ECU SCREENS concludes its Seventh Annual Foreign Film Festival with Where Do We Go Now? on Friday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. in the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center of East Central University's Bill S. Cole University Center.
Winner of the audience award at the Toronto Film Festival, Where Do We Go Now? will be introduced by Dr. Terrie Becerra, assistant professor in East Central University’s Department of Political Science, Legal Studies and Sociology.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Set in a remote village in the Middle East where the church and the mosque stand side by side, Where Do We Go Now? follows the antics of the town's women as they struggle to keep their easily offended men from starting a religious war. Heartsick over sons, husbands and fathers lost to previous flare-ups, Christian and Muslim women find common ground in their mission to distract their men with a series of creative schemes, each more fantastic than the previous one.
A “brave” and “startlingly funny” (Wall Street Journal) crowd-pleaser, Where Do We Go Now? has won both the Francois Chalais Award for a “film dedicated to the values of life affirmation” and the Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Film by our About Women. Barbara VanDenburgh of the Arizona Republic praises director Nadine Labaki’s second feature film as “a charming reprieve from the usually dour cinematic exploration of Middle Eastern conflicts.” David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter agrees that Labaki’s genre-melding comedy-drama offers “a refreshing response” to the “sectarian violence continuing to scar the globe.”
Where Do We Go Now? is rated PG-13 and will be screened in Arabic, with subtitles.
After Friday’s screening, one lucky viewer will win the Festival’s Grand Prix door prize: a basket of gift certificates, valued at over $270, that will include one free night at the Hampton Inn in Ada and generous gift certificates donated by area businesses, including: Amber’s Sweet Shoppe, Cinemark Ada, Delicias Mexican restaurant, Mojo’s Coffee Bar and Cafe, and Nacho Biznez.
The Grand Prix will also include a three-month subscription to “Try the World,” which will send the winner a box filled with authentic gourmet food and snacks curated by expert chefs and produced by local artisans. Each month’s box will feature food from a new country.
Other lucky viewers win generous gift certificates donated by the local businesses listed above as well as Misal’s Indian Bistro in Oklahoma City, in addition to books and DVDs related to the film’s subject matter.
ECU’s Seventh Annual Foreign Festival is presented by ECU SCREENS, which collaborates with Sigma Tau Delta and ECU’s Honors Student Association to bring memorable cinematic experiences to our community. This year’s festival enjoys support from ECU’s Cultural Activities Committee and the ECU Foundation.
The next featured event for ECU SCREENS will be a recorded-live broadcast of Stage Russia’s “Anna Karenina” on March 23 at 7 p.m. in the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center.
To learn more about ECU SCREENS and the spring schedule, like the ECU SCREENS Facebook page or visit www.ecuscreens.blogspot.com. Dr. Rebecca Nicholson-Weir, co-director of ECU SCREENS, may be contacted at (580) 559-5929 or rnichlsn@ecok.edu.
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