“The Secret in Their Eyes” tells the story of an unsolved murder, a haunted novelist, a lost lover, and the “secrets” that lie beneath the surface of the troubled man and the mysterious murder are gradually released.
Screening Wednesday, March 30 in the Joseph Bryan Jr. Auditorium, “The Secret in Their Eyes” is a 2009 film from Argentina and the winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as being one of the five films screened in this year’s annual International Film Series, which kicked off Thursday, March 17.
“As many of the current events show, we cannot afford to be oblivious of what is going on in the world; the local is increasingly enmeshed with the global,” said Hiroko Hirakawa, associate professor of foreign languages and host of the series in an email interview.
The countries featured in this series are Japan, Germany, Egypt, Nigeria, and Argentina, each representing a unique culture and portrayal of life from all over the globe.
“Having curiosity about how people from other parts of the world live, feel, eat, think, fight, love, etc. is a good start for promoting global awareness, and I believe our film series’ have helped stimulating such curiosity,” Hirakawa said.
This curiosity reflected in the student body is what has made this annual series such a hit, along with the series’ power to celebrate the student body’s diversity and cultural pride.
“For me, as an International Studies and German major, the international film series has been very influential in my education,” said Janet MacDonald, a former (and, likely, future) attendee of the film series and student of international interests. “One can see how it exemplifies different cultures and how the respective cultures affect the art of film-making.”
After all, when else would a funeral attendant, dancer, king, criminal investigator, and playwright have anything in common, other than all being part of the mix of significant characters portrayed within this year’s collection of international films.
“(International films) are a great way of seeing what other countries find socially important and relevant to reflect in film, as well as giving a glimpse of how life can be around the world,” said sophomore Richard Dyer. “It isn’t foreign language, but some Mike Leigh films show life in England for struggling members of the lower class, and has really opened my eyes to a new culture.”
With the last free screening on March 30 at 7 p.m., everyone should take the opportunity to come by, grab a cookie, and experience being enveloped in the grasp of a total cultural immersion, without having to leave your seat.