Film Appreciation
Kurt F. Stone, D.D., is in his 23rd year with Osher LLI. His passion for film is, he says, “genetic,” having been born in Hollywood, CA and raised both in and around the movie industry. A graduate of the University of California (B.A.), the Eagleton Institute of Politics and the Hebrew Union College (M.A.H.L. and D.D.), Professor Stone is the best-selling author of two books on the United States Congress and is currently continuing work on a massive history of Hollywood entitled “In the Land of Mink-Lined Pools.” A much sought-after lecturer, medical ethicist, occasional actor and ordained rabbi, his political op-ed column, “The K.F. Stone Weekly,” has, over the past 15 years, developed an international following. He now has a second blog called “Tales From Hollywood & Vine.”
Student Testimonials
- “Dr. Stone is very informative and knowledgeable about the movie industry and brings a great deal of personal and historical information forward and following the movie presentations.”
- “Dr. Stone has a wide breadth, depth and personal knowledge of movies and the film industry which makes his remarks about movies and the film industry interesting as well as educational.”
Exporting Humanity
Films from Israel and Iran
While it is a sad and undeniable fact that the governments of
Israel and Iran have long been at lethal loggerheads with one
another, it is also a fact that the two societies have quite a bit in
common. Both are well educated. Both have strong middle
classes. Above all, both have vibrant, tremendously successful
film industries. Over the past half century, Israel has received
10 Oscar nominations for “Best Foreign Film,” and Iran two. In
2012, Iran won the coveted award for “A Separation.” Both
countries’ films have received standing ovations at major
international film festivals. While frequently covering political
topics, the majority of Israeli and Iranian films deal with real
people, shining a light on their loves and fears, as well as their
passions and foibles. In short, the films of Israel and Iran
export humanity.
In this course, we will view three Israeli and three
Iranian films. Hopefully, we will come to better feel the pulse
of two countries which, although at lethal loggerheads, aren’t
all that different. Each session will begin with Professor
Stone’s introduction of the week’s film, the film shown in its
entirety (with English subtitles), followed by a post-viewing
discussion.
Six Lectures
- "Sallah Shabati" (Israel, 1964): - Starring the then 28-year-old Topol, a satiric comedy about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. One of Israel’s most beloved films, and its first to receive an Academy Award nomination.
- "Adam Barfi" (Iran, 1995) - A “dramedy” about an Iranian
man stuck in Turkey, who desperately wants to get a visa to go
to America. So he starts dressing up as a woman in hopes of
marrying an American man to get American citizenship.
- "Blaumilch Canal" (Israel, 1969) - A comedy directed by
Ephraim Kishon which depicts the madness of bureaucracy
through a municipality’s reaction to an escaped lunatic who
digs up the streets of Tel Aviv with a drill.
- "A Moment of Innocence" (Iran, 1995) - A teenager is jailed
for stabbing a policeman at a protest rally. Two decades later,
he decides to find that policeman in order to make amends.
Based on a true story.
- "Zero Motivation" (Israel, 2014) - A comedy drama about a
unit of female Israeli soldiers stationed at a remote desert base
who bide their time as they count down the minutes until they
can return to civilian life.
- "Children of Heaven" (Iran 1997) - After a boy loses his
sister’s pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures in order
to find them. When he can’t, he tries a new way to “win” a
new pair. Academy Award nominee.
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| Course # S6M6 — Full 6 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Mondays, March 21, 28; April 4, 11, 18, 25 2016 |
| Time: | 7 - 9 PM |
| Fee: | $51 / member; $76 / non-member |
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| Course # S4M7 — First 4 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Mondays, March 21, 28; April 4, 11 2016 |
| Time: | 7 - 9 PM |
| Fee: | $34 / member; $54 / non-member |
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Belly Laughs and Heartfelt Tears
The Magic of Movies
More than any of the arts — whether they be audial, visual or
intellectual — film evokes emotional responses. While not
everyone can grasp the passion of a Bach, the dreamy
sensuality of a Monet or the acid humor of a Voltaire, who
doesn’t laugh out loud watching “Blazing Saddles” or “The
Pink Panther,” or shed heartfelt tears during a showing of
“Stella Dallas” or “Beaches”? Why is this? First and foremost,
motion pictures are created for the masses. Then too, for most
of their history, films have been a communal experience —
hundreds, if not thousands, of people seated in a darkened
theater where both laughter and tears are contagious.
In this six-week course, we will view three movies which, in
Professor Stone’s estimation, provoke flat-out laughter, and
three which — again, in Professor Stone’s estimation — tug
mightily at the heartstrings. We will go back-and-forth, with
one week a comedy, the next a tearjerker, etc. Each session will
begin with an introduction of the day’s film (which will be
shown in its entirety) and then a post-viewing discussion.
So, as the French would say, “Préparez vos mouchoirs” —
“Get out your handkerchiefs.”
Six Lectures
- "The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek" (1944) - Preston Sturges’
classic farce about a small-town girl who, after attending
a farewell bash for departing troops, wakes up to find
herself married and pregnant. Starring Betty Hutton and
Eddie Bracken.
- "Make Way for Tomorrow" (1937) - Victor Moore and Beulah
Bondi as an elderly couple who are forced to separate when
they lose their house and none of their five children will take
both parents in. Directed by Leo McCarey.
- "One, Two, Three" (1961) - Billy Wilder’s frenzied comedy
about Coca-Cola's man in West Berlin, who may be fired if he
can't keep his American boss’s daughter from marrying a
Communist. Starring James Cagney and Pamela Tiffin.
- "Brief Encounter" (1945) - David Lean’s weeper about two
strangers who meet at a railway stop, fall in love and then fight
the urge to cheat on their respective spouses. A classic romantic
tearjerker, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.
- "Four Lions" (2010) - Writer/director Chris Morris’ comedy
about four incompetent British jihadists who train for and
commit an act of terror. Yes, it’s a comedy!
- "The Notebook" (2004) - Nick Cassavetes’ stunning drama
about a love affair across the years between two people from
different sides of the track. Starring Ryan Gosling, Rachael
McAdams, James Garner and director Cassavetes’ mother,
Gena Rowlands.
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| Course # SUW6 — Full 6 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Wednesdays, May 18, 25; June 1, 8, 15, 22 2016 |
| Time: | 1:30 - 3:30 PM |
| Fee: | $51 / member; $76 / non-member |
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