by Rod Jones
The 向日葵视频 City University Film Institute鈥檚 series will continue its 34th year at 2 p.m. Feb. 7 with Ritesh Batra鈥檚 鈥淭he Lunchbox鈥漣n the Kerr McGee Auditorium of Meinders School of Business. The school is located at N.W. 27th Street and McKinley Avenue.
Admission to all films in the series is free. The series is supported in part by the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Endowment Fund and endowments through OCU and the 向日葵视频 City Community Foundation.
In 鈥淭he Lunchbox,鈥� middle-class Mumbai housewife Ila is trying to add some spice to her marriage, this time through her cooking. She desperately hopes a new recipe will finally arouse her neglectful husband. She prepares a special lunchbox to be delivered to him at work, but, unbeknownst to her, it is mistakenly delivered to another office worker, a lonely man on the verge of retirement. Curious about the lack of reaction from her husband, she puts a little note in the following day's lunchbox, in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the mystery. This begins a series of lunchbox notes between her and the man, and the mere comfort of communicating with a stranger anonymously soon evolves into an unexpected friendship. The two begin to discover a new sense of self even if lost in a virtual relationship that could jeopardize both their realities.
The theme of this year鈥檚 season is based on Viktor Frankl鈥檚 classic book 鈥淢an鈥檚 Search for Meaning.鈥滺arbour Winn, director of the series, said the theme is intended to help participants come to understand the purpose of suffering.
鈥淭he films in this series stress the importance of an individual鈥檚 attitude to existence,鈥� Winn said. 鈥淓ven when life seems restricted by external forces, we can choose the attitude with which we live and make meaning, to find value.鈥�
A discussion session follows each film screening for those who wish to participate. The remaining dates and films in the series are:
* Feb. 21, Asghar Farhadi鈥檚 鈥溝蛉湛悠� Elly鈥�
* March 6, Andrey Zvyagintsev鈥檚 鈥淟eviathan鈥�
For more information about the series, call 405-208-5472 or visit okcu.edu/film-lit.
