CineCulture class explores cultural and controversial issues

German-Turkish relations may not be most students’ idea of entertainment, but professor Mary Husain hopes to open eyes this Friday with “The Edge of Heaven.â€Â

Set in a Turkish neighborhood of Germany, “The Edge of Heavenâ€Â is the next movie Husain has scheduled for her CineCulture class. Like all other CineCulture showings, “The Edge of Heavenâ€Â is open to the public.

“I’ve always been a foreign film fan. I thought this film that looks at Turkish-German relations would be relevant today,â€Â Husain said.

She added that the cross-cultural themes presented in the movie are important for students to understand.

“The Edge of Heavenâ€Â follows a Turkish family’s interwoven paths. It flirts with lesbian issues as Ayten, a Turkish girl, searches for her mother and Nejat, a Turkish boy, who is also looking for her, Ayten. It won best screenplay at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Such movies are par for the course for CineCulture students.

Movies relevant to campus, community

CineCulture, which went from a club to a mass communication and journalism class, features different a different cultural movie every week.

“The idea is to have a space to explore controversial issues,â€Â Husain said.

Husain, who teaches in the mass communication and journalism department and the communication department, brings in guests to discuss the movies with the audience.

“One of the hallmarks is post-screening discussion,â€Â she said of the CineCulture class. “[This semester] we have two students who have actually picked the films and will be the discussants.â€Â

Later this fall, Walter Ramirez Delgado will lead a discussion on the film “Romero,â€Â about an El Salvadorian priest who championed human rights and was murdered. Roxanne Villaluz will speak about “Filipino Americans,â€Â a film on a subject Husain said Villaluz has wanted to showcase for some time.

The club̢۪s schedule also seeks to honor diverse community interests.

Armenian Studies professor, Barlow DerMurgrdechian, will discuss “The People’s Advocateâ€Â for Armenian Heritage Month in October. The Women’s Resource Center sponsored “Iron-Jawed Angelsâ€Â in August.

Husain said CineCulture is a good experience “because it’s campus, club and community.â€Â

“I promoted it as a class you can bring a date to,â€Â she said. “Now I have a waiting list for a class that meets on a Friday night.â€Â

CineCulture events

“The Edge of Heavenâ€Â is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tower Theater, located on 815 E. Olive Ave. in Fresno. Languages include German, Turkish and English with English subtitles.

̢ۢ Student and senior tickets are $8. General admission tickets are $10. The public is welcome to attend this or any other CineCulture event.

̢ۢ CineCulture students receive free tickets from Fresno Filmworks and from this year̢۪s LunaFest.

̢ۢ For more information or to view a schedule of upcoming events, please visit CineCulture̢۪s Web site.