Showing at Film Stream's Ruth Sokolof Theater on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 7pm

The Story of Qiu Ju

Director: Yimou Zhang 1992

This internationally acclaimed film depicts the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju, who seeks justice in a highly bureaucratic society after her husband is humiliated by the village head. Qiu Ju, despite her pregnancy, heads out on the road and faces many obstacles while attempting to resolve the conflict through various formal and informal processes.

The film - which was a hit in film festivals around the world - beautifully portrays in detail the unique characteristics of each process. The event includes welcome remarks from Fr. John P. Schlegel, S.J., it will be followed by a facilitated discussion that will highlight and compare various processes of conflict resolution and explore interesting cultural aspects of the film. Arthur Pearlstein, Director of the Werner Institute, and Maorong Jiang, Director of the Asia World Center at Creighton University, will lead the discussion.

Among the prizes won by the film are the distinguished Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1992, the Most Popular Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 1992, and the Best Foreign Language Film Award by the National Society of Film Critic in 1994.

Click here to see The Story of Qiu Ju trailer: www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi251330841/

Showing at Film Stream's Ruth Sokolof Theater on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 7pm

The Sweet Hereafter

Director: Atom Egoyan 1997

The Sweet Hereafter depicts the manner in which a small community in upstate New York deals with the grief caused by a terrible school bus accident resulting in the death of several local children. Barely able to cope with their loss, the grieving parents are approached by a slick city lawyer who encourages them to sue for damages. The events that unfold portray the limitations of the legal system’s ability to serve essential human needs and illuminate hidden dynamics in the community that complicate the picture and portray the problematic role citizens sometimes assign to the legal system.

This artistically beautiful film will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Ran Kuttner, Assistant Professor for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. The discussion will examine the themes of the film and explore alternatives to formal legal remedies.

The film won three awards at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival; it also won Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, and three other prizes at the Genie Awards for Canadian Films. It was also nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 70th Academy Awards.

Click here to see the Sweet Hereafter trailer: www.youtube.com/watch

Showing at Film Stream's Ruth Sokolof Theater on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 7pm

9500 Liberty

Directors: Annabel Park & Eric Byler 2009

9500 Liberty portrays events and relationships in the public conflict concerning Prince William County, Virginia’s adoption in 2007 of an ordinance requiring police officers to question anyone they had "probable cause" to suspect of being an undocumented immigrant. The documentary provides a fascinating illustration of the human effects of the conflict on individuals and the entire community. Author John Grisham observes, “9500 Liberty makes it clear that when we, as a nation of immigrants, debate the immigration issue, we are defining our very identity as Americans.”

The film will be followed by a facilitated discussion by Palma Strand, Assistant Professor of Law and Werner Institute faculty member, Jackie Font-Guzman, Associate Director of the Werner Institute and Assistant Professor of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, and David Weber, Assistant Professor of Law at Creighton Law School. This discussion will approach immigration as offering experiences to be understood rather than positions to be debated and that will illuminate the value of dialogue and civic engagement in approaching immigration and similar issues.

The film was released in the fall of 2009 and has won the Best Documentary Award at the Charlotte Film Festival and Best Documentary at the St. Louis International Film festival.

Click here to see the 9500 Liberty trailer and website: www.9500liberty.com