2015


THE MULBERRY HOUSE
THE MULBERRY HOUSE

2015  Middle Eastern Studies  Women's Studies  Family Relations  The Arab Spring  Directed by Women 

Arriving at the heart of an emerging revolution after living abroad for ten years, a young female filmmaker redefines her place in Yemeni society, as well as her relationships with her father and grandfather. In a unique examination of the uprisings in Yemen, The Mulberry House shifts the focus from events on the streets to the impact of the revolution on the lives of one family. An incredibly moving and intimate story by the director of Academy Award nominated Karama Has No Walls.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST
JOURNEY TO THE WEST

2015  Cinema Studies  Narrative Films  Religion & Spirituality 

An immersive and transporting experience directed by Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang (Stray Dogs), Journey to the West focuses on the figure of the Walker, a character loosely based on the life of Xuanzang, a seventh-century Buddhist monk who painstakingly traversed Asia for seventeen years in search of "the void."

FROM IRAN: A SEPARATION
FROM IRAN: A SEPARATION

2015  Cinema Studies  Middle Eastern Studies  Media Studies  Cultural Studies  Directed by Women 

A gripping and moving story that illustrates the impact cosmopolitan recognition has on an isolated population, From Iran: A Separation details the reception of the speech Asghar Farhadi (About Elly) gave when his film A Separation won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

COUNTING
COUNTING

2015  Cinema Studies  New York City  Russia  Urban Studies 

In fifteen linked chapters shot in locations ranging from Moscow to New York to Istanbul, Counting merges city symphony, diary film, and personal/political essay to create a vivid portrait of contemporary life.

PRINCESS OF FRANCE (narrative)
PRINCESS OF FRANCE (narrative)

2015  Narrative Films  Cinema Studies  Spanish Language 

Victor returns to Buenos Aires after his father’s death and a stay in Mexico to prepare a radio production of "Love’s Labour’s Lost." Reuniting with his repertory, he finds himself sorting out complicated entanglements with girlfriend Paula, sometime lover Ana, and departed actress Natalia, as well as his muddled relations with the constellation of friends involved with the project.

HORSE MONEY (narrative)
HORSE MONEY (narrative)

2015  Narrative Films  Cinema Studies  Europe 

A visionary masterwork from the renowned director of Colossal Youth, Pedro Costa’s Horse Money is a mesmerizing odyssey into the real, imagined and nightmarish memories of the elderly Ventura, a Cape Verdean immigrant living in Lisbon.

ABOUT ELLY (narrative)
ABOUT ELLY (narrative)

2015  Narrative Films  Middle Eastern Studies  Cinema Studies 

With the return of their friend Ahmad from Germany, a group of old college pals (two married couples and a brother and sister, along with three young kids) decide to reunite for a weekend outing by the Caspian Sea. The fun starts right away as they quickly catch on to the plan of lively Sepideh, who has brought along Elly, her daughter’s kindergarten teacher, in hopes of setting her up with recently divorced Ahmad.

JAUJA (narrative)
JAUJA (narrative)

2015  Narrative Films  Cinema Studies 

Jauja is the story of a man’s desperate search for his daughter, a solitary quest that takes him to a place beyond time, where the past vanishes and the future has no meaning.

VIVA LA LIBERTA
VIVA LA LIBERTA

2015  Narrative Films  Europe  Business  Political Science 

In this chilling story about world politics, the great Toni Servillo (THE GREAT BEAUTY) defies expectations playing two roles, imbuing each character with brilliant nuance. In the first, he personifies political failure in the role of the disgraced ideologue and party leader, Enrico Oliveri. In the second, he embodies the shrewd genius of a madman as Oliveri’s unhinged twin brother who seizes control of the nation amidst the void of his brother’s disappearance.

DRESSING AMERICA: tales from the garment center
DRESSING AMERICA: tales from the garment center

American Studies  Art History  Jewish Studies  New York City  2015  Business  Pacific Street Films 

A captivating documentary that depicts the history of New York’s garment center, Dressing America explores how this business grew from humble beginnings into an industry that’s dressed America.

THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE
THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE

Psychology & Psychiatry  American Studies  African-American Studies  Women's Studies  Criminal & Law  2015 

A sensational portrait of a rebel who defied society’s prejudices and pinched her own version of the American Dream, The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne relates the fascinating story of how a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated West Virginia became the world’s most notorious jewel thief.

JOANNA
JOANNA

Eastern Europe  Family Relations  Health  Death & Dying  Women's Studies  2015  Academy Award Winners & Nominees  Short Films  Medicine  Directed by Women 

2015 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Short Subject, Joanna is a tender and heartbreaking portrait of a young wife and mother facing terminal cancer who, wishing to leave something behind for her eight-year-old son, begins writing an online journal that resonates with and becomes embraced by millions of devoted readers.

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