The Culture Club (The Visitor) October 3, 2010

This is the next study session in a series of culture studies where something from the media (e.g. a book, a film, a music album) is discussed from a Christian perspective but the session is for people of all faiths and people of no faith at all who want to explore the message behind the media.

The session will start at 5:30pm when we will watch the film on the big screen in Madisons Cafe and then discuss the book at 7:15pm.

There is no charge for this event and is open to those aged 15 or over.

FILM INFO
========

Video:



The following summary is taken from the Amazon UK DVD product page @ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Visitor-DVD-Hiam-Abbass/dp/B001MK9ZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262273909&sr=1-1:

Fans of actor-director Tom McCarthy's highly praised debut, THE STATION AGENT, will not be disappointed by his second film, a gentle drama about illegal immigration. At 62, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his quiet life as an economics professor in Connecticut. A conference for work forces him to return to New York City, where he finds something unexpected in his nearly forgotten Manhattan apartment: a pair of illegal immigrants is renting his place from a dishonest man, and they're just as shocked by his presence as he is by theirs. But Walter's kindness prevails, and he allows Syrian immigrant Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese love Zainab (Danai Gurira) to stay. Tarek and Walter form an unlikely bond over Tarek's talent for playing the djembe drum, and soon Walter is spending his spare time with the couple. When Tarek is unjustly arrested, deportation hangs over the young man's head and Walter is determined to help. The arrival of Tarek's mother (Hiam Abbass) adds another element to the trouble, but she provides unexpected companionship for Walter as he crusades for her son's freedom.

THE STATION AGENT was a pleasant surprise for everyone who saw it, and while THE VISITOR revisits some of the same themes (particularly loneliness), it doesn't feel like a retread. In his first two films as writer and director, McCarthy has displayed an impressive touch with both quietly funny dialogue and complex characters. All the actors deserve credit for their emotional performances, but Jenkins adeptly carries the film on his shoulders. Until THE VISITOR, he has been a prolific character actor, perhaps most recognizable as the dearly departed dad on SIX FEET UNDER. But as magnetic as he has been in small roles, the depth of his talent becomes even more obvious in this remarkable lead performance.

Previous Sessions
===============
This series continues to be popular. Previous evenings have looked at "One Day" (book), "LIe To Me" (TV), "Crash" (film), "Helvetica" (film), Athlete's "Black Swan" (music album), Man Dancin' (film), "Looking For Eric" (film), "Rachel Getting Married" (film), "Vantage Point" (film), "Slam" (book), "Black Gold" (fim), "Heima" (Sigur Rós) (film/music), "The Squid and the Whale" (film), "The Bourne Supremacy" (film), "Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling" (book), "Into The Wild" (film), "Atonement" (film), "Iron Man" (film), "The Lives of Others" (film), "Pan's Labyrinth" (film), "Utopian Dreams" (book), "Breaking and Entering" (film), "Little Miss Sunshine" (film), "Evan Almighty" (film), "Babel" (film), "The Zahir" (book), "Paradise Now" (film), "Life on Mars" (TV series), "Collateral" (film), "Arthur and George" (book), "Moulin Rouge" (film), the Robbie Williams album "Intensive Care", "Lost in Translation" (film), "Whale Rider" (film), "The Incredibles" (film), "The Da Vinci Code" (book), the U2 album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and "Chocolat" (film).