VERO BEACH — Some of the most crowd-pleasing feature films produced in recent years by Germany will be shown at the Vero Beach Museum of Art starting March 20. The features will be shown in the Museum’s new film study course called “Innocents Abroad: German Films and the Other”.
Classes in this new film studies course will be held on Tuesdays through April 17. Students may sign up for either the afternoon session at 1:30 p.m. or the evening session at 7 p.m. as part of this five-week film studies offering.
Tuition for the five-week course is $60 ($50 for Museum members). Students may register in person, by phone at (772) 231-0707, ext. 136 or online at www.VeroBeachMuseum.org.
Classes are offered in the Museum’s state-of-the-art Leonhardt Auditorium with its 20 x 30 foot screen and surround-sound audio.
“The films in this course, possibly with the exception of the first (Fitzcarraldo), are almost unknown in the United States, and it’s hard to understand why,” says Warren Obluck, the museum’s film studies coordinator.
“They’re all beautiful to look at, with extremely touching and sometimes charming stories. And they tell us a great deal about the way contemporary Germans look at the rest of the world,” Obluck adds.
Viewed in the course will be both a feature film and a documentary by the great filmmaker, Werner Herzog. They are the classic Fitzcarraldo and a remarkable later film called Little Dieter Needs to Fly.
Also to be studied is the first film of the award-winning Faith Akin, In July; Doris Dörrie’s Cherry Blossoms; and the slyly understated Schultze Gets the Blues.
Films are introduced and discussions are moderated by Obluck, former cultural attaché at the American embassies in Rome, Tokyo, and Manila. He is also a past recipient of the Indian River County Cultural Council’s Laurel Award for cultural/professional achievement.
The Vero Beach Museum of Art is located at 3001 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach.