The Westfield Memorial Library is pleased to present the Spring Foreign Film Festival in March, April and May on three Mondays at 2:00 and 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.
The festival continues today with "Toast," an English film that runs 96 minutes, on April 16, 2012 and concludes with, "The Piano in a Factory," which is in Mandarin Chinese and runs 100 minutes, on May 14, 2012.
"Toast" is based on the bittersweet story of food writer Nigel Slater's childhood. It is a delicious love letter to the tastes and smells that a young boy associates with his journey into adulthood. Nigel's mother was always a poor cook, and her addiction to all things canned isn't helping. Nigel, on the other hand, laps up cookbooks as if they were porn. Nigel's Dad worries something is "wrong" with his son and the two find it difficult to connect. Just before Christmas, Nigel's mother dies, leaving Nigel and his father heartbroken. A Mrs. Potter arrives on the scene and bewitches the father with her curves and lemon meringue pies. They move to the country, and Nigel learns to cook and lands a job in his local pub. Cooking soon becomes the key weapon in the battle for Dad's affections (excerpt from amazon.com).
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In "The Piano in a Factory," steelworker Chen has a passion for music and plays in a local band. When his estranged wife returns one day after years of absence, she demands a divorce and sole custody of their daughter. Chen is at a loss. He doesn't mind divorcing a woman who has become a stranger, but he can't bear to part with his daughter. Chen has worked hard to give her a respectable life and has taught her his love of music. When asked if she'd rather stay with her father or go with her mother, the girl gives a practical, devastating answer: she'll go with whoever can provide her with a piano. Chen cannot afford such a luxury item, but the piano becomes his last hope to save what little is left of his family. With the help of his loyal friends and the support of his girlfriend, Chen concocts several plans to fulfill his daughter's wish (excerpt from imdb.com).
The movies are free and open to Westfield Memorial Library and MURAL cardholders. (MURAL cardholders belong to libraries that are part of the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Agreement Libraries. Check our website to see if your library participates.) To register for the program, visit the library's website at www.wmlnj.org , click on the Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 option 0. Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library-the community's destination for discovery and ideas-engages minds, entertains spirits and facilitates lifelong learning for people of all ages. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library's website at www.wmlnj.org , and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter "Library Loop," or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the award-winning quarterly newsletter "Take Note."
