This is a sad time of year for the film community. Every day, it gets a little bit harder to entice people indoors, because every day is just a little bit more beautiful than the one before. Why the hell would anybody want to sacrifice this weather to go watch a stupid flickering screen? I’ve been trying to come up with reasons, and all I can think of only two: A) the Goldsmith Family Cinema offers the finest in air conditioning technology B) everybody is more attractive in the dark.

The films, however, are the best reasons to get up from Foss Hill, put on a t-shirt, and walk on over to the Center for Film Studies. We are on the home stretch, and this week is fantastic. There is no excuse not to go to every single screening. There is also a very special event this coming Tuesday night. We are showing the first feature film from Jeiho Lee, a Wes alum from the mid 1990’s. What film? Read on.

“Volver”
(Spain, D: Pedro Almodóvar, 2006)
Friday, April 27, 8 p.m. $4

Some directors slave for their art. Some directors push their actors to absurd levels to elicit great performances. In “Volver,” Pedro Almodóvar puts a pillow in Penelope Cruz’s butt, and Penelope Cruz is nominated for an Oscar. There is more to “Volver” than the ample amount of screen space taken up by Cruz’s accentuated tuckus, and although I would like to linger on Cruz’s posterior, I must also talk about this incredible film. “Volver” is a quiet ghost story, a murder mystery with a narrative logic based on the intertwining relationships between generations of women. Like many of Almodóvar’s films it is a modern women’s picture with roots in the tropes and colors of classical Hollywood melodrama. It is definitely one of the best films of 2006, and we are thrilled to have it here for you.

“Murderers Are Among Us”
(Germany, D: Wolfgang Staudte, 1946)
Saturday, April 28, 8 p.m. Free!

This was the first German film made after World War II. I probably shouldn’t have to say more, but this film is completely unlike anything seen thus far in the Film Series. It was shot on location amongst the rubble of post WWII Germany, and is both a strong visual historical document and a fiction film. The film is about the people of Berlin trying to figure out what their futures will hold, amidst the consequences piled up all around them. We have a 35mm print, which we fought hard to procure, and we are excited to be able to show this little known, exceedingly important film. If there’s one post World War II Berlin reconstruction film that you see this week, make it this one.

SPECIAL EVENT
“The Air I Breathe”
(USA, D: Jeiho Lee, 2007)
Tuesday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. Free!

Director Jeiho Lee, and big-time producer and fellow Wes alum Paul Schiff ’81 (“PCU,” “Rushmore,” “Epic Movie”) will give a Q and A after the advance screening of “The Air I Breathe.” Not yet released, but sure to be a big film event of 2007, “The Air I Breathe” stars Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Brendan Fraser. The whole thing is apparently based on a Chinese proverb. It’s appearing at the Tribeca Film Festival, but instead of paying 18 bucks to see it in Manhattan, see it here for FREE. For more info, check out tribecafilmfestival.org.

“Letters From Iwo Jima”
(USA, D: Clint Eastwood, 2006)
Wednesday, May 2, 8 p.m. $4

Where the first half of Eastwood’s diptych on the battle of Iwo Jima, “Flags of Our Fathers,” was sprawling and unfocused, “Letters From Iwo Jima” is tight and visceral. This Japanese language film is technically an American film, making it the best foreign film ever made in the United States. Unfortunately, because of this language barrier, “Letters From Iwo Jima” did not receive as wide a release as “Flags of Our Fathers,” but it is definitely the superior picture. Clint Eastwood is on a roll. With the recent releases of “Mystic River,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and now “Flags of our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima,” he has shown a wealth of late career creativity that will definitely shine through motion picture history.

“Nights of Cabiria”
(Italy, D: Federico Fellini, 1957)
Thursday, May 3, 8 p.m. Free!

Holy shit, Giulietta Masina! If you have never seen a film with Giulietta Masina, you need to descend into a basement somewhere and watch “La Strada,” “Nights of Cabiria,” and “Juliet of the Spirits.” Luckily “Nights of Cabiria” is on the Film Series this week, so no basements are necessary. Masina was Fellini’s wife, and she is one of the finest physical actresses of all time. She has the versatility, grace, and energy of Charlie Chaplin, and she is a perfect fit for Fellini’s visual style. It is impossible not to feel an overwhelming sense of hope while watching Masina on the screen, which makes “Nights of Cabiria” an absolute joy. This is a perfect Thursday movie, which means it’s perfect for any day of the week.