Final film for 31st Annual Multicultural Film Festival April 25
The last film in the 31st Annual Multicultural Film Festival, “Dimensions of Poverty,” will be shown on Tuesday, April 25, at 6 p.m. The film is titled “Shoplifters.”
The 2018 film stars Lily Franky, Sakura Ado, and Mayu Matsuoka and tells the story of a family that relies on shoplifting to cope with poverty. The film was directed, written, and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda, a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor.
When released in Japan, the film was a critical and commercial success. The film was a nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2019. United States film critics also placed the film in their top 10 movies of 2018 lists.
“The film highlights the various circumstances that might lead to a life of petty crime and the bonds that make a family beyond blood relationships, ” said Kat Bohr-Buresh, co-chair of the Casper College Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Casper College coordinator. According to Bohr-Buresh, “Shoplifters” was partially chosen to show appreciation for Koshi Oshiro, a Fulbright Scholar from Japan, teaching Japanese at Casper College during the 2022-2023 school year. In addition, the Multicultural Film Festival aims to connect people across cultures.
Under the direction of Brandon Kosine, Ph.D., vice president of academic affairs, and Pete Van Houten, Ph.D., dean of the Casper College School of Social and Behavioral Science, the Casper College Diversity and Inclusion Committee intends to inform and facilitate a broader understanding of topics that affect Casper College students and the wider Casper community through the film festival.
The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles in the Wheeler Auditorium, Room 103, in the Wold Physical Science Center on the Casper College campus. A discussion led by select Casper College faculty will follow.
The Casper College Multicultural Film Festival is free and open to the public.
The film festival is supported by Casper College Student Life, the Casper College School Of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the Casper College School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.