This Centre will present the I·CARE Theatre in the first term of this academic year with the playing of excellent films and offering post-screening discussion sessions. The films selected include Drive My Car; The Book Thief; and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. They are expected to serve as audience’s exquisite entertainment, broaden their international outlook and promote cultural exchange.
Supported by The Office of the Arts Administrator, the I·CARE Theatre has long been receiving overwhelming response from the CUHK students, staff and alumni. The seats for the aforementioned films and the corresponding post-screening discussions were fully filled soon after the promotion launched on the 31st of last month. If you have successfully secured a place, do not forget to show up on time. Details are set out below:
Drive My Car *
Screening
27 September 2022|7:30 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| 179 min|Category III|In Japanese, with subtitles in Chinese and English|
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Remarks: Only suitable for persons aged 18 or above
Post-screening Discussion
27 September 2022|10:35 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| Host: Prof. Eric Poon, Dr. Li Mei-ting Language: Cantonese
The Book Thief *
Screening
13 October 2022|7:30 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| 131 min|Category IIA|In German and English, with subtitles in Chinese|
Director: Brian Percival
Post-screening Discussion
13 October 2022|9:45 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| Host: Dr. Allan Au Language: Cantonese
Portrait of a Lady on Fire *
Screening
30 November 2022|7:30 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| 121 min|Category IIB|In French, with subtitles in Chinese and English|
Director: Céline Sciamma
Post-screening Discussion
30 November 2022|9:35 pm|Sir Run Run Shaw Hall| Host: Dr. Sonia Wong, Dr. Li Mei-ting Language: Cantonese
The I·CARE Theatre will continue to bring you a fine selection of films in the second term. Details will be announced in due course. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Tsui of this Centre at 3943 4702 (Tel) or icare@cuhk.edu.hk (Email).
* Synopsis Drive My Car
This film is based on a short story of the same name in Haruki Murakami’s book titled “Men without Women: Stories”. Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, had enjoyed a happy marriage with Oto, a screenwriter. However, Oto suddenly died after leaving her husband a cassette tape which had kept Kafuku indulged deeply in thinking of the loss of his wife. Two years later, he met Misaki, a reticent woman assigned to be his chauffeur. As they spent time together, Misaki confronted Kafuku with the secret of his wife that quietly haunted him……
This film was awarded the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars 2022, Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globe Award 2022 and the Best Screenplay, the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival 2021.
The Book Thief
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name written by Markus Zusak, the story is about the adventures of an illiterate girl, Liesel, in Germany during World War II. Liesel was encouraged by her foster father to learn reading secretly, and since then she had fallen in love with books. She shared her passion for reading with Max, a Jew hiding in her adopted family’s basement to escape from Nazi Germany. She also befriended another youngster neighbour, Rudy, who kept the secret of their theft of books. The power of words helped Liesel escape from the miserable world, and her life had changed ever since.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The story sets at the 18th century on an isolated island in Brittany of France. Marianne, a young female painter was assigned to paint a portrait for the marriage arrangement of Héloïse, a young lady from a wealthy family. Héloïse was reluctant to be painted as she did not want to accept arranged marriage. In order to finish the portrait in secret, Marianne pretended to be the maiden so that she could observe Héloïse closely. As time went by, they fell in love with each other. In the generation not accepting same-sex relationship, would they give up the affinity and accept their fate?
This film was awarded the Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.