Here's a look at the movies that will be part of the UND Writers Conference Film Festival. All will be shown at the UND Memorial Union lecture bowl and all are free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
• Tuesday, 6 p.m., "The Birds" (1963). Selected by Aaron Poochigan, a native of Grand Forks, who publishes translations from the Greek. In this creepy classic by director Alfred Hitchcock, a wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town where birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people with increasing viciousness. With Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright. Writers: Daphne Du Maurier (story), Evan Hunter (screenplay). (1:49) Not rated
• Wednesday, 2 p.m., "Project Nim" (2011). Selected by Hal Herzog, who writes about the complex psychology of our interactions with other species. "Project Nim" tells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in the 1910s in the upper West Side. Unflinching and unsentimental, the movie shows Nim's true nature and our own. With Bob Angelini, Nim Chimpsky, Bern Cohen. Director: James Marsh. (1:33) Rated PG-13 for some strong language, drug content, thematic elements and disturbing images
• Wednesday, 6 p.m., "Mazeppa" (1993). Selected by Pam Houston, author of two collections of linked short stories, including "Cowboys Are My Weakness." "Mazeppa" calls itself a speculative meditation on the life and art of the French Romantic painter Theodore Gericault. Conceived and directed by a renowned horse trainer and impresario of the Theatre Equestre Zingaro, it is an equestrian fever dream that suggests Peter Shaffer's play "Equus." The movie studies equestrian form and anatomy with a painter's and a horse breeder's eye. In one of the movie's most sensual moments, the camera compares human and equine limbs as naked humans make love in a stable. Of note: "Mazeppa" also is the name of a romantic narrative poem by Lord Byron in which a young Cossack is punished for an illicit love affair by being tied naked to a wild horse that is then set loose. The movie "Mazeppa" is French with English subtitles. With: Miguel Bose, Bartabas, Brigitte Marty, Eva Schakmundes, Fatima Aibout. Director: Bartabas. Writers: Bartabas, Claude-Henri Buffard (1:51) Not rated
• Thursday, 2 p.m., "Wendy and Lucy" (2008). Chosen by Brenda Miller, author of "Season of the Body." Starring Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams (as a brunette) and Lucy the Dog, this film is about a woman whose life has derailed en route to a potentially lucrative summer job. When her car breaks down and her dog is taken to the pound, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she is led through a series of increasingly dire economic decisions. Director: Kelly Reichardt. Writers: Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond. (1"20) Rated R for language.
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• Thursday, 6 p.m., "La Belle et la Bete," ("Beauty and the Beast") (1941). Selected by Mark Doty, a poet and author of the nonfiction best seller "Dog Years." Adelaide, Belle, Felicie and Ludovic are young adult siblings who once lived in grandeur but their family is now near ruin. Adelaide and Felicie nonetheless still squander money on themselves while Belle slaves around the house, doting on her father. Ludovic detests his two spoiled sisters, but is protective of Belle, especially with his friend Avenant, a handsome scoundrel who wants to marry Belle. Crossing the forest one evening, the father gets lost and takes refuge in a castle. As he leaves, he takes a rose blossom that Belle has requested. The castle's resident, an angry beast, says he must pay with his death, or the death of one of his daughters. With: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parely. Director: Jean Cocteau, Rene Clement. Writer: Jean Cocteau. French with subtitles. (1:33) Not rated
• March 30, 2 p.m., "Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo" (2009). Selected by Lee Ann Roripaugh, a poet and fiction writer who teaches creative writing and literature. What sounds like a terrific monster movie is a quietly effective documentary that untangles the web of cultural and historical ties that underlie Japan's deep fascination with insects. From beetles to dragonflies to crickets, Japanese culture embraces insects as a vital and beautiful part of the natural world. Through captivating visuals, historical vignettes, and even poetry, the film explores this phenomenon and the symbiotic relationship between all species. The film also shows how the insect world has developed into big business. Director: Jessica Oreck (130) Not rated
• March 30, 6 p.m., "Food, Inc." (2008). An unflattering look inside America's corporate-controlled food industry and the growth of the fast food industry that since the 1950s has changed the production of food drastically. Health and safety (of the food itself, of the animals produced, of the workers on assembly lines and of consumers) often are overlooked by companies and by the government to provide cheap food regardless of negative consequences. With Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal." Director: Robert Kenner. (1:34) Rated PG for some thematic material and disturbing images
