SMU International Film Fest Explores Retellings of Myth and Folk Lore

Southern Methodist University is once again giving students the opportunity to experience world cinema with the 10th anniversary of the International Film Festival organized by the Department of World Languages and Literatures.

With this year’s theme of "Modern Retellings of Myths and Fairy Tales," the festival will highlight films that show how mythology and culture inform the context of key historical events. Film majors will certainly be exposed to some great films, and free attendance means the festival is open to anyone interested in having their worldview expanded. The first of 11 screenings was held on Feb. 4 on the SMU campus, with subsequent showings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.The festival caps off on March 13 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, where a screening of the Russian fantasy film The Master and Margarita will be accompanied by a Q&A session with director Michael Lockshin.

One of the most influential moments in film culture over the past decade was when Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, in the midst of accepting South Korea’s first Academy Award for Best International Feature, quipped “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

Despite the antiquated concept that American audiences tend not to be interested in cinema that is not in English, there have been many international films that have excelled at the box office in the last few years, including Godzilla Minus One, The Boy and the Heron, The Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall, and this year’s I’m Still Here. Considering that Korea's Squid Game has outperformed almost every show in the history of Netflix, it is safe to say that subtitles are not something that most viewers tend to be concerned about.

Giving a complete overview of international cinema is impossible for any program, but SMU’s selections include some fascinating projects that give insight into their respective cultures. Kicking off the festival is a screening of the Columbian drama Los Viajes del Viento, which served as the nation’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. The road-adventure film ties in with much of the country’s musical heritage and served as a breakout for director Ciro Guerra. In the years since its release, Guerra attained more acclaim for his Oscar-nominated action drama Embrace of the Servant, as well as the historical epic Waiting for the Barbarians, which starred Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson.

Also, screening is the German fantasy drama Undine, based on the European myth of water nymphs that have appeared throughout plays, oral traditions and artwork for over a millennium. This modern retelling examines a relationship between an industrial diver and an urban tour guide whose collective love of water leads them to have an exciting affair in Berlin.
International cinephiles may recognize the name of director Christian Petzold, who has emerged as one of the most exciting filmmakers in the world thanks to the universal acclaim for films such as Afire, Transit, Phoenix and Ghosts among many others. Petzold’s ability to merge the fantastical with the tangible is sure to invoke healthy discussion, but Undine is also a very charming film that may serve as a solid introduction for those interested in diving deeper into his filmography.

Any characters or myths that belong to the public domain tend to have countless adaptations based on them, and thus most viewers have likely seen at least one version of Pinocchio. SMU has selected the 2019 live-action film from Italian director Matteo Garrone, which received Academy Award nominations for both Best Costume Design and Best Makeup & Hairstyling. This more mature version of the classic story of “a puppet that wants to be a real boy” digs into themes such as fascist danger and capitalistic dominance, which are often left out of more kid-friendly versions of the story. Most notably, the film features Roberto Bengini in the role of the kind-hearted woodcarver Gepetto; while Bengini infamously directed and played the titular role in a disastrous 2002 version of Pinocchio, reviews were far kinder to his performance in the 2019 version.

Pinocchio isn’t the only film from Garrone that will be making an appearance at the festival, as March 4 will involve a screening of his divisive 2015 horror film Tale of Tales, based on the classic fairy tales of Pentamerone. An anthology film composed of three distinct segments that center on a specific legend, Tale of Tales delves into the dark side of legend with surrealist stories that merge aspects of black comedy with body horror. Garrone is a director so acclaimed that he is able to get some of Hollywood’s A-listers to appear in his dark, shocking material; the impressive cast of Tale of Tales includes Salma Hayek, John C. Reilly, Toby Jones, Vincent Casse and Shirley Henderson. Although some were turned off by the film’s graphic material, a warm response at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival ensured that Tale of Tales would be remembered as a cult classic in the years to come.

The scope of SMU’s lineup is quite ambitious, with films from Russia, Spain, France and China all set to premiere; there’s also a variety to the genre selections, as the lineup includes elements of horror, comedy, drama, romance and adventure. The novelty of seeing these films (many of which are unavailable on major streaming services) is noteworthy in their own right, but perhaps more integral is the notion of generating debate and conversation. Fairy tales remain a permanent fixture within culture because they are translated, analyzed and studied by each generation, which then passes it on to the next. By taking part in SMU’s festival, attendees are participating in a classical tradition.

Find the full schedule for SMU's International Film Festival online. Screenings take place in Caruth 147.