“The Girl King”

Each semester, the Woodland Theater at UW-Eau Claire screens a dozen or more hand-picked films spanning many years and countries of origin. These choices are made by the University Activities Commission (UAC), which chooses domestic films, and the International Film Society (IFS), which nominates foreign films. As a community member of the IFS, I am here to highlight the four foreign films you will want to see this winter at UWEC.

Community members interested in attending campus film screenings can buy Campus Films Passes at the Service Center in the east lobby of Davies Center. (Call 715-836-3727.) Campus Films Passes are valid throughout the 2015–16 academic year. Individual film series memberships are $5; a family membership is $10. (this is not a typo; it’s one of the Valley’s best-kept secrets!)

“Breathe” (original title: “Respire”)

Feb. 5-7 • France • 2014 • Director Melanie Laurent is a true Renaissance woman: pop singer of duets with Damien Rice, director of both narrative and documentary films and an actress recognizable from Inglorious Bastards, among other films. This young female director made a huge impression at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and has become one to watch. After reading the original novel her film is based on, Laurent committed to film the narrative of Charlie and Sarah, two female teenagers who share vulnerability, growing pains, and a love story with emotional consequences. Stellar music and seasonal landscapes support this sublime French film.

Not rated | 91 min | Drama

“Song of the Sea”

Mar. 11-13 • Ireland/ Denmark/Belgium/Luxembourg/ France • 2014 • This animated film based on Irish folklore tells this story of a brother and sister who explore a magical undersea world. The little sister, Saoirse (pronounced sear-sha), is a selkie – a mythical creature that resembles a seal in the water but appears human on land. With landscape and characters akin to Studio Ghibli productions, the film is endearing and heartwarming, even when the story takes perilous turns.

PG | 93 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy | Directed by Tomm Moore

“The Girl King”

April 15-17 • Finland / Germany / Canada / Sweden / France • 2015 • Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki brings to the screen a historical biopic. The story begins in the year 1632. Kristina, played by Malin Buska, a rising star in Swedish cinema, becomes the child Queen of Sweden and with her youthful enthusiasm matures to live a life of sexual liberation, rules with feminist principles, and champions the work of Sweden’s greatest artists.

Not rated | 106 min | Biography, Drama, History

“Eisenstein in Guanajuato”

May 6-8 • Netherlands / Mexico / Finland / Belgium / France • 2015 • In The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Peter Greenway created velvet interior landscapes and characters with great personalities and flair. He now uses his grandiose talent to tell the story of a dramatic fortnight in the life of Sergei Eisenstein, revered Soviet film director and creator of Battleship Potemkin. As Eisenstein diverts to Mexico to film ¡Que viva México!, a portrayal of Mexican culture and politics, he has his first homosexual experience, and hence a sexual awakening. Eisenstein is on the cusp of his career and the experiences in Mexico with this marred film production as well as his affair bridge him to his later cinematic endeavors.

Not rated | 105 min | Biography, Comedy, Romance