Event Report: Film Buffs (Series Two)

Organized by: Department of English and Comparative Literature Studies (CLS)

Dates: June 1 – June 3, 2026

Overview

The Department of English and CLS organized the highly anticipated second season of the "Film Buffs" screening series starting on June 1, 2026. Over three consecutive days, three distinct films were screened. Each screening was followed by an interactive discussion session where students and alumni explored the unique cinematic, thematic, and structural aspects of the films.

Day 1: June 1, 2026 | Film: It (2017)

• Director: Andy Muschietti
• Screenplay by: Gary Dauberman
• Source Material: Adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen King (Part One of a two-part adaptation)

Synopsis

The film is set in the horror genre and begins with twelve-year-old Bill Denbrough making a paper sailboat for his seven-year-old brother, Georgie. While sailing the boat along rainy streets, Georgie watches it fall down a storm drain. In attempting to retrieve it, he encounters an enigmatic entity calling itself "Pennywise the Dancing Clown." Pennywise violently attacks Georgie and drags him down into the sewer. The narrative follows Bill and a close-knit group of young boys and a girl as they band together to find and fight Pennywise.

Discussion Highlights

At the end of the screening, students and alumni participated in an engaging roundtable discussion focusing on:

• Thematic Elements: The representation of childhood trauma, fear, and collective resilience.
• Cinematic Techniques: Sound design and cinematography used to build suspense and terror in modern horror cinema.

Day 2: June 2, 2026 | Film: A Beautiful Mind (2001)

• Genre: Biographical Drama
• Thematic Focus: Mathematics, Mental Health, and Academic Life

Synopsis

This acclaimed American biographical drama centers on the life of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician at Princeton University who eventually wins the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. The plot explores Nash’s academic pursuits and his sudden descent into schizophrenia. He struggles to realize that key figures in his life—Charles, Marcee, and Parcher—are vivid hallucinations. The film concludes with Nash learning to manage his condition, eventually being permitted to return to teaching at the university.

Discussion Highlights

The post-screening discussion was highly analytical, with attendees exploring critical topics such as:

• Unreliable Narratives: How the film manipulates perspective to make the audience share Nash's delusions.
• Illusion vs. Reality: The psychological boundary between genius and madness.
• Mise-en-Scène: How visual composition and lighting reflect Nash's mental state.

Day 3: June 3, 2026 | Film: Il Postino: The Postman (1994)

• Director: Michael Radford
• Co-writer: Massimo Troisi
• Source Material: Adapted from the 1985 novel Burning Patience by Antonio Skármeta

Synopsis

This Italian comedy-drama tells a fictionalized story about the legendary Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who is exiled to a small, picturesque island in Italy for political reasons. Mario Ruoppolo, a local fisherman’s son who is dissatisfied with his trade, takes a temporary job as a postman. His sole duty is to deliver mail to Neruda. Over time, Mario develops a deep friendship with the poet, learning the beauty of poetry and embracing Neruda's political ideals. Mario is so profoundly influenced by this bond that he names his son Pablito. Years after Neruda leaves the island, he returns only to discover that Mario has tragically died at a political gathering just before he was set to publicly recite a poem written in Neruda's honor.

Discussion Highlights

The final session of the event inspired a deeply reflective dialogue on:

• Cinematography: The visual poetry of the Italian coast.
• The Poet-Reader Relationship: How literature can democratize and empower the working class.
• The Creative Process: Practical and emotional starting points for writing poetry.