Though director Roman Polanski remains a somewhat infamous public figure, his provocative films continue to stand as sources of intellectual discussion.
It was the promise of such discussion that inspired the department of English and comparative literature to feature the director as the subject of its upcoming UNC UniVarsity Film Series.
This semester’s screenings will move off campus for the first time. Beginning in September, the Varsity Theatre on Franklin Street will feature films by the award-winning Polish director.
“The undergraduate and graduate students have, for years, organized a film series on campus,” said Shayne Legassie, director of undergraduate studies in comparative literature.
The move will render the series more accessible to interested audiences outside the university community, Legassie said.
The UniVarsity Film Series is free and open to the public through sponsorship from the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and the department of communication studies.
The Comparative Literature Organization for Undergraduate Discussion donated its organizational resources to promote the series.
“We have a strong infrastructure in place thanks to CLOUD and the Department of Communications Studies,” Legassie said.
Legassie added the department is doing its best to preserve what is at the heart of the event.
Graduate and undergraduate students will continue to work together with specialized faculty members to foster interest in film and literature.
To tie the films into established curriculum, UNC professors will discuss the themes with an audience.
“Each film is tied into at least one course that is taught on campus,” Legassie said.
