Page 6 - The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, March 20, 1997
Foreign Film Series presents Cami la
by Colleen Fromknecht
Collegian Staff
The Foreign Film Series
presentation of Camila will be
shown in the Reed Lecture Hall on
Tuesday, April I, 1997 at 7:00 p.
m. Directed by Maria Luisa
Bemberg, Camila was nominated
for an Academy Award for the Best
Foreign film of 1984.
Bemberg, a descendant from a
wealthy Argentinean family, led a
pampered life with all the trappings
of upper-class society. She married
an architect at the age of 20 and
raised four children before she
started her career as a filmmaker.
After her divorce, she wrote a few
scripts and directed two short
documentaries before she decided to
pursue a career as a director.
Bemberg had difficulty obtaining
financing for her early films. She
was a 56 year old grandmother who
had no college degree, no formal
training in filmmaking, and little
experience in direction. In twelve
years she directed six feature-length
films which portray women as
strong, independent and courageous
people. The critics have judged
each film to be more daring and
better crafted than theone before.
Two of her films have been
featured at the Venice Film
Festival, and Camila received an
Oscar nomination as Best Foreign
Film.
Bemherg said she was influenced
by French writer Andre Malraux,
who stated that one must live what
one believes. She decided to tell
stories from "the point of view of
the woman, with female
protagonists".
Bemberg wrote her first feature
length script in 1972, Cronica de
una senora, which was largely
autobiographical. It was hugely
successful because of the
controversy it provoked by telling
the story of a rich and anguished
wife.
Tria►tgulo de cuatro (1974),t01d
the story of a man who was torn
between his traditional wife and his
independent mistress. Although it
won several scriptwriting awards,
Bemberg was not satisfied with the
first two films. She said she
believed that "no man could
understand what was happening
with the new awareness of women,"
so decided to direct herself.
After studying acting in New
York with Lee Strasberg, Bemberg
returned to Argentina and formed
her own production company with
Lita Stantic. In 1981 she wrote,
directed and produced her first film.
Momentos was a tale which dealt
with role reversal and an exhausted
love affair between two married
couples.
The election of Raul Alfonsin in
1982 led to a new commitment to
democracy in Argentina. Bemberg
resurrected a script she wrote which
had been censored by the
government in 1979. Senora at ,
nadie , as well as the previous film
Momentas, was largely financed
through Bemberg and Stantic's
money. When the film received
popular acclaim, Bemberg found it
easier to obtain financing for her
next project.
At the age of 62, Bemberg
directed the Academy Award
nominated film Camila, and
received international recognition.
Camila is based on the true story
of Camila O'Gorman and her
confessor Father Ladislo Gutierrez.
Camila eloped with Gutierrez in
1847 and the couple was
executedagter being caught.
Bemberg states that "Camila was
a transgressor, she broke the
received pattern of Argentina, not to
mention feminine decorum. Not
only did she enjoy a love affair with
her priest, but her action fought the
paternalistic order of family, church
and state."
Bemberg's next film, Miss Mary
(1986), portrayed the theme of
sexual repression and hypocrisy.
Julie Christie played the starring
role.
In 1991 Bemberg told the story
of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a
seventeenth century Mexican nun,
in the film Yo la Peor de Todas .
De la Cruz wrote some of the best
poems and essays in Western
civilization, yet she was cleo.royecl
by the misogyny and fanaticism of
the Inquisition.
Her last film, De eso no se habla
(1993), starred Marcelo Mastroianni
and dealt with controversial subject
matter. It tells fretaltirrrSr7
aging bachelor who hAliv 4 e affair •
with a strong-minded adolescent
dwarf. The film enjoyed critical and
popular acclaim and was shown at
the Venice Film Festival in 1994.
Bemberg was a feminist who
loved men and did not alienate
them. She was working on her
seventh film when she died of
cancer May 7, 1995.
Director Maria Luisa Bemberg
The Concert
Erie, The
perform Fawn
March 23 at 3
Union Building
presentation will
members of tbe
perform the mute
later, Sunday, Mardi ,
at Carnegie Hall in
At Carnegie MB
Choir will mina*
voices repnwattibip,
Renowned BM*
conductor John "
the combhatd .
orchestra foatorioll
accompany the sietiptts ; ,
David C. SNOW'
Behossi music
1982, has been
event in the pan.
in-a-lifetime
choir member,'
"This year's es'
I ale ANY1:1)1 with The Collegian
TOP TEN WAYS TO GET THROWN OUT OF CHEM LAB:
Pretend an electron got stuck in your ear and insist on describing the
sound to others.
Give a cup of liquid nitrogen to a classmate and ask, "Does this taste funny
to you?"
Consistently write three atoms of potassium as KKK.
Mutter repeatedly, "Not again. . . not again. . . not again. . . "
When it's very quiet, suddenly cry out, "MY EYES!"
Deny the existence of chemicals.
Begin pronouncing everything your immigrant lab instructor says exactly
the way they say it.
Casually walk to the front of the room and urinate in a beaker.
Pop a paper bag at the crucial moment when the professor is about to pour
sulfuric acid.
Show up with a 55-gallon drum of fertilizer and express an interest in
federal buildin:s.
'V 7, , • rt.-
-
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u n ay
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'...
different levels of
'fie together to
Stunts offers the
that encourages
to pursue
with energy, to
singing and to
find lifelong enjoyment in music
Admission to the Concert Choir
performance at Penn State-13ehnux1
on March 23 is $4. Tickets may be
reserved in advance by calling 898-
6289. Tickets purchased at the door
are $5. •••
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