motion pictures

By Abbie Bernet Sana Haq, assistant professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts, shares her top suggestions for films to watch this Ramadan that celebrate Muslim stories and experiences. Last week, we entered the holy month of Ramadan, and I have a few films to recommend. In case you're interested in getting to know more about Muslim life and experience in the U.S. and abroad. The Battle of Algiers (1966) "The Battle of Algiers" (1966), Igor Film and Casbah Film I'm going to kick off the list with [...]

By Christina Lane Christina Lane, professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts and associate dean of graduate studies for the School of Communication, shares her top suggestions for films to watch this Halloween. I love spooky films all year round, and especially during Halloween season. Here are my top 5 in no particular order: Halloween (1978) The 1978 “Halloween” is fantastic, beginning with its opening orange title credits and the iconic jack-o-lantern. I know that “Halloween Ends,” released this month, is receiving a lot of buzz, but it's hard to beat [...]

By Rene Rodriguez Rene Rodriguez, manager of the Bill Cosford Cinema and former film critic for the Miami Herald, shares his memories of the acclaimed film as it marks its 40th anniversary. Some movies change your life—literally. The first time I sat down to watch “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” when it opened in theaters in June of 1982 (the best movie summer ever), I was 15 years old. I was excited by the Steven Spielberg factor, who was already one of my favorite directors, and curious about the early reviews, which [...]

By Terri Francis As an actor, Sidney Poitier—who was born in Miami and received an honorary degree from the University in 1986—challenged the social order, according to School of Communication associate professor Terri Francis. One of the important ways we assess Bahamian American Sidney Poitier’s history in civil rights is through photographs where he is sitting with, laughing with, and whispering to noted singer, songwriter, activist, and actor Jamaican American Harry Belafonte. The joy, intimacy, and humanity distilled there shows so much of what sustained him, what he was working [...]