Hodges library hosts foreign film, fights stereotypes
Hodges Library continued their Foreign Film night series on Oct. 8 with “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”
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On Oct. 8 from 7-9 p.m., Hodges Library hosted the western romantic thriller “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” in its auditorium. The foreign film demonstrated controversial gender roles and reminded students the role stereotypes play in defining themselves.
On the second Tuesday of every month, Hodges Library screens independent and foreign films free for attendees. The last film was Japanese film “Mystery Train.”
“I want people to be interacting with one another more,” Michael Deike, foreign film night host, said. “I want people with similar interests to be able to connect with one another.”
The film has received eight awards, among them best cinematography, and has been nominated for 23 . Director Ana Lily Amirpour received many awards as well, one of them being the Festival Prize award.
Based in the “Bad City,” the film revolved around a female vampire providing closure and justice to women who had been mistreated by men. The film focused on stereotypical gender roles being switched. It demonstrated the idea that stereotypes are not restrictions if one does not let them be, and created an image of an independent female exacting justice on the antagonist male character.
During an open discussion, one audience member said they appreciated the protagonist of the film being a veiled Muslim woman. The audience member saw her reflected as a type of superhero, taking charge of her own sexuality.
The Foreign Film nights have merged the University of Tennessee Cinema Club with the event’s goal of bringing community to campus.
A new Knoxville community movie house, Central Cinema, presents another opportunity to enjoy classic and foreign films. The movie house opened in the summer of 2018 to show these films to the public. These new clubs and organizations aid in emphasizing community.
The next Foreign Film night will be held on Nov. 13 in the Hodges Library auditorium. The film “Pelo Malo” will be shown from 7-9 p.m.
Featured Photo from Creative Commons
Edited by Lauren Claxton and Ainsley Kelso
