It’s a new semester and with that comes new classes, new teachers and even new students. (Unfortunately Harris food is still the same).
But the one new thing that has really gotten people excited is Connecticut College’s new film club. Founded by Cali Zimmerman ’14, the Connecticut College Cinema Club, or The 4 C’s, has been turning heads here on campus.
Here, Zimmerman discusses the founding and purpose of the new film club.
College Voice: So why film?
Cali Zimmerman: Why not film? I can’t really read or write. [laughs] No, it’s always been film. I started watching movies because I didn’t like doing homework. And the passion just formed from there. I took a film class in seventh grade and we watched two movies: Chariots of Fire and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I just remember that watching them in a classroom setting was just an unreal experience. To see other people’s passions for film just inspired me. And the teacher was just so amazingly knowledgeable and passionate about film that we stayed close all throughout middle school and high school. I actually did my senior film
project with her.
CV: Are you a film major then?
CZ: Yes, I am. I am also a transfer from Mount Holyoke College, which is why it is weird that I’m starting the film club since I’m new to
this school, too. But I was involved in a film club there, which was in its founding year as well. It was called “16 Millimeters” because we worked with 16 millimeter film and watched 16 millimeter movies.
CV: Tell me about this new film club at Conn.
CZ: Well, it’s called The 4 C’s and it is going to be a combination of a normal film society and a production club, meaning that we’re going to screen movies but, at the same time, we’re going to take some trips to do some filmmaking, directing and production. It’s really an all-inclusive film club.
CV: And the students make these productions?
CZ: Yeah, the students [do], and we’re going to have some professors help out. It’ll be great.
CV: Tell me more about the production aspect of the group.
CZ: Well, I can’t really say for sure right now. Whatever people want to do, that’s what we’re going to do. If people want to film movies,
they can. Our end goal for the club is to have a student film festival and have student films shown there, maybe even with other colleges in the area like Wesleyan or Trinity. Film professor Ross Morin is our faculty advisor so he will be involved in student film and he’ll help out with our productions. Our club is really laid back. We want to screen student films on Friday nights on the big screen in Olin before our feature films. You don’t even have to be a part of the club to screen a film. You can just show up and have your film screened.
CV: And when does this club meet?
CZ: It’s going to meet Fridays at 7PM in Olin 014. So you can eat dinner before and then come and unwind and watch a movie and maybe even learn some stuff about film.
CV: Now I’m sure some students are wondering this, will there be food at the meetings?
CZ: We can’t eat in the actual room in Olin, but we can eat outside the room. So there will be food and movie related snacks.
CV: Are there any lectures or guest speakers coming to the school?
CZ: We hope so. I’ve talked to a couple of past alumni directors who said that they’d be willing to come and help out and give us some tutorials on directing and filmmaking. Hopefully we can get more speakers as well.
CV: What gave you the idea to start this film club?
CZ: I love watching movies; it’s an absolute passion of mine, and to be able to share it with other people is just great. I’ve talked to a lot of people who also enjoy watching movies and it would just be a great way to get a collection of people together who want to know more about film and expand their film knowledge and most importantly have a good time.
CV: How is this film club different from other film clubs in the past at this school that have not lasted through the years?
CZ: Well, in the past there’s been a straightforward film club that was without production, and then there’s also been a club that was just production, so this one combines both. It allows students to do everything. It’s like the major, except you don’t get graded on it.
CV: And anyone can join?
CZ: Anyone can join; anyone who likes film or wants to know about film. You don’t have to be a major.
CV: The posters you put up around campus, you are not legally allowed to say what film you are screening, is that correct?
CZ: Correct. We can’t do it because of the rights for the movie. We’d have to pay for the rights and that would just be a huge burden. So either there will be a surprise screening every week or it will be decided upon at the meeting before. And if a member really wants to screen a movie then they can do that. Like, if I wanted to do Dead Poet’s Society, which is my favorite movie, I would maybe write something up and I could present on it the next week. It’s not really as formal as I’m making it to be; anyone can do whatever they want.
CV: Why can we say what films we’ll be watching for a class, but not for this?
CZ: We can screen certain films if they are for a class but the club is not a class so we cannot screen for pleasure without getting the rights for the movie. The school would have to pay for the rights, so this way is just easier. We can let people know what film we’ll be showing by word of mouth or it can just be a surprise each week.
CV: You seem to be very passionate about film. Do you have a favorite director?
CZ: I like classic directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Nicholas Ray and Howard Hawks. They are all auteurs and you just don’t see auteurs that much anymore.
CV: What is an auteur?
CZ: An auteur is a filmmaker who has consistent style that’s noticeable throughout their body of work.
CV: What genre(s) of film are you going to show?
CZ: We’re going to screen a wide range of films because showing just one genre of movie will get boring. Our selection is very democratic; we hold votes for what films we want to watch. All I know is that we’re definitely not going to watch The Back-Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez. That movie was terrible.
CV: Can you talk about the Oscar ballot contest?
CZ: Sure. We’re doing an Oscar ballot contest which consists of filling out an Oscar ballot with your predictions of who you think
is going to win. Anyone can do it. They will be online and emailed to everyone on campus.
CV: Will the club ever go offcampus to watch films?
CZ: Hopefully we can go to a theater together and see a movie that the club really wants to see. I love going to the theater and I love going with people so this really works out.
CV: I heard you have an idea for a movie-themed dance?
CZ: Yes. It would be really cool if we could co-sponsor a dance in which everyone has to be their favorite movie character, TV character or anything movie-themed. We could have a contest for the best costumes. Maybe we could even have a Pulp Fiction dance contest.
CV: 3-D films are big nowadays. What do you think of it?
CZ: 3-D sucks. It’s corrupting cinema and destroying film. The Great Gatsby is coming out in 3-D. That should tell you that 3-D is being overused.
Luckily, the first screening of The 4 C’s this past Friday night was not a 3-D movie. Over forty students showed up to watch The Room,
Tommy Wiseau’s famously horrendous movie. In the film, Johnny, a man who can only be described as creepy beyond all belief, wonders if his fiancée…actually there is no main plot of The Room. Half of the movie is made up of unconnected subplots that come out of nowhere and the other half is disturbingly long, vomit-inducing sex scenes that make even the loneliest people cover their eyes.
Nonetheless, The 4 C’s members cheered and jeered during this hour and a half long spectacle. Some people laughed, some people cried (mostly from laughing too hard), but everyone had a great time.
