CenterStage: Films

The Films of Lina Wertmüller:
The Seduction of Mimi

Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 2 PM & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Campus Center)

Italian film director Lina Wertmüller achieved international fame (and an Oscar) during the 1970s for her always controversial comedies that lambasted social mores, political structures, religion and family in Italy. Justly or unjustly, she was lionized for her visual and conceptual originality by some critics, and reviled for her alleged misogyny and barely disguised racism by others. The polarized nature of the criticism is proof of the fascination and complexity of her films.

Dr. Grace Russo Bullaro, City University of New York and author of Man in Disorder, The Cinema of Lina Wertmüller in the 1970s, will talk about Wertmüller at the 7 PM screening.

Sponsored by the Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State College

The Films of Lina Wertmüller:

Ciao, Professore

Thursday, Oct. 25 at 2 PM & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Campus Center)

Examination of Wertmüller’s controversial films and filmmaking continues with Ciao, Professore.

Sponsored by the Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State College

Tuesday, at 2 PM & 7 PM                

Ellis White Lecture Hall (Campus Center)

Have You Seen Andy?

Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 2 & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Campus Center)

Fitchburg State alumna Melanie Perkins shares her documentary, Have You Seen Andy? Growing up in the South Lawrence projects, the Memorial Pool was a haven for kids… and also the scene of the unsolved disappearance of Andy Puglisi. Filmmaker Perkins will be at the 7 PM screening.

@6:45

It’s the return of @6:45—screenings of short films by Fitchburg State Communications Media students or faculty at 6:45 PM prior to the regularly scheduled screening. We open this fascinating series with Thunder Mountain, a dirt track car racing opera by professor Bob Harris!

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Films from The Boston Jewish Film Festival:
Marti, the Passionate Eye

Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 2 & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Campus Center)

After a childhood in a London Jewish orphanage, Marti Friedlander moved to New Zealand and became one of its most illustrious photographers. She has captured stunningly fresh and iconic images of protest activities, artists, and sheep for over 40 years. The documentary follows Friedlander, now in her 70s, as she reflects back on her legacy and the people who have inspired her.

D: Horrocks; New Zealand; English; 2004; 73 min.

Curated by The Boston Jewish Film Festival with support from the Jewish Heritage Endowment

@6:45 Fitchburg State student shorts

Films from The Boston Jewish Film Festival:
Be Fruitful and Multiply

Tuesday, Mar. 11 at 2 & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Hammond Campus Center)

Director Shosh Shlam had privileged access to ultra-Orthodox women who welcomed her into their homes, talking candidly about the Torah’s commandment to “be fruitful and multiply.” From the Brooklyn mother of 16 who runs her household with the skills of a Fortune 500 CEO to the Mea Shearim doula whose small family of only six puts her on the outs in her community, the women featured are unforgettable.

D: Shlam; Israel/USA; English/Hebrew w/subtitles; 2005; 50 min.

Curated by The Boston Jewish Film Festival with support from the Jewish Heritage Endowment

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Films from The Boston Jewish Film Festival:
Lunch with Fela

Tuesday, Apr. 1 at 2 & 7 PM
Ellis White Lecture Hall (Hammond Campus Center)

Esteemed Massachusetts filmmaker Abraham Ravett’s latest documentary is a response to the passing of his mother, Fela Ravett. Here, as in earlier films about his family, Ravett explores the complexities of family history and Jewish cultural identity. By means of DV footage of Fela’s stay at a nursing facility, excerpts from 16mm films, animation sequences, and family memorabilia, the director renders the presence and absence of a beloved parent.

Filmmaker Abraham Ravett will be at the 7 PM screening.

D: Ravett; USA; English; 2005; 58 min.

Curated by The Boston Jewish Film Festival with support from the Jewish Heritage Endowment