香蕉秀

by Rod Jones

The 香蕉秀 University Film Institute鈥檚 series will continue its 34th year at 2 p.m. Jan. 24 with Michelangelo Antonioni鈥檚 鈥淏low-Up鈥� in the Kerr McGee Auditorium of Meinders School of Business. The school is located at N.W. 27th Street and McKinley Avenue.

Admission to all films in the series is free. 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.

Italian director Antonioni鈥檚 first English-language production 鈥淏low-Up鈥� was his only box office hit, but widely considered one of the seminal films of the 1960s.

Leading character Thomas is a nihilistic, wealthy fashion photographer in mod "Swinging London." Filled with ennui, bored with his fab but oddly lifeless existence of casual sex and drug use, Thomas comes alive when he wanders through a park, stops to take pictures of a couple embracing and, upon developing the images, believes that he has photographed a murder. He is soon pursued by a woman who appears in the photos.

The theme of this year鈥檚 season is based on Viktor Frankl鈥檚 classic book 鈥淢an鈥檚 Search for Meaning.鈥滺arbour Winn, director of the series, said the theme is intended to help participants come to understand the purpose of suffering.

鈥淭he films in this series stress the importance of an individual鈥檚 attitude to existence,鈥� Winn said. 鈥淓ven when life seems restricted by external forces, we can choose the attitude with which we live and make meaning, to find value.鈥�

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

* Feb. 7, Ritesh Batra鈥檚 鈥淭he Lunchbox鈥�

* Feb. 21, Asghar Farhadi鈥檚 鈥淎bout Elly鈥�

* March 6, Andrey Zvyagintsev鈥檚 鈥淟eviathan鈥�

For more information about the series, call 405-208-5472 or visit okcu.edu/film-lit.