CineCulture: In-Person Film Screenings

Dear CineCulture Supporters,

I’m thrilled to share that CineCulture is bringing many exciting new films to our community this coming Fall 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 is not enforced after 4 p.m., on Fridays.

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

** Due to film running times  September 5 & October 31 films will begin at 5:15 p.m.**

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CINECULTURE LINEUP: FALL 2025 

August 29:  I’ll Meet You There (2020)

Discussant: Iram Parveen Bilal (Director)

Directed by Pakistani-American filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal, I’ll Meet You There thoughtfully explores the challenges faced by three generations of Pakistani-Americans. At a heightened security time, Majeed, a Muslim cop in Chicago, is forced to question where his loyalties truly lie when his estranged father Baba, a very pious Muslim, unexpectedly visits from Pakistan. Meanwhile, Dua, Majeed’s daughter, is forced to pirouette between her passion for dance and her Pakistani roots. In Urdu and English with English subtitles. 90 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIAFO0nW7_U

September 5: Waves (2024)

Discussant: To be announced

**Film Screening will begin at 5:15p.m.**

Waves, by Czech director Jiří Mádl, is a 2024 historical thriller set during the Prague Spring and subsequent Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia led by the Soviet Union (January-August 1968). The story revolves around the International Editorial Office of the Czechoslovak Radio staffed by courageous journalists under the leadership of Milan Weiner who has since become a journalistic icon. Young Tomáš works amongst them, though it is his brother’s dream job. His main concern is keeping them both safe. He has no idea that State Security is watching the Editorial Office. Their broadcasting of uncensored and compromising information could change history. Will Tomáš go down in history as a hero alongside his fellow journalists or will he choose to protect his younger brother, the last remaining member of his family? This dramatic film won numerous awards in the Czech Republic as well as at many International Film Festivals in Miami, Palm Springs, Slovakia and India, to name just a few. In Czech with English subtitles. 131 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxSeWimkAOI

September 12: The Marching Band (En fanfare) (2024)

Discussant: Dr. Rose Marie Kuhn

The Marching Band, by French director Emmanuel Courcol, tells the story of Thibaut Desormeaux, a world-renown Parisian conductor who learns that he has leukemia and urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. His search for a possible donor within his family leads him to discover that he is adopted. There might be a potential donor: a brother named Jimmy Lecocq, also an adoptee, who lives in northern France, works as a modest school cafeteria employee and plays the trombone in a small municipal band. Everything seems to set the two brothers apart, except for their love of music. Will Jimmy accept to be a donor for his newfound brother Thibaut? And, if so, how could Thibaut possibly thank Jimmy for his generosity? The Marching Band premiered in May 2024 at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. This bittersweet film will touch your heart as it did at the many festivals where it received the Audience Award:  the International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain, the Cinemania Festival of Francophone films in Montreal, Canada, the International Festival of Francophone Films in Namur, Belgium, and the American French Film Festival in LA. In French with English Subtitles.  103 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC3-L4XlKZI

September 19: There Was, There Was Not (2024)

Discussant: Emily Mkrtichian (Director)

Directed by Armenian filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian, There Was, There Was Not, uses visual metaphor and transformative art to explore the female dreams and desires that persist in the face of war, trauma and inequality. The film explores the inner lives of four women living in Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed conflict zone between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are invited into each woman’s world through the eyes and ears of Sarko, a young female artist who is painting their portraits. In their everyday lives, each woman tries to rebuild their war-torn home and work towards peace and equality. However, Sarko is interested in more than their work and daily struggles—in order to represent each woman as they see themselves, she is exploring their imaginations, desires, innermost thoughts and dreams. This film was FIPRESCI Prize winner bestowed by the International Federation of Film Critics, and received a Golden Apricot at the International Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia. In Armenian with English subtitles. 94 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoA6koTJF4

Sponsor: Armenian Studies Program

September 26: Porcelain War (2024)

Discussant: Brendan Bellomo (Director)

Porcelain War, by American director Brendan Bellomo and Ukrainian co-director and artist Slava Leontyev, follows three artists who defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country, amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, the artists, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov, choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, while Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future on tiny porcelain figurines. Winner of the 2024 Sundance Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary and shortlisted Academy Award, 2025, for Best Documentary. In Ukrainian and Russian with English subtitles. 87 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPxIHYUXeEk

October 3:  Bitterroot (2024)

Discussants: Dr. Kao-Ly Yang & Wa Yang (Lead Actor)

Bitterroot, by director Vera Brunner-Sung, takes place in western Montana where recently divorced Lue keeps to a steady and quiet routine: his maintenance job, working at his family stand at the local farmers market, fly-fishing on the river and midnight outings for karaoke at the local bar. He lives with his widowed mother, Song, whose efforts to find him another wife are unwelcome and increasingly difficult to avoid. Song worries that she cannot get through to him, seeking guidance from ancestors. The order that Lue clings to begins to crumble when he is suddenly laid off. He hides the truth from Song and scrambles to find work, but she senses something is wrong. She consults her shaman for help, but Lue only pulls further away. Soon he discovers that the spirit world may still have influence over his life—and he must face the buried pain that destroyed his marriage. 2024 Winner of a Special Jury Mention at the Tribeca Film Festival. In Hmong and English with English subtitles. 85 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce2bcwHDEvw

Sponsor: Hmong Studies Program

October 10: The Librarians (2025)

Discussants: Michelle Gordon Hartman (Sacramento Public Library), Ginny Barnes (Fresno State Library), Sarah McDanial (Fresno State Library)

As an unprecedented wave of book banning largely addressing race and LGBTQIA+ issues is sparked in Texas, Florida and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. In his film The Librarians, director Kim A. Snyder takes us to an unexpected front line where librarians emerge as first responders in the fight for democracy, free access to information, and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities. In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories—triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of White Christian Nationalism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats and laws aimed at criminalizing their work—the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale. 88 minutes.

Sponsor: Fresno State Library

October 17: Pol Pot Dancing (2024)

Discussant: Enrique Sánchez Lansch (Director)

Pol Pot Dancing, by Spanish-German director Enrique Sánchez Lansch, tells the story of Chea Samy, a famed Cambodian dancer. Years later, she learned that the brother-in-law she had raised became Pol Pot, the infamous Khmer Rouge dictator who is widely believed to be one of the most brutal despot in modern history and whose administration oversaw a genocide in Cambodia (1975-79). After surviving forced labor under his regime, she returned to the capital Phnom Penh to teach, preserving traditional dance. Her student, Sophiline Cheam, now a successful choreographer, explores Cambodia’s history, including Pol Pot’s hidden link to classical dance. In Khmer and English with English subtitles. 101 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8X2JLfHkkQ

October 24: Armenian Short Films

Discussants: To be announced

The Land of Sun: Directed by Ruby Mardirossian

Even though Shamshadin means “The Land of Sun,” fog is consistently visiting this small region on the border of Armenia, and yet its villagers continue to be as solid as its mountains and as bright as its sun. In Armenian with English subtitles, 11:23 minutes.

Wooden Doll: Directed by Nune Apresyan

This film is about a little boy who does not recognize his father, who has returned from the war with an unrecognizable face. In Armenian with English subtitles, 9:57 minutes.

Evie: Directed by Arpiné Stepanyan

Evie follows a 19-year-old girl caught between two worlds, the traditions of her Armenian family and the modern outlook of her French surroundings. On the surface, her life seems perfect: she has a loving family, a boyfriend, and close friends. Yet beneath this harmony lies a constant tension – the struggle to belong fully to either culture without losing herself. As the story unfolds, Evie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, questioning her identity and seeking balance between the two parts of her world. In French and Armenian with English subtitles, 21:36 minutes.

Closer In Strife: Directed by Alec Nikoghossian

The distant relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild is momentarily disrupted after an unforeseen devastation occurs in the city of Beirut. This film is dedicated to two of the director’s late grandparents. Every piece of dialogue stems from their words, from his personal interactions with them growing up; the space was designed to look the same as their homes, to evoke the same warmth. In a sense, a part of this project is a nostalgic portrait to preserve some of their family culture and moments together. The story takes place moments before and after the occurrence of the Port Explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on the 4th of August, 2020 – a tragedy which directly affected my grandparents and the Lebanese people, claiming hundreds of lives, injuring thousands, and displacing hundreds of thousands. Five years have passed, yet we await any sort of justice for all its victims. “Closer in Strife” acknowledges how moments of crisis can sometimes bring us closer together, even if briefly. In Armenian with English subtitles, 10 minutes.

Time Out: Directed by Lilit Babayan

After being laid off from the university, 70-year-old linguist Artashes Aghababyan realizes that he has devoted his entire life to words, but not to real people. As his books become his only companions, he begins to search for what he has never experienced. In Armenian with English subtitles, 17:36 minutes.

Oudenk (Let’s Eat): Directed by Minna Abalian

This film is a love letter to family, food, and my Armenian heritage. What began as an animated dictionary of traditional Armenian food became a personal film dedicated to my beloved grandfather who passed during the middle of production and was the cornerstone of my family. The film evolved into a mixed media experimental documentary of what food means to me and how it has connected my family and culture across generations. Despite my grief, sorting through hours of nostalgic home videos, countless photo albums and more, allowed me to heal through the creative process when it came time to piece everything together. Since its premiere, I have heard warm receptions of the film from those with similar cultures and I hope that it continues to resonate with those that honor food as a powerful pillar of their ancestry and traditions. No dialogue, 3:56 minutes.

Sponsors: Armenian Studies Program, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Greater Fresno Chapter, and AGBU Arts’ Armenians in Film Series.

*October 31: A World Apart (Un Mondo A Parte) (2024)  

Discussant: Dr. Andrea Polegato, Associate Professor of Italian

**Film Screening will begin at 5:15p.m.**

A World Apart, a comedyby Italian film and television director Riccardo Milani, tells the story of teacher Michele Cortese’s new life. He transfers from Rome to a tiny school in the Abruzzo, a region of Central Italy, whose western border lies 50 miles east of Rome. Used to an urban school, he struggles to fit in at first, but, with the help of vice principal Agnese and his savvy students, he learns to love his new rural life. Unfortunately, there are not enough students to keep the school open. What will happen to the school, its students and teachers? Will they succeed in keeping their school open? You will enjoy this touching and charming comedy with its beautiful photography and wonderful music and, above all, you will want to root for its engaging characters and their struggles. In 2024, A World Apart won two Nastro d’Agento Awards bestowed by the Italian National Union of Film Journals for Best Comedy Film and Best Actress in a Comedy Film. Riccardo Milani received the Filming Italy Venice Award for Best Comedy Director. In Italian with English Subtitles.  112 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbo2x38myyw

November 7: Souleymane’s Story (L’histoire de Souleymane) (2024)

Discussant: Dr. Rose Marie Kuhn

Souleymane’s Story,by French director Boris Lojkine, follows Souleymane, a recent immigrant from Guinea-Conakry, as he rides through the streets of Paris delivering meals on his e-bike. In two days, he is due for his asylum interview with OFRA, the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons. He is coached by a fellow Guinean immigrant who seems to prepare him for a successful application by having him tell a false story of political persecution in their native county. If Souleymane’s application is approved, he would be able to stay in France and get a working permit. Is he ready for this important interview? Will he be successful in this quest and receive his official papers? This touching film shows the many struggles paperless immigrants experience dealing not only with governmental bureaucracy but also with their fellow Africans who might take advantage of them. Souleymane’s Storyhad its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival where it won three awards: the Jury Prize, the Performance Prize as well as the FIPRESCI Prize from the International Federation of Film Critics. Additionally, it received many other awards, among them: four Césars, the national film awards of France, for Best Supporting Actress, Best Male Revelation, Best Original Screen Play and Best Editing. In French, Fula and Mandika with English Subtitles.  93 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLGSMm9x9E0

November 14: Songs of Slow Burning (2024)

Discussant: Olha Zhurba (Director)

Songs of Slow Burning Earth, by Ukrainian director Olha Zhurba, follows the lives of Ukrainians during the first two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The film captures the everyday resilience and deep personal losses of a country living through war. Through intimate scenes with civilians, children, and aid workers, it reveals how ordinary people endure extraordinary circumstances in the shadow of ongoing violence. The film was awarded Best Film at the 11th Riga International Film Festival in Riga, Latvia, and at the 22nd Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana.  It also won the Jury Award for Best Film at the 27th One World International Human Rights Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. In Ukrainian and Russian with English subtitles. 95 minutes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1089342182

November 21: Murder My Sweet (1944)

Discussant: Dr. Ed EmanuEl

Gumshoe Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by the oafish Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki) to track down his former girlfriend. He’s also hired to accompany an effeminate playboy buy back some jewels. When the exchange results in the playboy’s murder, Marlowe can’t leave the case alone, and soon discovers it’s related to Malloy’s. As he gets drawn deeper into a complex web of intrigue by a mysterious blonde (Claire Trevor), the detective finds his own life in increasing jeopardy. 95 minutes. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdJ5uV8CYAY

NOVEMBER 24-28 THANKSGIVING BREAK