The Lebanese drama film “Capernaum” will play 7 p.m. March 21 and 22 at the IU Cinema.
The movie follows the story of a 12-year-old boy who sues his parents for giving birth to him in the midst of poverty. The film captures a series of obstacles the boy encounters before and during the trial.
“The film is a humanist look at kids trying to make good decisions while living on their own in the slums of Beirut,” IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said.
“Capernaum” premiered in May 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival where it was chosen for the festival’s coveted Jury Prize. It was also a nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.
This film is a part of the International Arthouse Series at the Cinema, which screens independent, documentary and foreign language films from around the world. This series has been in place since 2010.
Vickers said in order for the IU Cinema to be a relevant arthouse cinema, it needs to show current films in this series.
Therefore, he and Brittany Friesner, associate director for the cinema, attend film festivals, watch screeners from distributors and read about films in production in order select about 12 to 20 new and diverse films to bring back to Bloomington each semester.
“One of our foundational goals was to become Bloomington’s arthouse cinema,” Vickers said. “The series helps identify this part of our program among all of the other things we are doing in our robust, collaborative, complicated, and diverse schedule.”
Some of the films already screened for the spring 2019 installment of the International Arthouse Series include “The Wild Pear Tree” and “Shoplifters.” The next film to be screened on 4 p.m. March 24 is “Fly Me to the Moon.”
“Capernaum” was selected for the series because it is enjoyed by critics and audiences alike, Vickers said.
“It is an unforgettable film that is touching and heartbreaking – but with occasional moments of comedic relief,” Vickers said. “It is a film absolutely worth taking a chance on.”
Tickets for the screening are $4 for students and $7 for general admission and can be purchased online or at the door.
