating is first come, first served.
Students from various high schools and community colleges from as far away as Roseburg will attend. Student-led panel discussions will follow each film.
Friday film offerings include a 4 p.m. showing of Japan’s “Whisper of the Heart,” and a 7 p.m. showing of “Children of a Lesser God,” a U.S. movie that features American Sign Language. On Saturday, Germany’s “Die Welle” (“The Wave”) will be shown at 1 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. showing of Argentina’s “Goals For Girls,” and a 7 p.m. showing of France’s “Les Choristes” (The Chorus).
The festival will conclude Sunday with a 10 a.m. showing of the French film “Entre les murs,” (“The Class”), a 1 p.m. showing of “Casi divas,” from Mexico, and a 4 p.m. showing of “Wholetrain,” from Germany.
All Friday and Sunday films will be shown in Meese Auditorium, and Saturday films will be shown in Stevenson Union. All films will have subtitles.