Two showings of the movie "Beasts of the Southern Wild" will be offered through a collaboration between Purdue University North Central's Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series, LaPorte County Public Library and Michigan City Public Library. Both showings are free and open to the public.
It will be shown on Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m. at the Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. Fourth St. and on Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. at the LaPorte County Public Library, 904 Indiana Ave., LaPorte.
The film is rated PG-13 for situations including child imperilment, some disturbing images and language.
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director; Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress and has gathered dozens of other awards and nominations.
It is the story of the people who live in the Delta area outside of New Orleans called "the Bathtub, a dirt-poor area subject to the ravages of nature and flooding. The Bathtub is depicted as a place that is part real, part magical; its way of life is harsh, yet idyllic.
Nine-year-old actress Quvenzhané Wallis, who was seven when the movie was finished, recently earned a Critics' Choice Award for her charismatic portrayal of "Hushpuppy." Hushpuppy lives with her ill father, who hopes to live long enough to teach his daughter to be self-reliant.
Dwight Henry, who portrays the father, is not a professional actor. He owns a pastry shop in New Orleans that was visited by the film's casting people. This is the first film by 29-year-old director Benh Zeitlin.
"The New York Times" said, "The movie is a blast of sheer, improbable joy." Roger Ebert termed it a "remarkable creation" and rated it as one of the year's best films.