NOTE (3.13.20): This event has been postponed.
Grove City College is hosting a free showing of the classic French film “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the Guthrie Theatre in Olde Town Grove City.
The College’s Stan and Karen Johnson Office of Global Programs is sponsoring the screening in partnership with the departments of Modern Languages and Communication and Visual Arts This event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” – or “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” – is a 1964 musical drama directed by Jacques Demy, a purveyor of New Wave cinema, that stars Catherine Deneuve as an umbrella salesgirl who falls in love with a mechanic who is drafted to serve in the Algerian War.
“The main goal is to invite the community to share in the enjoyment of a beautiful work of art,” Dr. Kelsey B. Madsen, assistant professor of French said. “I also hope that this will be an opportunity to enhance the connection between the town and the college, as well as an occasion for promoting Communication and Modern Languages programs at Grove City College.”
Students from each department will give some background on the historical context and techniques used in the film, as well as its importance in French culture and cinema, before the screening. Meredith Johnson ’23, a student taking Advanced Film Theory class, is gathering information and creating a presentation to show before the film.
“I think an event like this is important because it encourages students to appreciate the overlap between our studies – in this case, film and French – and allows the College to interact in a fun way with the Grove City community,” she said.
In addition, Grove City Area Pet rescue will be accepting donations, including paper towels, disposable gloves, cleaning supplies, gift cards and stamps.