Westfield Memorial Library Hosts Summer Foreign Film Festival

The Westfield Memorial Library is pleased to present five foreign films during the months of July and August. They will be shown on consecutive Mondays beginning July 13 and ending August 10. The films are shown at 2:00 and 6:30 p.m. at the library, 550 East Broad Street.

“Pride,” which will be shown on July 13, is an English film that runs 120 minutes. Inspired by an extraordinary true story, Pride is set in the summer of 1984. Margaret Thatcher is in power, and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families.

Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all...

On July 20, “Land Ho” will be shown. An English language film that run 95 minutes, Land Ho tells the story of Mitch, a bawdy former surgeon, who convinces mild‐mannered Colin, his ex‐brother‐in‐law, to embark on an unplanned trip to Iceland with him.
In an effort to get their grooves back, the odd couple set off on a road trip that takes them through trendy Reykjavík to the rugged outback. Mitch and Colin’s picaresque adventures through Iceland evolve into a candid exploration of aging, loneliness and friendship.
The next film to be shown on July 27 is “Timbuktu.” Nominated for an Academy Award (Best Foreign Language Film 2015), Timbuktu is the story of a cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu. They find their quiet lives—which are typically free of the Jihadists determined to control their faith— abruptly disturbed.
“Zero Motivation,” a 97-minute film in Hebrew, will be shown on August 3. It is a zany, dark, and comedic portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female Israeli soldiers.
The Human Resources Office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters who bide their time pushing paper and battling in computer games, counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitment—to friendship, love, and country— are handled with humor and sharp-edged wit.
On August 10, the last film in the series, “Wild Tales,” will be shown. It is a Spanish language film that runs 122 minutes and focuses on the inequality, injustice and the demands of the world we live in. These conditions cause stress and depression for many people, while others explode.
Vulnerable in the face of a reality that shifts and suddenly turns unpredictable, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line that divides civilization and barbarism. A lover’s betrayal, a return to the repressed past and the violence woven into everyday encounters drive the characters to madness as they cede to the undeniable pleasure of losing control.
The films are free and open to the public.

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 closed 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.”