Cinefiles is a column by the Film Board that introduces and reviews the films showed by the Wesleyan Film Series each week.
It’s been a HOT week (for New England). With these high temperatures day after day, we could not be more ready for sweater weather. If you are feeling overheated in your residence, you should consider heading over to the Goldsmith Family Cinema for the Wesleyan Film Series. Cool off and enjoy a movie with your fellow students. By the time you get back to your room, hopefully the temperature will have dropped!
This week, we have a great selection of films in store for you all. We are kicking off the Hispanic Film Series with “Utama” (2022), a compelling film set in the Bolivian highlands. For our Thursday-night screening, we have Gregg Araki’s gritty “The Doom Generation” (1995), followed by the whimsical “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) playing on Friday. Finally, we plan to end the week with the hilarious “3 Idiots” (2008).
c/o Film Board
“UTAMA”
- Bolivia. Dir. Alejandro Loayza Grisi. With José Calcina, Luisa Quispe. 87 min.
Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. Free.
This film paints an intimate portrait of a world threatened by rising temperatures. In the film, an elderly Quechua couple in the hot and dry highlands of Bolivia must decide whether to live their traditional way of life or leave their home for the city. Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s first feature film explores the effects of climate change, the struggle of migration, and how these problems contribute to a loss of culture and language. The film received critical acclaim and won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at The Sundance Film Festival in 2022.
You can find the trailer on YouTube.
c/o Film Board
“THE DOOM GENERATION”
- United States. Dir. Gregg Araki. With James Duval, Rose McGowan. 83 min.
Thursday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. Free.
This film calls itself “A Heterosexual Movie By Gregg Araki,” but this is debated by Letterboxd reviewers. Araki is a renowned filmmaker known for his explicit, queer, and unapologetic cult classic films. “Doom Generation” follows a threesome on the run as they get into all sorts of violence and sexually charged situations. It’s horny and morbid and completely original. It’s a chaotic, wild ride that you won’t want to miss.
You can find the trailer on YouTube.
c/o Film Board
“KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE”
- Japan. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Animation. 103 min.
Friday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. $5.
Hayao Miyazaki’s classic coming-of-age tale, “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” is just as magical as ever. The animated film is a wholesome tale of a witch who starts her own delivery service in a new town. Joe Hisaishi’s score is nostalgic and cheerful, it will transport you into the film’s whimsical world. What we love most about this film is how relevant it feels to the new adult. You move to an unfamiliar place, have to deal with being independent for the first time, can barely afford groceries, and your work drains all your creative energy. When adulting is getting you down, this movie reminds us that our inspiration can be restored.
You can find the trailer on YouTube.
c/o Film Board
“3 IDIOTS”
- India. Dir. Rajkumar Hirani. With Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor. 171 min.
Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. Free.
A modern classic of Indian cinema, “3 Idiots” is a rollercoaster journey that will take you through all the ups and downs of college life. The film follows two buddies on a road trip to find their old college best friend who disappeared after graduation. It’s funny and uplifting, and it is also a critique of an education system that values scores over learning and the well-being of its students. If you haven’t watched a Bollywood film before, if this is an old favorite for you, if you hate homework, if you love your college friends, if you love to laugh, if you love to cry, if you love movies, you should definitely be at the Goldsmith Cinema this weekend.
You can find the trailer on YouTube. (Put on Closed Captions for English subtitles.)
Nyahera Santeliz can be reached at nsanteliz@wesleyan.edu.