Dear CineCulture Supporters,

I’m thrilled to share that CineCulture is bringing many exciting new films to our community this coming Spring semester at the Peters Educational Center Auditorium (West of Save Mart Center in the Student Recreation Center Building). I will post announcements via email and on the CineCulture website (https://cineculture.csufresno.edu/). If you’d like to subscribe to the CineCulture listserv to receive weekly announcements, email me at mhusain@csufresno.edu.

All screenings are free of charge and open to the public. Parking enforcement is suspended after 4 p.m. on Fridays.

I hope you enjoy the films and can join us for the in-person film screenings and discussions on Fridays! 

** Due to film running times, February 13 and March 13 films will begin at 5:15 p.m.**

Dr. Mary Husain

CINECULTURE LINEUP: SPRING 2026

January 23: Beate (2018)

Discussant: Dr. Andrea Polegato

Partially inspired by several true stories, the comedy Beate, by Italian film director Samad Zarmandili, is a modern social fairytale set in Northeastern Italy. When the employees of the Veronica lingerie factory discover they are about to be fired, they take matters into their own hands and “borrow” equipment to produce their own garment line. Led by plucky forewoman, Armida (Donatella Finocchiaro, Angela, Terraferma, The Wedding Director), they are determined to overcome the odds and make their business a success despite their lack of resources. Nearby, in the “Convent of the Holy Mantle”, a handful of nuns skilled in the art of embroidery and devoted to a mummified body of a “blessed one”, are in danger of being transferred because they do not have enough money to secure the property, while the unscrupulous and greedy mayor – also the owner of the Veronica factory – wants to develop a luxury resort where this convent resides. Together, to oppose their unfortunate turns, they join forces for a surprising collaboration: an artisanal line of sexy embroidered lingerie. They soon come under attack from the owner of Veronica, the developer, and the convent’s Mother Superior, from whom the operation had to be kept secret.  However, for things to go in the right direction, they must all pray for a miracle from the “blessed one,” who has yet to provide proof of even one.  In Italian with English subtitles, 95 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt_9fKyY494.

January 30: O Menino Mundo (Boy and the World)(2014)

Discussant: Dr. Adán Ávalos

O Menino Mundo, Brazilian artist Alê Abreu’s Academy Award-nominated masterpiece, is a riotous explosion of music and color, a breathtakingly original and vibrant cinematic experience that depicts the wonders and struggles of the modern world as seen through the eyes of Cuca, a young boy. Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands. Entering civilization, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-like machines, with barrios of decoupage streets and shop windows, and flashing neon advertisements that illuminate the night. The story depicts a clash between village and city, handcrafted and mechanized, rich and poor – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beat on as a song. This wonderful and whimsical animation was the 2016 Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film and Best International Feature Film. In Portuguese with English subtitles. 80 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqdrwu0NvY8.

February 6: The Third Act (2025)   

Discussant: Tadashi Nakamura (Director)  

Generations of artists call director Robert A. Nakamura “The Godfather of Asian American film,” but his son, “Tad” (for Tadashi), calls him “Dad”. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement—and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson’s Disease clouds his dad’s memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his dad’s story—and in the process discovers his own. Father and son have made films together, with Robert always by Tad’s side. The Third Act is most likely the last. In English and Japanese subtitles, 93 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYIuM5Y8E7c.

**February 13: Sing Your Song (2011)

Discussant: Susanne Rostock (Director)

Directed by Susanne Rostock, Sing Your Song is an up-close look at a great American, Harry Belafonte. A patriot to the last and a champion for worldwide human rights, Belafonte is one of the truly heroic cultural and political figures of the past 60 years. Told from Harry’s point of view, the film charts his life from a boy born in New York and raised in Jamaica, who returns to Harlem in his early teens, where he discovers the “American Negro Theater” and the magic of performing. From there, the film follows Belafonte’s rise from the jazz and folk clubs of Greenwich Village and Harlem to his emergence as a star. However, even as a superstar, the life of a black man in 1960s America was far from easy, and Belafonte was confronted with the same Jim Crow laws and prejudices that every other black man, woman, and child in America was facing. Among other things, the film offers a brief glimpse into the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of an insider, someone who, despite his high profile, was not afraid to spend time in the trenches. From Harlem to Mississippi to Africa and South Central Los Angeles, Sing Your Song takes us on a journey through Harry Belafonte’s life, work, and, above all, his conscience, inspiring us all to take action. 144 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bic97j6q5fo.

February 20: Kipkemboi (The Wall Street Boy) (2023)

Discussant: Charles Uwagbai (Director) 

Kipkemboi, by Kenyan-Canadian director Charles Uwagbai, tells the story of a young math genius from rural Kenya who uses his understanding of patterns in nature to develop a successful stock market algorithm. His remarkable success from a makeshift setup in his village draws attention from international financiers and local authorities, forcing him and his girlfriend, Chepchirchir, to flee. This fictional thriller drama explores themes of innovation, resourcefulness, and the clash between tradition and modernity. It serves as a valuable educational resource, prompting discussions on financial literacy, ethics in global finance, and the socio-economic dynamics of contemporary Africa.  90 minutes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/961782323.

February 27: One Person One Vote (2024)

Discussant: Maxima Juson (Director)

From Director Maximina Juson comes the feature-length documentary One Person, One Vote? This fascinating film pulls the curtain back on the Electoral College– exploring the unique and opaque system by which America elects its highest official– through the eyes of four dynamic electors from different parties (a Republican, a Democrat, a Green Party, and a Kanye West elector) whose motivations range from the noble to the absurd. 78 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clK1apPXd_0.

March 6: Sima’s Song (2024)

Discussant: Roya Sadat (Director) & Aziz Dildar (Actor/Writer)  

Afghanistan in 1972 is a cauldron of opposing political forces. Suraya, part of an influential political family, becomes head of the dominant Communist Party’s women’s organization, believing it is the best hope for equal rights. Her friend Sima is skeptical of all politics and, as a talented musician, is dedicated to her traditional art and its romantic themes. Despite their differences, these two young women remain best friends throughout their university years. When the army starts arresting activists, Suraya helps her friends escape to the mountains and the protection of the mujahideen, but war follows them. Directed by Roya Sadat, the first woman director in post-Taliban Afghanistan, the film is a testament to the courage and loyalty of Afghan women in the face of constant adversity. In Farsi Dari with English subtitles.  98 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gp53BXg2GU.

**March 13: Trifole (2024)

Discussant: Dr. Andrea Polegato

In Italy’s Piedmont region, the rare white truffle hides deep in the forests around Alba. Igor, an aging truffle hunter, faces failing health and vanishing woodlands while struggling to keep pace with the modern truffle market. Into his quiet, tradition-bound world comes Dalia, his 28-year-old granddaughter from London, disconnected from her roots and searching for direction. Tasked with caring for him, their awkward reunion softens as she is drawn into his passion for truffle hunting—and his world. When an accounting oversight threatens Igor’s home, Dalia embarks on a quest to find a legendary “lightning-struck” truffle that could save everything. Guided by Igor’s notes and his faithful dog, Birba, she ventures into a magical forest, confronting rival hunters, unexpected danger, and her own awakening sense of purpose. Set against the earthly beauty of Piedmont’s autumn woods and the delirium of Alba’s centuries-old truffle fair, Trifole, by Italian Gabriele Fabbro, is a fantastical and profound adventure about family, tradition, and finding one’s place in the world. In English and Italian with English subtitles. 101 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r9zPoCuPsA.

March 20: To be announced

Discussant:

March 27: To be announced

Discussant:

SPRING BREAK March 30 – April 3

April 10: To be announced

April 17: Trains (Pociagi) (2024)

Discussant: Maciej Drygas (Director) & Vita Zelakeviciute (Producer)

Trains, by Polish director Maciej Drygas, is a deeply personal and contemplative journey through the twentieth century, composed entirely of archival film footage. In this wordless film, full of beauty and bitterness, the excitement of adventure becomes a curse, and tears of joy mingle with the pain of despair. 81 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKE_vFk5xRc.

April 24: To be announced

Discussant: