Classes, Courses, and Lectures
Summer Session 2017
This summer promises to be an exciting time, as a knowledgeable group of instructors, old and new, present a diverse assortment of topics for BLL participants. Video lectures, spoken lectures, documentaries or commercial films - all present the opportunity for thought provoking discussion. If there are two sessions in one day, the first is in the morning with a 45 minute lunch break with the second session in the afternoon. As of now, all sessions are in Boylan Hall. Check our Classes by Days of the Week section for further details.
Video Lectures - a video followed by a discussion facilitated by a BLL member
Faith in the Future, the Promise and the Perils of Religion in the 21st Century
June 6
Speaker: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature
Summary: The secularization of culture continues on the rise. The future of religion is to put a halt to an upsurge in immorality and the further fragmentation of society.
The Jokes that Shaped Modern Comedy
June 13
Summary: Various short comedy clips. Modern life rests atop the accomplishments of the past. While it is easy to recognize this in areas like science, it is less obvious, though no less true in humor. The original, creative comedians of the past laid the groundwork for today’s humor. We’ll watch the clips and see how they inspired modern comedy
Language Videos
June 15
How Language Transformed Humanity
Speaker: Mark Pagel (TED Talk)
Summary: Language is a piece of “Social technology” that allowed early humans to access a powerful new tool: cooperation between different groups
Don’t Insist on English
Speaker: Patricia Ryan (TED Talk)
Summary: The world’s focus on English prevents the sharing of great ideas in other languages
Four Reasons to Learn a New Language
Speaker: John McWhorter (TED Talk)
Summary: There are 4 essential benefits to learning a foreign language
First Invasion: The War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore
June 27
Speaker: Edward Herrmann (The History Channel)
Summary: The causes and the results of the War of 1812 are pinpointed, including the major impact of the Battle of New Orleans. The origin of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner is also explained.
Linguistics, Syle and Writing in the 21st Century
July 18
Speaker: Steven Pinker (London-The Theatre)
Summary: Writing still matters in the age of instant communication. It is important in spreading ideas and in earning a reader’s trust.
Spoken Lecture
The Vilna Ghetto Uprising
July 20
Speaker: Isaac Schwartz
Summary: The story of the Vilna Ghetto uprising.
Documentaries
First Person Plural
June 8
Director: Deann Borshay Liem
Summary: 2000, Color 60 minutes. In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem, a native born Korean, was adopted by a family from California. Many years later, she leads her own investigation of her past, discovering that her Korean mother is still alive. Finally, after getting her biological and adoptive parents together she is able to reconcile her two identities.
Crucible of Empire: The Spanish American War
June 20
Director: Daniel Miller
Summary: 1999, Color 116 minutes. The Spanish-American Ware represented an important milestone in U.S. history. Events and attitudes which led to America’s involvement in the war are examined, followed by an exploration of the conflict and it’s outcome.
Touching the Void
July 11
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Summary: 2003, Color 106 minutes. This is a docudrama film about a team of two experienced mountaineers and their challenging 1985 ascent and disastrous descent of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Alps. Based on a book by one of the climbers, the film was shot on location, with extensive interviews with both men. The cinematic experience both riveting and terrifying, the climbers survival a unique testament to human courage and endurance.
Into the Arms of Strangers
June 6
Director: Michael Jonathan Harris
Summary: 2000, Color 117 minutes. Just prior to WWII, an extraordinary rescue operation, called the Kindertransport, carried 10,000 children from Nazi occupied countries to foster homes in Great Britain. The children expected to be eventually reunited with their parents, but the majority never saw their families again. Part of - Saving the Children: Documentary 1.
The Children of Chabannes
June 13
Director: Lisa Gossels, Dean Weatherell
Summary: 1999, Color 93 minutes. The citizens of Chabannes, through their efforts, risked their lives to protect children from Nazi capture. People in this tiny French village ultimately saved the lives of 400 Jewish refugees. Part of - Saving the Children: Documentary 2.
Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII
June 27
Director: Aviva Siesin
Summary: 2002, Color 90 minutes. European non-Jews, despite personal risk, saved Jewish children by first hiding them and then taking them into their own families. The film reveals the relationships between the children and their rescuers and how the children are permanently changed by their war experiences. Part of - Saving the Children: Documentary 3.
Commercial Films - Discussion facilitated by a BLL member
Criss Cross
June 8
Director: Robert Siodmak
Summary: 1949, B&W 88 minutes. Steve, portrayed by Burt Lancaster, is released from prison and is fooled by his ex-wife, Anna, acted by Yvonne DeCarlo who double-crosses him for a second time. When he and her current husband rob a bank, she flees with the stolen cash.
Sweet Smell of Success
June 15
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Summary: 1957, B&W 96 minutes. Unscrupulous newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsenger, portrayed by Burt Lancaster, wants press agent Sidney Falco, portrayed by Tony Curtis, to end the relationship between his daughter and her musician boyfriend. Falco does Hunsenger’s bidding, using all means at his disposal to destroy the boyfriend’s reputation.
Nothing But a Man
June 22
Director: Michael Roehmer
Summary: 1964, B&W 92 minutes. Duff Anderson, a railroad worker portrayed by Ivan Dixon, and his wife Josie, played by Abbey Lincoln, live in the South in 1963 during the rise of the civil rights movement in America. Duff suffers from extreme racism and prejudice which takes a heavy toll on both but their black pride sustains their marriage. In 1993, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Lady Sings the Blues
June 29
Director: Sidney Furie
Summary: 1972, Color 143 minutes. Jazz Singer Billy Holiday, as performed by Dianna Ross, is dragged down by heroin addiction, racism and verbal abuse during the 1940s and 50s. In one of the most important moments in her life she appears on stage at Carnegie Hall
Same Time Next Year
July 13
Director: Robert Mulligan
Summary: 1978, Color 119 minutes. Two members of different married couples meet by chance over dinner at a romantic inn. After having sex that same night they wake up questioning their motives. They promise to see each other on the same weekend every year and talk about what is happening in their lives.
The Last Seduction
July 20
Director: John Dahl
Summary: 1994, Color 110 minutes. Bridget Gregory appears to have everything-beauty, intelligence and marriage to a doctor, but is still not satisfied. After persuading her husband to sell medicinal cocaine to drug dealers, she steals the one million dollars and hides away in a small mid-American town.
A Chorus Line
August 8
Director: Richard Attenborough
Summary: 1985, Color 113 minutes. A director is casting dancers for a big Broadway production. A large number of hopefuls audition, all hoping to be selected. As the hours go by, the stiff competition for roles and the overwhelming pressure result in dancers being constantly eliminated.
Arthur
August 15
Director: Steven Gordon
Summary: 1981, Color 97 minutes. Arthur is a spoiled alcoholic from a rich family and heir to a vast fortune which will only be his if he agrees to an arranged marriage. Despite his engagement to Susan, he falls for Linda, who happens to be penniless.
My Brilliant Career
July 18
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Summary: 1979, Color 95 minutes. Sybylla Melbyn, acted by Judy Davis, part of an impoverished Australian family, dreams of success as an acclaimed writer. Living in a sexist society that feels that such a profession is inappropriate for a woman, Sybylla fights for independence on her own terms. Part of - Women Direct Women: Film 1.
An Angel at My Table
August 10
Director: Jane Campion
Summary: 1989, Color 158 minutes. Janet Frame, acted by Kerry Fox, grows up in a New Zealand poverty strickened family. Misdiagnosed with schizophrenia she is treated with electroshock therapy. Her relentless fight and courage allow her to persevere and after her ordeal she eventually reaches her goal of becoming a famous writer. Part of - Women Direct Women: Film 2.
Cleo from 5 to 7
August 17
Director: Agnes Varda
Summary: 1962, B&W 90 minutes, French with English Subtitles. Cleo Victoire, acted by Corrine Marchand, is a French singer, who searches for answers in her life as she waits 2 hours to learn the results of a cancer biopsy. Paris is captured in it’s 1960s atmosphere. Part of - Women Direct Women: Film 3.
