Rockhurst University fall film series

In an effort to show today’s audiences the hard-fought struggle toward justice in education, the Rockhurst University fall film series examines the topic from a variety of viewpoints, cultures and time periods. Each film will be introduced by a member of the foreign language faculty who will also lead a post-screening discussion. The series begins with Ramon Menendez’s Stand and Deliver (1987) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. A demanding teacher in an east Los Angeles barrio inspires his students to take an advanced placement calculus test while he battles bureaucratic resistance from his administrators. This film is based on a true story and stars Edward James Olmos and Andy Garcia. (105 minutes) The second installment is Euzhan Palcy’s Sugar Cane Alley (1984) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. In this film an 11-year-old boy and his hard working, self-sacrificing grandmother manage to survive in a Martinique shantytown in the 1930s. (French with English subtitles; 107 minutes) Jose Luis Cuerda’s Butterfly (1999) concludes the series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. The impact of the Spanish Civil War on a small village highlights the relationship between a young boy and his teacher. Based on several short stories by Manuel Rivas. (Spanish with English subtitles; 95 minutes).

Thu., Sept. 3, 7 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 10, 7 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., 2009