Blog: Hej! Ola! Xin Chao! Go Global with Foreign Films and Foreign Foods

If you’re looking to do something a little different on a cold February Friday
night, be sure to check out Downtown Westminster for a great evening of foreign
films and food.  For the past nine years, the has hosted its annual Foreign Film Festival. The Festival, sponsored by , is devoted to showcasing interesting and entertaining movies that are from all over the globe.

Each film begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are available for $6 for adults and $5 for Arts
Council members, students and seniors.  McDaniel College students and faculty are
admitted free.

The Festival began this past Friday with a Danish film called “In a Better World”.
But you are not too late to join in, as every Friday in February offers another
chance to see a great film.  Sit back, relax, and travel to the lands of Spain, Vietnam and France by viewing the remaining movies offered.

Visit 1930s Spain with “The Age of Beauty” (1992, Rated R) for this coming Friday’s film. In this movie, Fernando, a Spanish soldier, deserts the Army and finds a country farm, where he is welcomed by a lonely old man and his four daughters. Fernando falls in love with all four of the girls. The feeling is mutual, so he must decide who he will love. A perfect and complicated love story for the weekend prior to Valentine’s Day!

On Friday, Feb. 17, you can travel to Southeast Asia, care of “The Owl and the Sparrow”. Vietnam is the setting for this film made in 2000 (Rated PG), where an orphan, a zookeeper and a beautiful flight attendant form a unique family in modern day Saigon. See the young orphan play matchmaker in this captivating tale.

Escape to Europe with “Seraphine” on Feb. 24. Be transported to the beauty of France in a beautiful film based on the life of Seraphine de Senlis, and the unlikely location of one of her paintings.  The scenery is incredible and the unrated film is 125 minutes long.

If these descriptions make you hunger for foreign travel but you aren’t a movie-phile, consider going International in your dining. Downtown Westminster offers a wide array of global cuisine, enabling you to travel far in your meal without traveling the miles. Travel to Papa Joe’s for some incredible Mexican fare. Gorge on homemade tortilla chips, chased by dangerously delicious margaritas.  And there’s no need to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy the Emerald Isle classics at O’Lordan’s Irish Pub.  Sample the Irish Whiskey Chicken tenders for a gooey and addictive appetizer, followed by Bangers and Mash or Beef and Guinness Stew. 

If seeing “The Owl and the Sparrow” put you in an Asian mood, consider a visit to Thai Classic III on Main Street, where the savory and sometimes-spicy foods of Thailand await you.  The restaurant features authentic Thai food, made to order with the unique spices indicative of Thai cooking. Sample the restaurant’s popular Kapow, a dish of chicken, pork, beef or seafood served in a basil-infused garlic and chili sauce. Its zing will immediately transport you to the faraway land, since the
dish is prepared exactly as you’d find in Thailand. 

For more information about the Foreign Film Festival, FLICC or the Carroll County Arts Council, call 410-848-7272. So here’s to international travel without leaving Westminster!

Adios, lio tam biet and au revoir! We’ll see you around downtown!