3545 - Films of Discovery and Transformation (Robin Bernat)
Course Description
Instructor: Robin Bernat
This twelve-film selection spans continents and eras, following characters on physical and emotional journeys of grief, healing, and self-discovery. From pilgrimages (The Motorcycle Diaries, The Way) and creative resilience (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Poetry), to the search for joy (Wild Mountain Thyme, Hector and the Search for Happiness) and the lingering scars of war (Frantz, Tolkien), each pair shares a thematic thread. Offbeat portraits of unlikely connection (Lars and the Real Girl, A Man Called Ove) and meditations on memory and legacy (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Everything is Illuminated) round out a collection that celebrates the ways people remake their lives after loss. More generally speaking, this class, while it may appear to be about physical journeys, it's the inner journey that is paramount. Participants will watch/stream the pairs of films the week before the class meeting, then on Mondays we'll connect on Zoom to discuss the films. Most films can be screened on Amazon, but some are available for free through screening platforms like Kanopy.com
Robin Bernat is a writer, visual artist and experimental filmmaker. The owner and curator of Poem 88 gallery and Poem 88 EDITIONS, she has worked in the Atlanta arts community for over thirty years. Her works have been collected in prominent museum collections including The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Kemper Museum, and the High Museum.