See Ten Great Films for Free at McKendree's Hett Center

Vengeance and Diversity are Themes for 2013-14 Season

Lebanon, Ill. — The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts’ free Film Series continues this season with ten critically acclaimed, award-winning dramas based on two themes, Vengeance is Mine, and Standard Deviation: Diversity in Film. Each screening will begin at 7 p.m., a half-hour earlier than in prior seasons.

The Leon and Helen Church Family Foundation sponsors the free series, which is open to the public. All films are shown in the auditorium of “The Hett” on the McKendree University campus, on Alton St. in Lebanon, Ill. An informal discussion is held afterward. Some films contain adult themes or language and may not be appropriate for everyone. For more information, visit the website theHett.com, or call 618-537-6863.

The entire line-up is as follows:

Sept. 26: Munich (2005). Based on a true story, five men are chosen to eliminate the Black September assassins of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Rated R; 164 min.

Oct. 14: Jean de Florette (1986; in French with subtitles). A greedy landowner and his nephew block the only water source for an adjoining property they covet, in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell. Rated PG; 120 min.

Oct. 29: The Elephant Man (1980). In Victorian-era London a kind surgeon helps a severely disfigured and mistreated man regain the dignity he lost after years working as a sideshow freak. Rated PG; 124 min.

Nov. 4: Django Unchained (2012). Aided by a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. Rated R; 165 min.

Nov. 20: Invictus (2009). In his first term as president, Nelson Mandela joins forces with South Africa’s rugby team captain to unite their apartheid-torn country. Rated PG-13; 134 min.

Jan. 21, 2014: My Left Foot (1989). The true story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy and learned to paint and write using his only functional limb. Rated R; 103 min.

Feb. 12: Temple Grandin (2010). A captivating biopic of a woman who overcame the limitations of autism to become a top scientist and expert in the humane livestock handling industry. Rated PG; 107 min.

March 4: The Crying Game (1992). An unlikely friendship develops between a kidnapped British soldier and his IRA terrorist captor, who escapes into the soldier’s world when the hostage-taking goes awry. Rated R; 112 min.

March 20: Titus (1999). A victorious general returns from war, only to plant the seeds of future turmoil for himself and his family. Adapted from Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus.” Rated R; 162 min.

April 16: Manon of the Spring (1986; in French with subtitles). In the sequel to “Jean de Florette,” a beautiful shepherdess takes revenge on the men whose conspiracy to acquire her father's land caused his death. Rated PG; 113 min.

-McK-

The Russel E. and Fern M. Hettenhausen Center for the Arts—“The Hett”—is Southern Illinois’ premier performing arts venue, presenting world class dance, drama, classical music and jazz.  The 488-seat auditorium is located on the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, Illinois, 25 miles from downtown St. Louis. www.theHett.com