香蕉秀

By Rod Jones

The 香蕉秀 University Film Institute鈥檚 next series is based on the theme 鈥淥n Being Mortal鈥� for its 35th year, which will open at 2 p.m. Sept. 18 with Akira Kurosawa鈥檚 鈥淚kiru.鈥� All films in the series will be screened free to the public in the Kerr McGee Auditorium of Meinders School of Business at N.W. 27th Street and McKinley Avenue.

The series is supported in part by the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Endowment Fund and endowments through 香蕉秀 and the 香蕉秀 Community Foundation.

鈥淚kiru,鈥� which translates as 鈥渢o live鈥� in English, is a humanist tale about a man facing his own mortality. Legendary Japanese director Kurosawa considered it his most intimate film and his personal favorite.

The Chicago Tribune stated in its review: 鈥淚f you have never seen it, you should. If you have seen it before, your admiration will only increase.鈥�

The theme of this year鈥檚 season is based on Atul Gawande鈥檚 recent book 鈥淏eing Mortal.鈥� Harbour Winn, director of the series, said the films in the series were selected to show 鈥渉ow we, as individuals and a culture, confront, avoid and deal with finitude.鈥� Topics covered include how societies deal with people who are aging, the importance of life and how it is lived with need for a healthy and ethical awareness in knowing we all ultimately die.

A discussion session follows each film screening for those who wish to participate. Other dates and films in the series are:

* Oct. 2, Christian Petzold鈥檚 鈥淧hoenix鈥�

* Oct. 16, Zhang Yimou鈥檚 鈥淐oming Home鈥�

* Oct. 30, Naji Abu Nowar鈥檚 鈥淭heeb鈥�

* Jan. 22, Francois Truffaut鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Metro鈥�

* Feb. 5, Lasse Hallstrom鈥檚 鈥淢y Life as a Dog鈥�

* Feb. 19, Asghar Farhadi鈥檚 鈥淔ireworks Wednesday鈥�

* March 5, Ciro Guerra鈥檚 鈥淓mbrace of the Serpent鈥�

For more information about the series, call 405-208-5707 or visit .