Four films from Europe, Mexico and Algeria will be presented April 5-8 at the BԪ 22nd Annual International Film Festival, hosted by the School of Liberal Arts. The annual festival celebrates international cinema and brings talent from around the world to BԪ to foster a greater awareness of global cultures. The films will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall on Mercy's Dobbs Ferry Campus and all screenings will be followed by a discussion with a special guest speaker. All films are free of charge and proof of vaccination is required to attend.
Steven DeRosa, associate director for Writing, English and General Education at the BԪ Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation is coordinating the festival. DeRosa, who has been teaching film studies at Mercy since 2011, will introduce the program and each guest speaker. Film fans are pleased with the festival’s return to in-person screenings and discussions for the first time since 2019.
"I am delighted we can come together as a community again to enjoy this long-standing Mercy tradition," DeRosa said. “The theme of this year’s festival is Reimagine, which feels apt considering our collective experience over the past two years has caused us to look at many aspects of our lives anew. The films in the program were selected with that in mind.”
Please see below for the films included in the festival this year.
“Josep” tells the story of a dying gendarme recalling his encounter with the Catalan artist Josep Bartoli in a French concentration camp after the Spanish Civil War. Mercy Associate Professor Jen Roos will introduce the animated drama and guide the conversation afterward.
In “I Carry You with Me,” an aspiring chef and a teacher undergo a treacherous journey from Mexico to New York to escape societal pressure and pursue their dreams. Steven DeRosa will facilitate a Q&A session will be the film’s producer Mynette Louis.
The film “Papicha” follows a young fashion student impacted by the Algerian Civil War as she fights for her independence and freedom by putting on a fashion show. Leading the discussion will be Fulbright Fellow and Mercy Teaching Assistant Naima Khelfat.
In “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” set in 1770 Brittany, a painter is commissioned to create a wedding portrait of a reluctant bride without her knowledge. The guest speaker and moderator for the film is Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Lynne Bermont.
For more information and updates, and to watch the official trailer for each film, please click here or contact DeRosa at sderosa1@mercy.edu.