Open-air films at Evenings on Campus

This summer, Evenings on Campus, in association with the Malta University Film Club, with the co-ordination of Dr Salvu Catania, is screening a selection of highly acclaimed films from around the world. In keeping with the theme of this year's Evenings on Campus, a number of these films explore themes of childhood. A discussion will be held after most of the films.

This year the films will be screened in the open air at Atriju Vassalli. All films start at 9 p.m. and will be held on Tuesdays.

The programme opens this Tuesday with Charlie Chaplin's silent film classic The Kid. One of the greatest works by this master of screen comedy, the film follows the relationship between Chaplin's famous Tramp character and a baby he rescues from a rubbish bin - a theme that although it may have seemed too far-fetched at the time is very relevant today. The film will be accompanied by a live pianist, Arja Callus, playing improvised music for the occasion.

The Return (12) tells the story of two brothers, the headstrong Ivan and his gentle elder sibling Andrey, who live with their mother in a remote Russian town. One day their lives are shattered by the appearance of their long-lost father, whom they can only recollect from a ten-year-old photograph. The reappearance brings with it a whole host of unanswered questions.

The Return will be screened on July 19 with a brief introduction by Dr Gloria Lauri Lucente.

A surreal, nightmarish fairy-tale set in a magical world of the imagination, The City of Lost Children (16) is as unique and unforgettable as films come. It tells the story of a scientist who kidnaps children and steals their dreams in an attempt to slow his aging process and keep himself alive.

The film has elements of a childlike, innocent wonder as well as a more adult, disturbing side. Coming from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the renowned director behind recent films Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, this film is an unmissable visual tour-de-force and a masterpiece of the imagination. It will be screened on July 26.

Nobody Knows (12) is based on the true story of four young children abandoned in a small apartment in Tokyo by their mother, and left to fend for themselves, unseen by the adult world. The film, to be shown on August 2, boasts stunning performances from its child actors and has been described by critics worldwide as a touching drama exploring the vulnerability of children as well as the innocent kindness and courage they can be capable of. Dr Catania will open a discussion after the film.

Festen is recognised as a masterpiece of world cinema. The story it tells - of a Danish extended family gathered together for the 60th birthday of one of its members, only to be torn apart as hidden secrets are brought to the surface - is tragic, and its excellent handling by the director and his cast makes the film a harrowing, unforgettable experience.

This film, which will be shown on August 9, is being dedicated to the late Julian Manduca, who counted it as one of his favourites.

Nanni Moretti's La Stanza del Figlio, which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, follows the profound emotional trauma a family goes through after their teenage son dies in a scuba diving accident. It will be screened on August 16.

The Unsaid (18) is a gripping film in which a psychiatrist, who is himself haunted by his son's suicide, uncovers the dark past of a troubled adolescent patient. What starts as a drama soon develops into a psychological thriller. Mary Ann Borg Cunen will open a disussion after the film, to be shown on August 23.

The Evenings on Campus film festival will close with a joyous family film, Fiddler on the Roof, to be screened on August 30; set in pre-revolutionary Russia, it relates the story of Tevye and his disobedient daughers. This film is a celebration, not only of roles and culture but also of life itself.

Tickets for all films are Lm2 and Lm1.50 for students, children and film club members.

Refreshments will be sold from the 'Meet 'n bar' on Campus.