We start the Spring film series with one of the most influential movies about World War I. All Quiet on the Western Front is the story of a group of friends who join the Army during World War I and are assigned to the Western Front, where their fiery patriotism is quickly turned to horror and misery by the harsh realities of combat. The movie is based on a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, German author and a veteran of World War I. The film is directed by Lewis Milestone and won Oscars for Best Picture and for Milestone’s direction. Steve Hunt will present and lead a discussion after the movie.

We would discuss the 17th century artist Artemisia Gentileschi’s choice of subjects in relation to the events occurring in her life. Resulting in one of the first trials for sexual assault in Italian history, Artemisia was raped by her artistic tutor. We would discuss how her subsequent works may reveal a kind of ritualistic, therapeutic healing process based on her choices of subject matter.

Presented by Rebecca Howard of the History of Art Department at The Ohio State University.

“A Dry White Season” tells the story of Ben du Toit, a Caucasian South African and a schoolteacher who always has considered himself a man of caring and justice. During the turmoil of 1980s the Government arrests tens of thousands of black residents.. One of them, Jonathan, the son of Ben’s Gardener, is arrested and is subsequently killed. This sudden death arouses his suspicions, he decides to probe into this matter to ensure that justice is done. What happens next tests Ben’s beliefs and faith. 1989 107 R

Hauntingly beautiful folk music and stunning Appalachian scenery take center stage in “Songcatcher,” winner of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for outstanding ensemble performance. After being denied a promotion at the university where she teaches, Doctor Lily Penleric, a brilliant musicologist, impulsively visits her sister, who runs a struggling rural school in Appalachia.

“Like Water for Chocolate” is a 1992 film in the style of magical realism based on the popular novel, published in 1989 by first-time Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel. The screen play is also by Esquivel. The movie earned all 11 Ariel awards of the Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures, including the Ariel Award for Best Picture, and became the highest grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the United States at the time.