Monday at the Movies Tonight

Calling all cinemaphiles to the Livingston Public Library!

Starting Monday, September 20, the library will begin its' inaugural monthly film series, aptly named Monday at the Movies. Once a month, from September to December, a free film will be shown on a specified Monday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Library's spacious program room.

The movies chosen for this season share a "foreign" thread and will give viewers the opportunity to catch up on films that were not widely distributed in the United States. These fine products of global cinema will be presented in their original languages with English subtitles as needed.

"We wanted foreign films because, in this area, there are only a few venues where you can find them. We wanted to make these movies fully accessible to the Livingston community," said Christine DeMidowich, a Livingston librarian who helped to plan the film festival.  

With the possession of a special license, Livingston Library has been able to air films publically since last year. The Library's program room, which acts as a venue for lectures, theatrical and singing groups, as well as movies, offers a surround sound system and seating for over 200 people.

"When we remodeled and added onto the library, we received a gorgeous program room. It's a great place to show films. People will feel like they're at the movies," said DeMidowich.

DeMidowich, along with Library Director Judy Kron and fellow librarian Thea White, worked to create and execute the film series. A formal schedule of Monday at the Movies is featured on the Library's website. The titles selected include The Counterfeiters, Secret in Their Eyes, Coco Before Chanel, and Le Concert. As some films deal with adult thematic content, parents are urged to exercise judgment as necessary.

The Counterfeiters (2008) is the premier film of the festival and will be shown on Sept. 20. The movie captures the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. In addition to winning an Oscar, the film won numerous international film awards and stars Austrian actor Karl Markovics.

The following month, on Monday, October 18, the library will air Secret in Their Eyes (2009). The drama surrounds a retired Argentine legal counselor who writes a novel in the hope of finding closure for one of his unresolved homicide cases and for the unreturned love he holds for his superior. Argentine actor Ricardo Darin starts in this award-winning movie.

On Monday, November 8, Coco Before Chanel (2009) will be shown. This film tells the story of Coco Chanel following her rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world. This film was nominated for an Oscar and stars French actress Audrey Tautou.

The final film of the festival is Le Concert (2009) and will be shown on Monday, December 18. The movie carries the tagline "An Uplifting Comedy About a True Band of Misfits." It tells the story of a talented Russian conductor who is determined to have his Jewish orchestra heard, despite the dangerous prejudice that surrounds them. The conductor is play by Russian actor Aleskei Guskov.

The team of librarians chose movies based on positive reviews and recommendations. 

"We've personally seen most of these movies and they are brilliant. I'm extremely happy to make them available to the public," DeMidowich said.

For more information, please contact Livingston Public Library at 973- 992-4600.