World Film Forum to bring trio of satires

Whether gently or wickedly, the World Film Forum’s three films for fall 2019 will satirize contemporary social norms and trends. Each film in the series, organized by the School of Languages and Cultures and running on Sept. 11, 18 and 25, will be shown with English subtitles.

Each presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the West Lafayette Public Library, 208 W. Columbia St. A brief introduction to each film will be given before the screening; further discussion will follow the film. Snacks and cold drinks will be available.

Hongjian Wang, assistant professor of Chinese and a forum committee member, says, "Laughter is a powerful tool of communication, especially at times of great challenges. This year’s World Film Forum explores satire/parody in world cinema and hopes to stimulate discussion about how people around the world use laughter to express, exchange, confront, and come to terms with the uneasiness they feel about the world and their own life."

Sept. 11: “Welcome to Germany” (Willkommen bei den Hartmanns)
2016, Germany, comedy, 116 minutes, written and directed by Simon Verhoeven
Presenter: Beate Allert, professor of German, comparative literature, and film studies

“Willkommen bei den Hartmanns” tells the story of a well-off Munich family that offers boarding to a refugee from Nigeria. Diallo soon makes friends with the family members, but their friendship is tested when they have to face racism, bureaucracy and suspicions of links to terrorism because of him. This popular film addresses multiculturalism, adoption, immigration, aging, family dynamics and other philosophical issues that collide with politics, but it does so with an ease and playfulness that convey lightheartedness, optimism and success.

Sept. 18: “Quincas Berro d’Água” (The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell)
2010, Brazil, comedy/drama, 104 minutes, directed by Sergio Machado
Presenters: Débora Borba, PhD student in Hispanic literature and teaching assistant of Spanish, and Paul Dixon, professor of Spanish and Portuguese literature

Quincas (Paulo José) is a Brazilian civil servant tired of the life he leads. One day he decides to leave his family and go wandering, gaining fame as Quincas Berro D'Água, the king of the vagabonds. When he is found dead in his room, his family decides to erase the traces of his rogue phase and give him a respectable burial, only for his friends to come to the wake and to take him for one last binge around his favorite spots in Bahia.

Sept. 25: “Tanguy”
2001, France, comedy, 108 minutes, directed by Etienne Chatiliez
Presenter: Juliette Duthoit, PhD student in French

Tanguy is brilliant. He has multiple university diplomas. He is a PhD student, speaks multiple languages, and teaches Chinese. He gives advice to the ministers of the French government. He has friends and a loving girlfriend. But at 28, Tanguy still lives with his parents, and they can’t stand him and his bad habits anymore. Will they manage to make him leave? Inspired by a true story, this familial satire brings up the current problem of children living longer with their parents, in contradiction to the Western cultural habit of children leaving the nest once adults.