2010 International Film Festival

This year’s International Film Festival kicks off tonight, Thursday Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. with the first film, made in Spain, titled “Lo mejor de mi/The Best of Me.” This drama is about a woman who must make a decision about whether or not to donate an organ to her lover, who she hasn’t been dating for that long. This 2007 film won seven awards including Best New Actress, Marian Álvarez and Best New Director, Roser Aguilar.

Throughout the weekend there will be seven films featured here at Nebraska Wesleyan University all showing in Olin Lecture Hall A. Friday, a film from Palestine named “Slingshot Hip Hop” which is about three young women who form a hip hop group DAM. The film focuses on them making music but also facing family and neighbor ridicule

On Saturday three films will be showing starting at 2 p.m. The first hails from Austria, “Die Falscher” of “The Counterfeiters.” This film is about an actual event that occurred in 1936, where the Nazis ran the largest counterfeiting operation in history. The film follows the ring leader of this event, Sally Sorowitsch. His luck eventually runs out when he is finally arrested for his actions.

The next film, “Okuribito,” from Japan, means “Departures.” The film is about Daigo Kobayashi, whose current job as a cellist ends. Without a job, Daigo moves back to his hometown looking for work. He finds a job as a funeral professional who must prepare deceased bodies for burial. Despite his family and friends thinking poorly of his new job, Daigo finds joy in his work.

The late night show at 10 p.m. premieres the 2008 Swedish film “Lat den ratte komma in/Let the Right One In,” about Oskar, a bullied 12-year-old. This film follows Oskar as he falls in love with a strange girl, Eli. He soon faces the decision as to whether he can love Eli fully despite what she is.

On Sunday, there are two films: “Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia Curse of the Golden Flower” and “Entre les murs The Class.” Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese film about the Imperial Palace’s darkest secrets. In the French film, “The Class,” a teacher, Francois Marin and his colleagues prepare for another school year at a racially mixed inner-city high school in Paris. Each teacher has different teaching styles, but they all want to inspire their students collectively.

All films are free to the public and are subtitled in English. There will be a discussion following each showing. All films will be viewed in Olin Hall of Sciences in Lecture Hall A. If you have any questions you may contact Dr. Sara Dietzman at sdietzma@nebrwesleyan.edu.