Warwick Public Library offers foreign film service

By IAN WEINER
Posted 1/15/19

The Warwick Public Library has subscribed to a new film service, “Kanopy,” that will allow members to view a large variety of foreign films.

The library currently offers two public …

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Warwick Public Library offers foreign film service

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The Warwick Public Library has subscribed to a new film service, “Kanopy,” that will allow members to view a large variety of foreign films.

The library currently offers two public performance licenses to members that give them the right to view films created by most of the major United States film studios. Kanopy will significantly expand members’ access and selection because the service owns the rights to a large number of foreign films. The subscription costs the library $2 each time someone borrows a movie, and members are limited to 10 per month. Movies can be borrowed for three days at a time.

“Kanopy films are award winners that are not available through any other service,” Library Director Chris LaRoux said. “They all have public performance rights which makes them great for schools to show in classes and libraries to use in programs.”

Anyone with a Warwick public library card is able to sign-up and access the films Kanopy offers through the library’s website. Kanopy works as a streaming service and users can watch from their TV, laptop or smart phone.

Gregersen explained that the library must use services to gain rights to view any film they wish to show. Kanopy is an additional service that owns rights to foreign films.

“Even a library, that is showing films just educationally and just for free, even they can’t do it without having the rights, because some of these films are in Kanopy, we are able to show them,” he said.

Kanopy is also a streaming service, and Gregersen said that it would give members a more convenient way to access the films they wish to see.

“With streaming, you can make a decision at home, and not have to come in and check something out,” he said.

The library will be using this new service to offer a four-week film series beginning in mid-January. Five foreign films will be shown, with directors from France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

“When I went through, I tried to pick a variety of films from different places in the world, but also pick from artists that are really renowned, and to pick their masterpiece,” Gregersen said.

The five films are “M,” which was directed by Fritz Lang and follows the Berlin police as they try to catch a serial child killer; “The Rules of the Game,” directed by Jean Renoir and follows members of the French upper class, their guests and their servants when they spend a week at a château in the country looking for romance; “Seven Samurai,” directed by Akira Kurosawa, a film in which a master samurai creates a team of warriors to protect a frightened farming village from bandit attacks’ “Jules and Jim” by Francois Truffaut, a film about two men that fall in love with the same woman, and although she marries one of the men, she finds it impossible to stop loving both; and “8 ½,” a film directed by Federico Fellini that follows a filmmaker who is struggling to finish a big film and as a result retreats into recollections and fantasies about his past and present loves.

“For all five of these, many people see these as the best film that these filmmakers made,” Gregersen said. “The five films that we’re showing, they’re very engaging and fun and they’re a great experience to sit through them and watch them.”

The films are in various languages, but will shown with English subtitles. They will be shown on Jan. 17, Jan. 24, Jan. 26, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7.

All films will be shown at the library’s central branch, located at 600 Sandy Lane. All screenings are free and open to all and will begin at 7 p.m. in the large meeting room. For more information call 739-5440, ext 9758.

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  • Justanidiot

    foreign film service. sounds like illegal immigration is hitting da liberry

    Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Report this