Nights of Cabiria
A touching tragi-comic portrait of a Roman prostitute, Nights of Cabiria is a showcase for the talents of Giulietta Masina, director Federico Fellini's wife. The story is broken up into episodes, each where Cabiria is subjected to humiliation by several men, including a movie star and a hypnotist. She persists with her unique optimism and stubborn independence. Neither reformed nor condemned, Cabiria embodies the naïve bravado of a "hooker with the heart of gold."

Directed by Federico Fellini
Italy, 1957, 111 minutes, No rating
Movie starts at Dusk

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
The astonishing true-life story of Jean-Dominic Bauby – a man who held the world in his palm, lost everything to sudden paralysis at 43 years old, and somehow found the strength to rebound. The film covers his instantaneous descent from a wealthy and congenial playboy and the editor of Elle Paris, to a bedbound, hospitalized stroke victim with an inactive brain stem that made it impossible for him to speak or move a muscle of his body. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards.

Directed by Julian Schnabel
France, 2007, 112 minutes, PG-13
Movie starts at Dusk

Parallax View
One of many "paranoid" films made in the early 70's, The Parallax View starring Warren Beatty is an effectively disquieting suspense thriller and a sign of its politically troubled times. With eloquent widescreen cinematography shot in sterile, empty environments, the film reveals how patriotic values can be perverted and manipulated to serve a corrupt system.

Directed by Alan Pakula
USA, 102 minutes, 1974, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk

Amelie
Nothing short of a cinematic phenomenon in France, Amelie is the tale of an eponymous heroine, a wistful, lonely dreamer driven by her desire to help others. Through her eyes, Paris is less a city than an ongoing festival, resplendent with verdant vegetable stands, eccentric old artists, charming cafés, bubbling canals, and endless blue skies. Director Jeunet has made a pure fantasy; its reality is that of a parallel universe, where perverse humor co-exists comfortably with genuine, if somewhat manic compassion. Nominated for 5 Academy Awards.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
France, 2001, 122 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk

Paris, Je T'aime
Twenty directors including the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven, and others head to the City of Love with five minutes of screen time each to bring their personal touch to Paris. This lovingly crafted "omnibus" film shows the various atmospheres, lifestyles and neighborhoods of the world's most romantic city, unloading a treasure chest of rich pleasures and perspectives.

Various directors
France, 2006, 116 minutes, Rated R
Movie starts at Dusk