International Film Festival presents “A Separation”
The International Film Festival presented the 2012 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, “A Separation”, at Saddleback on Thursday.
“A Separation” is a dramatic film that follows a middle-class Iranian couple, Nader and Simin, after they decide to separate. With their struggles within fixing their relationship, taking care of their Alzheimer’s suffering grandfather, trying to keep their daughter, Termeh, safe, and a conflict with another Iranian family, Nader and Simin’s future seems grim.
“Its a very different style of story telling. It made use of silence,” IVC student Olivia Baim said.
“I came in with an open mind,” Saddleback student Sydney Murai said. “Parts were boring because it was long, but the ending hooked me in. It was different. Out of the box. Not traditional.”
The film not only won an Oscar, but received many other awards including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Picture by the Grand Jury Prize, Best Actor and Best Actress by the Berlin International Film Festival, and many more.
“It’s a universal film that doesn’t just deal with Iranian issues. It has to do with loyalty,” said Spanish Instructor Carmenmara Hernandez-Bravo on why she chose to screen “A Separation”.
“What makes ‘A Separation’ so compelling as a film is because it is the antithesis of the typical modern Hollywood blockbuster,” said cinema/TV/radio instructor Charlie Myers, who also chooses to screen “A Separation” in his foreign film class. “There are no special effects, no action sequence, no global stars, no big budget- just a compelling story simply told. Films like ‘A Separation’ made me a movie fan all over again.”
A discussion and reception followed the film where Hernandez-Bravo displayed various types of Persian food for the audience to enjoy.
The International Film Festival screens movies once a month.
Stay tuned with the Lariat for more information on the next upcoming screenings or you can email Hernandez-Bravo at [email protected].