Film Series Brings INTERNATIONAL Flavor To Geneseo

I don't know about you, but when I think about hotbeds for foreign film, Geneseo is the first city that comes to mind.

No?

Well, maybe that'll change.

Especially if Margaret Behr has her way.

Behr, who moved to the Quad-Cities area from St. Louis four years ago, is the driving force behind Geneseo's new Foreign Film Series taking place the first Thursday of every month (except January, which lands on New Year's Day) at the Central Theatre, 111 N. State St. Flicks begin at 6:15 p.m., although Behr admits there's a little wiggle room for latecomers.

With the future of the Open Cities Film Society in shadow, and few other regular options for fans of the exotic, Behr's series offers a breeze of fresh air. One that she's more than happy to breathe in deeply.

``When I moved here I noticed there wasn't anything like this,'' Behr said. ``I used to love going to see foreign films in St. Louis, and they had a lot of places where you could see them, old and new. So I thought, how can I do something like this here?''

Behr approached the community center to sponsor the event, and they acquiesced. Geneseo Art League has also expressed interest in coming aboard as a sponsor.

The event started off in October to modest crowds, but has picked up as word-of-mouth has gotten out.

``We're hoping that every month it picks up more momentum,'' Behr said. ``Hopefully this becomes a regular thing, and we're able to show even more films on a regular basis.''

However, Behr is quick to add that people should leave their preconceptions about foreign films behind them. These aren't just depressing exercises in nihilism and boredom where unbathed, little shaven French waifs bemoan their lives in-between vicious shags and close ups of decaying road kill.

``I wanted to show films that are family-friendly for the most part, films I liked and that I thought other people would enjoy,'' Behr said, unfortunately disappointing those of us who can't get enough of films featuring hairy, unbathed, vicious shaggers and metaphorical close-ups of road kill. ``The films are more character driven. There's a perception that foreign films are much darker and more sexually explicit, and that may be true with some foreign films, but not the ones we're screening. These are really good, really fun movies. A lot of them have been nominated for Oscars and all of them are critically-acclaimed.''

You can see that in the upcoming slate, including tonight's flick, ``Beauty and the Beast,'' a fantastic fantasy film. On Feb. 5 the funny, clever, Oscar-winning romantic comedy ``Amelie'' will be shown. On March 5, it's another Oscar winner, the vibrant, thought-provoking ``La Vie En Rose.'''

``They're all excellent films that I think would be enjoyed by a wide variety of people,'' Behr said. ``There's no excessive violence or sex or anything that would potentially turn people off.''

The films are screened with subtitles. So don't worry about having to brush up on your high school French or Spanish. Or Russian or Japanese for that matter. However, keep the Pig Latin book close by, just in case she decides to bust out a film tribute to Bobby Brady. You never know.

``If we can get it started, maybe it'll keep going on a regular basis,'' Behr said. ``There is some interest. I think people just don't know what to make of it yet.''

What should they make of it?

``I just think it's a fun, upbeat, progressive thing for Geneseo,'' Behr said. ``I think there are a lot of people who think it's just old-fashioned out here, but it's a great community to live in, and I hope this adds to that.''

Oui, oui.




copyright 2008 Sean Leary / for more writing see www.seanleary.com