Lihu‘e Public Library Film Club will present a series of foreign and art films in the next few months for public viewing and discussion, a news release states.
“We are so pleased to be able to bring these excellent art films to Kaua‘i thanks to a generous community donor and the participation of Janus Films,” says Carolyn Larson, Lihu‘e Library branch manager.
The first, a Japanese-language film with English subtitles, is the landmark 1950 film “Rashomon” directed by the renowned Akira Kurosawa and adapted from stories by Ryunosuki Akutagawa.
Set in the middle ages, the nature of truth and subjective reality are probed in a series of flashbacks from four viewpoints to present a case history of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife by a bandit. This film is not rated but due to the subject matter, this film is not recommended for children. Beautifully filmed in black and white, the film’s running time is 88 minutes.
Established in 2010, the Lihu‘e Library Film Club presents films for public viewing and discussion.
“The purpose of the film club,” says Larson, “is to bring people to the library, to promote the library collections, both book and film, and to encourage the use of the public library as a commons, a community center. More specifically we try to help people make the connection between written and filmed stories, between books and movies, and thus learn to value the creative process and the written word.”
Film historian Paul Booth helps curate the films for the club.
“Last year we put together a sort of mini-course in film genre. During the course of the year, we watched and discussed pivotal or exemplary films of many genres. It was great to provide a forum for a group of interested individuals to discuss films,” he said.
This year, in response to community requests for more foreign and art films which may not otherwise be available for viewing, the club has arranged to bring a series of landmark foreign films to the film club’s “big screen” on the large wall of the Lihu‘e Library Conference Room. Filmgoers are welcome to bring their own comfortable fold up chairs if they would like and to bring their own non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.
“Rashomon” will screen on Saturday night in the Lihu‘e Public Library Conference Room beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information call Lihu‘e Library at 241-3222. If you would like to receive email notification of upcoming films and other library activities you can sign up at the Lihu‘e Library circulation desk.
