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<\/a>by Katie Muldoon<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Perhaps you are like me right now: although I want to understand what is going on in politics, it has become so overwhelming that I want it in the background as much as possible.<\/p>\n
So when I started researching films for this summer\u2019s program, I found that there were a fair number of excellent films but way too many of them dealt with such stressful subjects as war, sexual harassment, and other politically-charged messages.\u00a0 Enough of that for now, I said to myself!<\/p>\n
Instead, I looked for something that would still offer intelligent depth of emotion but on a more thoughtful, identifiable level.\u00a0 Plus, I wanted some of those lesser-known film gems, the ones that not only have plenty of awards or other such recognitions but also have deeper personalities that reflect the country from which they originated.\u00a0 In that way, we can feel as if we are actually \u201cliving\u201d in that country, not momentarily visiting it. The six films in the course show us \u201cordinary\u201d people sharing extraordinary moments in their lives with us.<\/p>\n
These are not \u201cslick\u201d films, but well researched (two of them are based on true stories) and superbly written. There are no wasted words.\u00a0 Every word, backed by precise cinematography and concise acting, helps us understand the choices and the decisions our characters face.<\/p>\n
I found it almost always possible to identify with the stresses, excitement, fears and ongoing emotions of the very real people in a wide range of livelihoods and moments in life \u2013 Estonian farmers, rural bee-keeping teenagers, Talmudic scholars, Hong Kong pre-teens, Welsh bar folk and the others that appear in these films.\u00a0 And if I couldn\u2019t personally identify with them, I did wisely learn from them, as I suspect you will, too.<\/p>\n
Overall, these are Smart Summer Films<\/em> that allow escape, cheer, discovery, smiling, and perhaps even a bit of weeping — but no politics!<\/p>\n This film course will be held on Wednesdays, July 11, 18, 25; August 1, 8, 15, 2018 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. (1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on July 25). This summer, Katie Muldoon will present a six-week course titled \u201cBending Fate: International Films with Tales of How Ordinary People Try to Control Their Destiny\u201d at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Jupiter. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps you are like me…<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>The cost is $60 for members and $85 for non-members.
\n<\/em>To register, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"