Foreign Film Movie & Discussion

Join fellow film fans in the Little Theater at Lenox to watch and discuss engaging and thought-provoking foreign films. We'll view the movie and then have time for focused discussion led by Lisa Kjellander from the St. Louis Park Library. Sponsored by Friends of the St. Louis Park Library.

Fall 2026 Session

Oct. 20: Brief Encounters (1967) Russian

Through an intricate play of flashbacks and shifting perspectives, Brief Encounters reveals the tangled romantic triangle that connects a hard-nosed city planner, her free-spirited geologist husband, and the young woman from the countryside whom she hires as her housekeeper. Blending observational realism with striking New Wave-style experimentation, Encounters crafts a wryly perceptive study of two very different women bound by chance and each navigating her own career, dreams, and disappointments.

Oct. 27: Cairo Station (1958) Egypt

A newspaper salesman at the train station in Cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments.

Nov. 10: Victims of Sin/Víctimas del pecado (1951) Mexico

A treasure of Mexico's cinematic golden age, this deliriously plotted blend of gritty crime film, heart-tugging maternal melodrama, and mambo musical is a dazzling showcase for iconic star Ninón Sevilla. She brings fierce charisma and fiery strength to her role as a rumbera, a female nightclub dancer who gives up everything to raise an abandoned boy, whom she must protect from his ruthless gangster father.

Nov. 17: The Teacher’s Lounge/Das Lehrzimmer (2023) Germany

An idealistic middle school teacher who advocates for a student accused of stealing becomes embroiled in conflict when she becomes the target of a theft herself.

Winter 2027 Session - Registration Opens on Dec. 1, 2026

March 16: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Mexico (Make-up date for film missed on 9/22)

A dark fable set five years after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Eleven-year-old Ofelia comes face to face with the horrors of fascism when she and her pregnant mother are uprooted to the countryside, by her new stepfather- a sadistic captain in General Franco's army, who hunts down Republican guerrillas. This violent reality merges with a fantastical world when Ofelia meets a faun in a decaying labyrinth, and she is set on a strange mythic journey that is at once terrifying and beautiful.

March 23: The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2019) Sweden

When Allan lands in a nursing home, he refuses to celebrate his 100th birthday and instead escapes out a window to embark on a journey that involves a suitcase of cash and a gang of criminals. Flashbacks reveal that Allan played a key point in 20th century history.

March 30: Back to Burgundy = Ce qui nous lie (2017) France

After a 10 year absence, Jean returns to his hometown when his father falls ill. Reuniting with his sister Juliette and his brother Jérémie, to save the family vineyard they must re-build their relationship and trust as a family again.

April 6: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001) China

Set in 19th-century China, two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocratic woman prepares for an arranged marriage but soon reveals her superior fighting talents and her romantic past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face-to-face with their worst enemy, and the enduring power of love.

If class is full, please enroll to be added to the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.