January 13th, 2017 - 7:00 pm to January 15th, 2017 - 4:00 pm
The Rehoboth Beach Film Society will present its popular What Makes Us Tick? program during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, January 13-15. This analytical film and discussion series explores aspects of the human condition. This year’s theme is “The Path Chosen.” All screenings will be held at the Cinema Art Theater, 17701 Dartmouth Drive, Dartmouth Plaza, Lewes (behind Wawa).
Making choices throughout our lives is a commonly shared experience. The situations that lead us to that point vary, resulting in outcomes that may differ – some obvious and some unforeseen. Three films will be screened, each one exploring the impact of the challenging personal choices made when faced with difficult societal events that conflict with personal beliefs, and the aftermath of those choices. The films will be introduced by Dr. Carolyn Walter and a post-screening discussion will be facilitated by a mental health professional.
The series begins Friday, January 13 at 7:00 PM with the exceptional Chinese drama, COMING HOME (Gui lai). Adapted from the novel “The Criminal Lu Yanshi” by American –based novelist Yan Geling, this epic saga depicts events in early 1970s China. Lu and Feng are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp for political prisoners. At the same time his beloved wife Feng is injured in an unrelated accident. Lu is finally released during the last days of the Cultural Revolution, only to find that his much adored Feng has amnesia and remembers little of her past. Unable to recognize Lu, she patiently waits for her husband's return. A stranger alone in the heart of his splintered family, Lu determines to resurrect their past together and awaken his wife’s memory. In 2015, COMING HOME won fifteen film festival awards and was nominated for over thirty. In her review, Maggie Lee of “Variety” says, "Filmmaking doesn’t get more traditional or timeless…this ode to the fundamental values that survive even under such dire circumstances has an epic gravity that recalls another great historical romance, ‘Doctor Zhivago.'” [2014, China, Runtime: 109 minutes, In Mandarin with English subtitles, Not Rated]
Moderators for this session are Suzanne M. Murphy and Carolyn Walter. Suzanne is a licensed clinical social worker who has a PhD in social welfare. Carolyn Walter is a PhD, LCSW, Professor Emerita, Center for Social Work Education, Widener University and an Adjunct Professor at Univ. of PA, School of Social Work.
The series continues on Saturday, January 14 at 3:00 PM with the Turkish film, MUSTANG (Belleza salvaje). Its early summer in a small village in northern Turkey. Five free-spirited teenage sisters are seen playing with local boys. The supposed immorality of their open play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is soon turned into a prison and instruction in homemaking replaces school. When their conservative guardians begin arranging forced marriages and the older sisters are wedded off, the younger ones bond together to avoid the same fate. The fierce love they have for each other empowers them to rebel and chase a future where they are able to determine their own path. In 2016 MUSTANG received an OSCAR® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It also was nominated and won various awards at festivals throughout the world. Cath Clarke of TimeOut London says, “MUSTANG feels unlike anything you’ve seen before; it’s like a cross between a prison-break movie, an arthouse drama and a fairy tale. It’s raw, funny and incredibly moving.” [2015, France/Turkey, Runtime: 97 minutes, In Turkish with English subtitles, Rated: PG-13].
Moderators for this session are Karen Barwick and Perrin Smith. Karen is a licensed mental health counselor and has a private practice in Rehoboth Beach. Karen is also the Program Director and a founding member of The Minds Over Matter Initiative. Perrin is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with children and their families.
The series ends on Sunday, January 15 at 1:30 PM with the historical drama, JIMMY’S HALL. It’s 1932 and Jimmy Gralton is back home after ten years of forced exile in the US. His sin was building a dance hall in rural Ireland where young people could gather to learn, argue, dream and dance. His mother is happy and his friends are happy but the Catholic Church and the Irish ruling class are not. Jimmy and his hall represent something perilous and subversive – the fact that individuals might want to think and act for themselves. So when Jimmy reopens it, the local priest and squire will use every means possible to get rid of Jimmy and his “dangerous” hall. Based on a true story, Jimmy Gralton is the only Irish citizen to ever have been forcibly deported. JIMMY’S HALL won a Palme d’Or award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. In her Washington Post review, film critic Anne Hornaday says, “In JIMMY’S HALL, politics isn’t a matter of ideology or direct action, but of pleasure, fun and intimate community. In many ways, JIMMY’S HALL shows what the pursuit of happiness can look like, and why it’s worth a revolution to protect it.” [2014, UK, Runtime: 109 minutes, Rated PG-13]
Moderators for this session are Suzanne Murphy and Tom Ledbetter. Tom is a pastoral psychotherapist at Brandywine Pastoral Institute.
What Makes Us Tick? is open to the general public and RBFS members. Admission prices for each screening are $9 for RBFS members; $10 for future members. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the start of the film. Tickets can be obtained online at www.rehobothfilm.com, by calling 302-645-9095, ext 1, or visiting the RBFS office, Mon – Fri, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. Please note that tickets are non-refundable. To receive the membership discounted admission, proof of current membership must be presented at the time of purchase or, in the case of online or telephone reservations, at admission to the event.
The mission of the RBFS is promoting cinematic arts and providing education and cultural enrichment for our community. The Film Society sponsors ongoing screenings, special events, and the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Nov 3 -12, 2017). Having met all the requirements for best practices in nonprofit management, the Rehoboth Beach Film Society is accredited by the Standards for Excellence Institute®. The Film Sociey is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com. For more information on this series, other events, or to become a member, visit the Rehoboth Beach Film Society website at www.rehobothfilm.com, or call 302- 645-9095.