Cinema Club

One of the objectives that UTM accomplishes is to stimulate in the university community the formation of the ability to recognize schools of thought and art.  For this reason, from 2008, four cycles of quality movies, which have won awards at different international festivals and represent landmarks in cinematography, have been presented.

To encourage the formation of a culture that appreciates the cinema is to stimulate the formation of a discerning public with better aesthetic appreciation, and understanding of contemporary discussion and languages.  The cinema has been created not just as a medium of diversion and entertainment, but also socio-cultural reflection of the time.  Discussion of the cinema does not just center on the appearance of the scenery and characters, but also talks about the historical context in which the film was created and the social reality that provoked it.

The cinema club of UTM aims to promote among the students, professors and workers the ability to become spectators capable of discerning and interpreting the multiple influences that come together in cinematic discourse. These abilities include the accumulation of cognitive, intellectual and aesthetic experiences, the ability to increase one’s understanding of oneself, environment and of the world.

This university has the privilege of having magnificent infrastructure:  a comfortable auditorium with 700 seats, ventilation, a professional 35mm projector with great sound quality. In this location, on every Wednesday or Thursday, the university community gets together to enjoy movies of international quality.

Attendees have been able to become familiar with the works of directors such as Ferzan Özpetec (Turkey), Bo Widerberg (Sweden), Boris Khlebnikov y Alexei Popogrebsky, (Russia) Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Iran), Gregory Colbert (Canada), Joao César Monteiro y Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal), Lars von Trier (Denmark), Jaques Tatí (France), Chris Kennedy (Australia), Zhang Yuan y Zhang Yimou (China), Doris Dörrie (Germany) and Xavier Koller (Switzerland).

The season, “A Look back at Contemporary Spanish Cinema”, showed movies by the directors Pedro Almodóvar, Alenandro Médem, Emilio Martínez Lázara, Luis García Verlanga, Carlos Saura and Alejandro Almenábar.

Mexican directors of independent cinema that have been shown include Mitl Valdéz, Alfredo Joskowicz, Marcela Fernández Violante, Raúl Kamffer, Carlos González Morantes and Ramón Cervantes Audelo.

The seasons that have been shown so far and the films that with their details are shown below:

• First Season
  From the  5th de March to the 7th of May 2008
   Ashes & Snow (Canada, 2005)
   Los Confines (Mexico, 1987)
   Nitrato de plata (Italy, 1995)
   Iluminación garantizada (Germany, 2000)
   Qui Ju mujer china (China, 1992)
   El viaje a la esperanza (Switzerland, 1990)
   El voto secreto (Iran, 2001)
• Second Season
  A Lookback at Contemporary Spanish Cinema
  From the 11th of June to the 17th of July of 2008
   Mar Adentro (Alejandro Almenábar, 2004)
   El otro lado de la cama (Emilio Martínez Lázara, 2002)
   Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto (Pedro Almodóvar, 1984)
   Ay, Carmela (Carlos Saura, 1990)
   Los amantes del Circulo Polar (Julio Médem, 1998)
   El verdugo (Luis Carlos Berlanga, 1963)
• Third Season
  International Cinema in 35 mm.
  From the 8th of October to the 10th of December 2008
   La belleza de las cosas (Sweden, 1995)
   Un filme hablado (Portugal, 2003)
   Meridiano 100 (Mexico, 1974)
   Koktebel (Russia, 2003)
   Comedia de Dios (Portugal –France 1995)
   Las hadas ignorantes (Italy, 2000)
   Rompiendo las olas (Denmark-France, 1996)
   Día de fiesta (France, 1947)
   Esperando a Patsy Cline (Australia, 1997)
   Diecisiete años (China, 1999)
• Fourth Season
  The Mexican Independent Cinema
  From the 14th of January to the 18th of February 2008
   El cambio (Alfredo Joskowicz 1971)
   De todos modos Juan te llamas (Marcela Fernández Violante 1975)
   Ora sí: tenemos que ganar (Raúl Kamffer 1978)
   Nocturno amor que te vas ( Marcela Fernández Violante 1986)
   El otro crimen (Carlos González Morantes 1988)
   Historias de ciudad (Autores varios 1989)

The attendance of the student body is considerable, and between the two weekly events 40% of enrolled students attend.  Before the start of every showing, a brief discussion, with the participation of the attendees, is opened about the previous film and introduction of the current film is done. The circumstances of the story are contextualized along with the technical, artistic, and creative aspects, as proposed by the director.  Of course the acting, lighting, music and other important elements that come together in the making of every film are also analyzed.  This prior discussion has raised the experience of many who participate in this extracurricular activity from being part of the public audience to being knowledgeable and engaged with the work.

The exhibition of the films in 35mm is an effort that the university maintains through the collaboration with educational institutions like UNAM, accredited institutions in Mexico and other locations that have these materials.  Entrance is free.