The DFS summer series, "Tourists," proposed by Lloyd Miller '10, plays off of the intricate and sometimes tenuous relationships that travelers establish with the foreign places they encounter. "Tourists" is composed of 20 films, which began playing on June 26 and will continue through Aug. 26. DFS will show the films in Loew Auditorium, rather than in their usual venue, Spaulding Auditorium, which will be closed due to construction this summer.
Spaulding's closing has also forced the DFS to rearrange some of its screening times in light of the hours that Loew is available, according to A.J. Fox, Dartmouth Film Society Director.Fox is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Staff.
Although the series engages with complex and poignant themes, Miller said he found inspiration for the lineup by examining his personal film preferences.
"I had never proposed a series before, and I was honestly just looking for a common theme that tied together as many of my favorite movies as possible," he said.
Despite a general departure from sure-fire hits, "Tourists" still has its fair share of quintessential summer flicks. "Star Trek" (2009), "Up" (2009) and "Bruno" (2009) satisfy a rubric of new releases that moviegoers expect when the weather gets warm. DFS will show these films on July 17, Aug. 23 and Aug. 26, respectively.
"Tourists," however, goes beyond mere crowd-pleasers to include more thought-provoking and intimate fare as well. "Sin Nombre" (2009), a film about two Central Americans who make a run for the American border, will play on July 10.
"Crossing the Line" (2006), which airs on Friday, July 19, also deals with border issues, as it chronicles the journey of one man who defects from South Korea in order to join the communist North Korea.
"Happy Together" (1997), which follows an expatriate gay couple in Buenos Aires struggling to make a life for themselves, will be shown the following Friday.
The DFS will also include some older films in its lineup this summer. Among the classics are Buster Keaton's "Our Hospitality" (1923), the lauded 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia," and 1945's "I Know Where I'm Going!"
Another notable selection is the 1949 Gene Kelley musical "On the Town," which features dancing sailors and bombastic singing, and will be shown on July 5.
Three prominent award-winning movies have made it into this summer's conglomeration: "In Bruges" (2008), "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) and "A Room With A View" (1985) have all received Oscar nods or wins. DFS played "In Bruges" last week, while the latter two films will be shown in mid-August.
In addition to these trophy winners, "Tourists" also features some recent off-the-radar selections which have caught the eyes of critics, but failed to mesh with the tastes of the general public. "Sugar" (2009) explores the emotional and physical journey of a young Dominican man transplanted into the Midwest in order to play minor league baseball.
"L'Auberge Espagnole" (2002) also chronicles an emotional journey that of a Parisian exchange student navigating through the social circles of hip, sexy Barcelonans.
"The Limits of Control" also uses Spain as its backdrop as it tells the story of a mysterious hitman on a criminal expedition through the country.
Miller noted that several of the films this summer feature shady activities especially criminal behavior.
"There are a lot of criminals in these movies, from big-time professional hitmen in The Day of the Jackal' and The Man Who Knew Too Much' and the con-men in Duplicity,' to small-time hustlers and gang members Midnight Cowboy' and Sin Nombre,'" he said.
"The Day of the Jackal" (1973), "Duplicity" (2009) and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) also deal with deception and espionage.
Miller said he is also pleased with the manner in which in many of this summer's movies deal with relationships between the characters.
"This wasn't necessarily by design, but several of the movies such as Happy Together,' The Man Who Knew Too Much,' A Room with a View' and Up' explore the ways in which a voyage can radically alter the dynamics of pre-existing relationships," he said.
Despite several themes serving as common threads throughout, the series offers a wide variety of films.
"With every series we pick, our goal is to choose something that is specific enough for us to deal with a very concrete theme, but at the same time is broad enough so that we can get all different kinds of movies I think we did a good job this summer in getting a series that has something for everybody," Fox said.
Fox also said that he hopes that the range of films will encourage viewers to broaden their cinematic horizons.
"I hope that there is potential for overlap," he said. "I hope that the kids that go see The Hangover' will also end up liking the Hitchcock films."