Marking the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death, the documentary Napoleon: In the Name of Art explores the complex relationship between Napoleon, culture and art. Host Jeremy Irons brings audiences on a tour from Milan to Paris for a look at Napoleon’s imperial iconography and architectural style and to reflect on the relationship between power and art.
Raphael: The Young Prodigy tells the story of the Italian Renaissance artist from Urbino, starting from his extraordinary portraits of women – the Mother, the Friend, the Secret Lover and the Client. From portraits of his mother, who died when the painter was only 8 years old, to the female admirers who helped him on his road to success, Raphael, (1483-1520), was able to portray an ideal of celestial beauty, and to focus his gaze more on the psychology of his subjects’ features than on their physical form, so that their personalities emerge in a striking manner. Audiences will discover the life and times of one of the most influential Renaissance painters.
Join us for a World Cinema Series film screening/discussion illuminating the theme “Living on the Edge: Displacement, Identity, and Resilience” by analyzing the message and impact of the Minari (US-Korea, 2020). A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home. The discussion of the film will be led by Claude Taylor, professor in the department of Communication.
To mark the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, Tutankhamun: The Last Exhibition offers audiences an extraordinary opportunity to meet the Pharaoh, with exclusive coverage of how 150 of his treasures were moved to become part of the biggest international exhibition ever dedicated to him. Explore a continuous dialogue of cross-references between the ancient past when the Pharaoh was alive, the more recent times which saw the discovery of his Tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, and the present day with exhibitions and studies dedicated to Ancient Egypt.
An exploration of Pompeii, a city cloaked in mystery and depicted through images and words by the great artists and writers who experienced and imagined it over the course of history: from Pliny the Younger to Picasso, from Emily Dickinson to Jean Cocteau. Famously known for the catastrophic volcanic eruption which buried Pompeii along with its inhabitants over 2000 years ago, Pompeii: Sin City hosted by Isabella Rossellini offers audiences an extraordinary snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment of burial, showing how its citizens lived their lives, spent their free time, experienced pleasure, passion, religion and ultimately, their fate.
Florence in the era of the powerhouse Italian statesman, politician and patron Lorenzo de’ Medici, was the heart of Renaissance art and culture. One artist, above all others, was able to evoke the lights and shadows of this unforgettable era: Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). Through Botticelli: Florence and the Medici, we re-live Florence and all its art workshops through Botticelli’s life, his collaborations, his challenges and successes. From the outset of Botticelli’s career under the wing of the Medici family, he established himself as the inventor of an ideal beauty, seen in works such as The Allegory of Spring and the Birth of Venus. The death of Lorenzo de Medici marked the downward spiral of the Florentine master, who was destined to be forgotten for over three centuries, but the rediscovery of Botticelli by the Pre-Raphaelites reignited a genuine fascination with the artist and sparked a Botticelli-mania which continues to this day.
Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.
Join us for a World Cinema Series film screening/discussion illuminating the theme “Wartime Lives: Enduring and Transcending Violence and Occupation” by analyzing the message and impact of the film Korkoro (France, 2009). In this passionate WWII drama, a tightly-knit family of Gypsies journeys through occupied France, trying to avoid the violent Vichy patrols. Directed with wit and vigor by Tony Gatlif (Latcho Drom), Korkoro unearths the hidden story of the Romany people’s joys and struggles during the war.
A Film by Erin Fleming for Paradoxical Paradise: An African American Digital Oral History and Mapping Project of Asbury Park. Featuring Claude Taylor and Madonna Carter Jackson. Presented by the […]
A tour of the magical city, Venice: Infinitely Avant Garde showcases masterpieces by Tiepolo, Canaletto, Rosalba Carriera and the intellectuals who fell in love with Venice: from Canova to Goethe, Lord Byron to Walter Scott, down to the great Hollywood stars drawn to its yearly Film Festival. 1600 years after its legendary foundation, Venice continues to be unique for its urban landscape and for its rich history, but above all, the city is unique for its identity, which combines the charm of decadence with the excitement of being on the cutting edge.
