The Guelcher Film Series kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, showing the Japanese film “Departures.”
This film explores one man’s dream for himself and his destiny, which often can be two completely different things.
Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) is a cellist who wants nothing more for his future than to keep playing with his orchestra.
Unfortunately, his orchestra disbands, leaving him without a job.
He decides to move back to his homeland of Japan with his wife to start over and look for work.
While looking for a job, he stumbles across an ad entitled “Departures” that he falsely thinks is an advertisement for a travel agency.
When he goes for his interview, the owner briefly glances at his resume and immediately hires him.
Wary of the coffins lining the wall, Kobayashi asks what kind of work he will be doing, and learns that he will be a funeral professional, preparing bodies for their journey to the next world.
Although his wife is disgusted, Kobayashi soon takes a kind of pride in his work and continues with the job.
He soon develops respect for not only the families of the dead, but also for all forms of life.
Too embarrassed to confide in his wife, Kobayashi and his wife continue their precarious relationship, which turns into the defining minutes of the movie: how will he react to life-changing news from his wife?
A story that delves deep into the human soul and focuses on issues everyone has to deal with, “Departures” will remain in the audience’s mind long after they see it.
The film plays at 2:15 and 8 p.m. and is free to students.

The Guelcher Film Series fall schedule

September 23
“Departures”
A Japanese drama rated PG-13
Academy Award® winner for Best Foreign Language Film, “Departures” takes a trip to the center of Japan and its cultural heritage.

September 30
“Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles”
A Japanese drama rated PG
A man attempts to reconnect with his son by embarking on a quest of the head and the heart.

October 7
“Food, Inc.”
An English documentary rated PG
“Food, Inc.” is sponsored by the Whole Foods Cooperative. From seeds to grocery aisles and everything in between, “Food, Inc.” shows how we get what we eat.

October 14
“Moon”
An English drama/sci-fi rated R
As a three-year stint on the moon draws to a close, one worker starts to question his sanity.

October 21
“The Drummer”
A Mandarin drama with no rating
After growing up in a gangster family, a reckless youth runs away to Taiwan. He then meets a group of Zen drummers whose vigorous training and way of life change him.

October 28
“Séraphine”
A French drama rated PG-13
The story of Seraphine Louis, a house cleaner turned painter, who descended into madenss during the Great Depression.

November 11
“Munyurangabo”
A Kinyarwanda drama rated PG
Munyurangabo and his friend Sangwa steal a machete from a market in Kigali, and then leave the city in a journey that is tied to their past.

November 18
“12”
A Russian drama rated PG-13
Twelve men must decide the fate of a man who is accused of killing a Russian army officer, his stepfather.