August 8th, 2007 - Hunger Awareness Film Night Film - The Southerner

A powerful end to this four film series, this Jean Renoir film tied into many of the hunger and poverty themes from the other films from the last three Wednesdays.

We were all moved by what the director, Jean Renoir, said himself about the film in his autobiography:

What attracted me to the story was precisely the fact that there was no story, nothing but a series of strong impressions -- the vast landscape, the simple aspiration of the hero, the heat and the hunger. Being forced to live a life restricted to their daily material needs, the characters attain a level of spirituality of which they themselves are unaware... What I saw was a story in which all the characters were heroic, in which every element would brilliantly play its part, in which things and men, animals and Nature, all would come together in an immense act of homage to the divinity.

We were entertained and educated by all the films shown. We shared popcorn, candy, drinks and perspectives with one another, just as the Hunger Awareness team had hoped. Attendance was lighter than we expected but there were certainly bonds built between those of us who feel passionate about great and enduring films. We also understood the hearts of some people who came before us and and how they viewed the issue of poverty.

Our audience was appreciative and keen on doing something like this again. This Wednesday all of us looked forward to the future opportunities for film nights.