‘What matters to all of us’: Cosford Cinema film series aims to bring the world closer

Remember the early days of the COVID pandemic? Stress. Fear. Loneliness. A desperate search for toilet paper and Lysol. Frayed nerves and fraying relationships.

The Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami remembers those days, too, and is using that time as a jumping-off point for a new free monthly film series about modern world issues.

On Nov. 5, the Cosford begins its “Global Frontiers” series, which will feature a relevant film preceded by a discussion with Cosford manager Rene Rodriguez, who also hosts the Cosford’s “Watching Movies” series, and a guest.

The first movie featured is director Stephen Daldry’s “Together,” which stars James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan as a couple forced to reconsider their marriage when they’re trapped in their London apartment during the pandemic lockdown. Daldry’s films also include “Billy Elliott,” “The Hours” and “The Reader.”

Rodriguez’s guest will be Karin Wilkins, dean of the School of Communication at UM.

Wilkins says she hopes their conversation about the long-term impacts of the pandemic will be a catalyst for empathy among viewers. The conversation will include clips from other movies that examine similar subject matter.

“We open this film series as an opportunity to witness compelling narratives across cultural contexts, cheering voices that inspire us as well as challenge us,” she said.

Ali Habashi, assistant professor of professional practice at the department of cinema arts who is overseeing the series, University of Miami School of Communication, said that understanding how we as a people have changed after the pandemic is important.

“The vision for this series is to create a space that would allow us to renew human relationships by sharing what matters to all of us globally, experience a different perspective and also to be entertained,” he said. “We need to laugh together again. We need to cry together again.”

The Global Frontiers series will continue Dec. 10 with “Mariupolis,” a film set in Ukraine.

Global Frontiers film series

What: Screening of the film “Together,” followed by a discussion between Bill Cosford Cinema manager Rene Rodriguez and Karin Wilkins, dean of the School of Communication at the University of Miami

When: 5 p.m. Nov. 5

Where: Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables

Cost: Free; RSVP at cosfordcinema.com

This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 3:23 PM.