Italian club shows free films on Tuesdays

A movie screen and a projector transform Woodburn Hall 002 from a classroom into a cinema every other Tuesday night. As the lights dim in preparation for the night's feature, a diverse but intimate group of viewers take their seats. The work of great Italian filmmakers like Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci grace the projection screen as part of Circolo Italiano's bi-weekly film screening.\nCircolo Italiano is a group devoted to celebrating the Italian language and culture through film. While movies are shown every other week, the Circolo, or circle in Italian, meets at 7 p.m. every Tuesday night. A conversation night takes place in Ballantine Hall 004 on nights when films aren't shown. The movie screenings are open to everyone. The Italian-made movies are usually shown with English subtitles, so no previous Italian experience is necessary.\n"(Circolo Italiano) is an opportunity for our students and anyone interested in speaking Italian to meet new people and establish connections," said Professor Massimo Scalabrini, the program's faculty sponsor. "Combining informal meetings with movies is a good way to get (Italian) culture to our circle. It's learning in a fun, relaxed atmosphere."\nStudents also see the benefits of attending the Circolo Italiano's film and conversation nights.\n"It's a chance to practice my Italian with native speakers and learn more about the culture," said senior Cole Varga. "Most of us grew up watching American films, and this is a chance to experience a different perspective."\nAlthough the program is sponsored by IU's French and Italian department, students and others outside of the department are welcome to attend. \n"Most of the participants are, of course, involved with the department, including members of faculty, but we have non-Italian spectators, mostly from communication and culture and comparative literature backgrounds, and even non-students attend as well," said Fabio Benincasa, an Italian Ph.D. candidate, who coordinates Circolo Italiano's film screenings. "The shows are free and the public is welcome. We don't want to confine it to Italian students."\nA new film series is chosen each semester and relates to a certain thematic subject. The subject of this semester's film series is "Images of the Past: Italian Film and History." This subject was chosen to illustrate Italy's tumultuous past. \n"Italy has a long and complex history and a complex relationship with its own historical identity," Benincasa said. "The analysis of the different moments of our history has always been a main issue for Italian filmmakers." \nTonight's feature is director Francesco Rosi's 1981 film "Tre fratelli." The film follows the lives of three estranged brothers who leave their home in southern Italy to pursue careers in northern cities, but return for their mother's funeral.\n"We have chosen this film because it is a story from the present," Benincasa said. "The characters are somewhat representative of the first generation of Italians born at the end of World War II. They live in big cities and deal with the difficult issues of modern life, but they also have a strong and contradictory connection with their roots."\n"Tre fratelli" will be shown at 7 p.m. tonight in Woodburn Hall 002. For more information, visit the Circolo Italiano Web site at www.indiana.edu/~frithome/undergrad/circolo.html.\n-- Contact staff writer Derek Smith at deresmit@indiana.edu.