At Cordia, we believe movies aren’t just for watching, they’re for experiencing, questioning, and exploring. That’s exactly the spirit behind the Cordia Film Club, a group designed to take movie-watching to the next level.
The idea for the club was sparked a few years ago after one of Cordia’s Oscar Film Festivals. The lively discussions that followed each screening revealed just how much our Members enjoyed digging deeper into films. Recognizing this, Cordia’s Associate Director of Programs, Linda Osborn tapped her background in Film & Theatre Studies and her theater experience in New York City and launched the Cordia Film Club.
The club now meets twice a month and feels much like a film studies class and the goal is to encourage Members to view films with fresh eyes, moving beyond a simple “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it” to a more thoughtful discussion about storytelling, style, and meaning.
What makes the Cordia Film Club so special is that the focus is often driven by the Members themselves. For instance:
- When one Member shared her love of the Coen Brothers, the group dove into a series of their films.
- In July, the club lightened things up with a weekly Christopher Guest movie marathon.
- Discussions have compared foreign films with American films, highlighted cinematography, and even explored what it means when a movie is labeled “based on” or “inspired by” true events.
The Film Club often ties into other Cordia programming as well. For example, during Cordia’s virtual trips abroad, the club might select films from that country’s cinema. And in collaboration with the Cordia Book Club, Members have watched and discussed film adaptations of books they’ve read including most recently, Small Things Like These.
At its heart, the Cordia Film Club is about seeing film as an art form, a conversation and even a shared journey. For many Members, it has opened new doors to the way they watch movies and given them a chance to connect with others who love thoughtful storytelling as much as they do.