Foreign films, according to Roslyn Modzelewski, span not only cultural differences, but similarities.
"I'm often struck, when I see a foreign movie, by how much I have in common with people from other parts of the world, whose life experiences are probably quite different from mine," she said. "In a movie I saw a few years ago, 'Beirut,' they (the characters) were being barraged, fearing for their lives and the safety of their families. Yet they were concerned with getting dinner ready. You've got to live even among chaos."
The subtitles will crawl across the screen at Northwest Plaza Cinemas Sunday, when the sixth annual Friends of Muncie Public Library Foreign Film Festival resumes with a screening of Senegal's "Faat Kine."
Organizers hope to give audiences a greater appreciation for the outside world. The event, co-sponsored by Indiana Public Radio and Kerasotes Theatres, features a film from a different country each month until May. The festival kicked off earlier this month with "No Man's Land," a commentary on the absurdity of war set during the Bosnian conflict.
"In the case of our first film, which dealt with the tragedy happening in a war-torn country, we were reminded that since our own nation is considering going to war, that maybe we ought to consider the consequences a little more," organizer Wanda Resler said.
"It's easy to go to war against a faceless, nameless people," Modzelewski, also an organizer, added. "It's more difficult to go to war against real people. One way to understand them is through film."
Modzelewski believes the festival reflects an increased American interest in foreign cinema. In recent years such movies as "Life is Beautiful" from Italy, "Run Lola Run" from Germany and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" from Mexico have generated widespread word-of-mouth, garnering respectable grosses. China's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which earned more than $130 million in 2001, reigns as the king of foreign cinema.
"We live in a more global society than ever before," Modzelewski said. "There used to be a clear distinction between people who liked mainstream film and those who liked foreign films. That line is blurring and people are now more comfortable crossing over."
The language barrier and the resulting subtitles have long been the common grumble among those who refuse to watch foreign movies.
"What I believe, based on my own personal experiences, is that the first time you see a subtitled film it is probably going to be a distraction," Modzelewski said. "But eventually, I don't want to say that you ever stop noticing them, but they stop bothering you."
The sights, some say, are just as important as the sounds.
"Subtitles are a problem, but the movies are a visual experience as much as a verbal one," said Ball State professor Chris Shea, who has taught courses on European film in the past. "Some silent films are worth seeing, even though you can't hear the words at all. I'd say relax and get into the visuals."
Next weekend's film "Faat Kine" is a somewhat light-hearted feminist examination of post-colonial Africa.
"It deals with a woman (the title character) who has refused to give in to the stigma of unwed motherhood and has become successful in a male-dominated business (as a gas station operator)," Resler said. "Her own father was so enraged by the pregnancy that he attempted to kill her."
Other films in the series will include "The Road Home" from China, "Bread and Tulips" from Italy and "Monsoon Wedding" from India.
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