Modern Languages Colloquium Set for March 20 and March 22

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Modern Languages Department will hold its 21^st annual Colloquium on March 20 and March 22.

This year’s Colloquium—Narratives From the World; Books and Movies for the New Millennium—includes a series of speakers, performance and films in Theater 2 and Room N-451 at 199 Chambers Street. The event is free and open to the public. BMCC faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend.

The first day of the Colloquium opens at 9:30 a.m. with remarks from BMCC President Antonio Peréz and Modern Languages Department Chairperson Maria Enrico.

Established in 1995 by the BMCC Modern Languages faculty, the Colloquium has evolved over the years to become cultural festival that brings together scholars, writers, activists, students and artists.

“In the past the Colloquium was focused only on literature and the culture of all languages taught at BMCC—French, Italian, American Sign Language, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese,” said Colloquium Chairperson Alicia Perdomo, Professor of Spanish, BMCC Modern Languages Department. She says this year’s festival also includes performance, film screenings and discussions.

The Colloquium’s keynote speaker is director-writer Jennifer Winterbotham who will screen and talk about her Spanish-language film La Gallina Degollada (The Decapitated Chicken). This film centers on a professor who must decide whether to salvage his marriage or amend his negligence towards their three mentally handicapped sons. The film and discussion will be followed by a second keynote presentation from Eva I. Kolbusz-Kijne, Chairperson, BMCC Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts.  

Other films featured at the two-day event include Tale of Tales (Italian), Where do we Go Now (Arabic), Lost in Paris (French), A Silent Voice (Japanese, American Sign Language) and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Chinese).

“The movies’ reviews and analyses are part of the syllabus for all Modern Language students, so there is a precise pedagogical purpose for these films connected to the learning outcome of the language and culture courses,” said Perdomo.

BMCC’s Modern Languages Department offers more than 60 courses dedicated to the study of languages, literatures and cultures. Modern Language majors also engage in a learning experience aimed at developing global literacy.

For a full listing of screenings and performances, please visit the Modern Languages Colloquium website.