La Nau, the University of Valencia’s center of culture, is hosting a series of films in its open air courtyard, starting on the 15th (we’re a day late!)
There are two themes being featured during the series, which runs every day through the 26th: “Vacation Time”, and “Iraq: Images of War, War of Images”.
Here’s a quick run down of the films being screened on each day. If you can read Valencian, you can get more information here. All the films are shown in Original Version, with subtitles. I think the screenings are free, but I can’t find any definitive information on that. I’ll update the post once I know for sure.
Vacation Time
Tuesday, July 15th: Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (France, 1953) – Monsieur Hulot comes to a beachside hotel for a vacation, where he accidentally (but good-naturedly) causes havoc.
Thursday, July 17th: Who Can Kill a Child? (Spain, 1976) – A couple of English tourists arrive on an island where all the children have gone crazy and are murdering the adults.
Saturday, July 19th: Kikujiro (Japan, 1999) – It’s summer and nine-year old Masao (Sekiguchi) has no one to play with. He decides to go in search of the mother he has never met. Kikujiro (Takeshi), a brash, loudmouthed and irresponsible adult, agrees to accompany him on his quest. Ultimately, the two of them end up at a destination that neither of them could have imagined.
Sunday, July 20th: August Days (Spain, 2006) – Confused after months of work searching for material to write about a time in history that a journalist had often spoken about, Marc calls his brother David and they set off on a short vacation. But Marc cannot switch off and David takes him further south, to a place where they have heard people come to from far a field in pursuit of a fish with cat-like whiskers…
Tuesday, July 22nd: The Seven Year Itch (USA, 1955) – When his family goes away for the summer, a so far faithful husband is tempted by a beautiful neighbor (Marilyn Monroe).
Thursday, July 24th: Bonjour Tristesse (USA, 1958) – In the French Riviera, the spoiled and futile seventeen years old girl Cecile (Jean Seberg) is spending the summer vacation with her father, the widow playboy and bon-vivant Raymond (David Niven), and his girlfriend Elsa (Mylène Demongeot). Cecile has a serious Complex of Oedipus with her father, and they have a quite incestuous relationship.
Saturday, July 26th: Pauline at the Beach (France, 1982) – Fifteen year old Pauline and her older cousin, model-shaped Marion, go to the emtying Atlantic coast for an autumn holiday . Marion ignores the approaches of a surfer and falls for Henri, a hedonist who is only interested in a sexual adventure and drops her soon. Pauline’s little romance with a young man (Sylvain) is also spoiled by Henri.
Iraq: Images of War, War of Images
Wednesday, July 16th: Full Battle Rattle (USA, 2008) – A film about life inside the US Army’s Iraq simulation in California’s Mojave Desert
Friday, July 18th: The War Tapes (USA, 2006) – In March 2004, just as the insurgent movement strengthened, several members of one National Guard unit arrived in Iraq, carrying digital video cameras. The War Tapes is the movie they made with Director Deborah Scranton and a team of award-winning filmmakers. It’s the first war movie filmed by soldiers themselves on the front lines in Iraq.
Monday, July 21st: Gunner Palace (USA, 2004) – American soldiers of the 2/3 Field Artillery, a group known as the “Gunners,” tell of their experiences in Baghdad during the Iraq War. Holed up in a bombed out pleasure palace built by Sadaam Hussein, the soldiers endured hostile situations some four months after President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in the country
Wednesday, July 23rd: Apuntarse a un bombardeo (Spain, 2003) – Documentary about Spanish troops inside Baghdad during the siege.
Friday, July 25th: Voices of Iraq (Iraq, 2004) – Filmed and directed by the Iraqis themselves — thousands of them, from all walks of life, all over their country. The producers, who distributed more than 150 digital video cameras across the country, condensed more than 400 hours of footage into an unprecedented, and startling, look at life in a war zone. It’s a new genre of filmmaking.