Winona State University will hold a film series in recognition of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The series will run Sept. 11-16.

The films included in the series were selected and assembled based on three questions: What happened on 9/11? What did we do in response? And what did that response do to us? The goal of these screenings is not to provide simplistic answers to these questions, but to use cinema as a platform from which to discuss how we conceive and understand the attack, our resulting attitudes and actions, and ultimately pry at the broader question: what does 9/11 mean? These are challenging questions with possibly even more challenging answers.

FILM SCHEDULE:

Sunday, Sept. 11: United 93
Directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum), this intense dramatization of the 9/11 attack focuses on the events aboard United Airlines flight 93. The film was named among the best pictures of 2006 by several critics and was nominated for an Oscar for BestPicture. MPAA rating: R.  111 minutes.

Monday, Sept. 12: Osama
This Afghani film about a girl and her family living under the Taliban was the first Afghani film to be made after the Taliban were removed from power. It won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 2004 Golden Globes. MPAA rating: PG-13.  83 minutes.

Tuesday, Sept. 13: Restrepo
The documentary film about American soldiers stationed in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. MPAA rating: R. 93 minutes.

Wednesday, Sept. 14: Taxi to the Dark Side
Called "one of the essential documentaries of the ongoing war" by “The New Yorker,” this film examines the enhanced interrogation techniques used by the United States in the War on Terror. The film won an Oscar and an Emmy for Best Documentary. MPAA rating: R.  106 minutes.

Thursday, Sept. 15: The Messenger
A wounded soldier (Ben Foster) is assigned to a Casualty Notification Team and partnered with an experienced soldier (WoodyHarrelson) who instructs him on the procedures of his job. “Coming Home” for the September 11th generation. Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar for hisperformance. MPAA rating: R.  113 minutes.

Friday, Sept. 16: Four Lions
Compared by critics to “Duck Soup” and “Dr. Strangelove,” this dark comedy follows a group of bumbling terrorists who attempt to fulfill their dreams of martyrdom but constantly foil themselves due to their own stupidity. Fans of “Life of Brian,” “The Daily Show,” and “Good Morning, Vietnam” shouldn't miss it. MPAA rating: R.  97 minutes.

All screenings are free and open the public. Films will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Science Lab Center Auditorium.

The 9/11 Film Series is sponsored by Sounds of Cinema, Winona State University's English Department, Communication Studies Department, Department of Housing and Residence Life,Department of Theatre and Dance, Office of Inclusion and Diversity, Office of Student Life and Development, Philosophy Department, University ProgrammingActivities Committee, Vittorio Colaizzi, Anne Plummer, and Jim Williams.

For more information on the film series, email Nathan Wardinski at NWardinski@winona.edu.  For an additional link and trailers for the films visit: http://www.soundsofcinema.com/features/911films/.