FVCC hosts free film festival
Flathead Valley Community College’s Multicultural Affairs Office will present a documentary film festival starting Monday. The event will showcase four films to promote cultural diversity and global awareness to the community.
On Monday, the FVCC Fulbright Scholar Program will sponsor a showing of “Whaledreamers.”
This visually stunning film offers a glimpse into the rarely seen and scarcely understood tribal culture of whales. It explores the connection between the elegance of these “mothers of the sea” and ancient civilizations around the world whose culture and existence is based on whales. A post-film discussion will be led by Karl Leonard, FVCC Maori Fulbright Scholar.
A showing of “Crossing Borders,” sponsored by the FVCC Multicultural Affairs Office, will take place Tuesday.
This film follows four Moroccan and four American university students as they travel together through Morocco. The relationships formed contrast sharply with the media-shaped views Americans and Muslims have of each other. Humor, honesty and willingness bring these individuals closer to one another to disarm hidden stereotypes.
On Wednesday, the FVCC Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society will sponsor a showing of “One Peace at a Time.”
Viewers will embark on a global journey to create a better future by focusing on specific solutions in these troubled times. The film explores model Indian orphanages, family-planning initiatives in Thailand, Ethiopian water projects and architecture designs in rural regions such as the Himalayas, the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, and the Amazon. A post-film discussion will be led by FVCC Multicultural Affairs coordinator Mick Stemborski.
The film festival will conclude Thursday, March 7, with a showing of “10 Questions for the Dalai Lama,” sponsored by Open Sky Sangha.
Filmmaker Rick Ray had the opportunity to speak with the Dalai Lama over the course of several months in Dharamsala, India. He obtained the leader’s opinions on war, poverty and other big issues and discovered that the Dalai Lama has a great sense of humor. An intermission raffle and complimentary snacks will be provided by members of Open Sky Sangha.
Free and open to the public, all showings will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the large community meeting room inside the Arts and Technology Building. For more information, contact Stemborski at 756-3945 or at mstembor@fvcc.edu.