French Cine-Club provides students with a unique learning opportunity

Dr. Jennifer Forrest discusses the history of the Cine-Club in her office. The club began in the 1990s after a student suggested the idea to her. Photo: Elizabeth Parrish

SAN MARCOS -- The French department at Texas State University hosts three clubs for their students to join to help improve their skills as French-speakers and to immerse them in French culture. Among these clubs is the Cine-Club, where students can watch French films for free each week.

Dr. Jennifer Forrest, a French professor at Texas State, created the club in the 1990s after a student suggested to her that it might be fun to watch French films. The club began in a classroom with hard, uncomfortable wooden chairs, but now is located in a theater room in the language department with a huge screen and comfortable seats.

Each semester, Dr. Forrest picks a new theme so that students don’t see the same films over and over again. This semester’s theme is “Crime Pays, or Crime Doesn’t Pay”, and features crime noir films pre-dating the 1990s. Every film features the perpetrator of a crime who may or may not get away with it.

“I usually don’t end up showing movies from 1960 onwards that are going to be purely art films. Usually the movies I show have a somewhat popular side to them,” Dr. Forrest said.

Although the club is aimed at helping students in their studies, Dr. Forrest also enjoys watching the films for her own personal pleasure.

“When I come up with a theme, sometimes I have a little trouble filling out the complete program because I may know a lot of movies, but I don’t know every movie that was ever made,” Dr. Forrest said. “So, it’s an opportunity for me to discover movies that I have never seen.”

Most students minoring or majoring in French initially come as a requirement for the lower-level French courses or to get extra credit for the upper-level courses. However, some students discover they enjoy the films and continue to come back.

Samantha Richter has been coming to the club since she was a freshman.

“I think it’s just really enjoyable and Dr. Forrest is really fun to talk to,” Richter said. “And also I think it just started becoming part of my routine. Like, if I don’t go to the movie on Fridays, what am I gonna do with myself?”

Students apparently were content with the club and the quality of the films being played. Some students said they wish more posters were put up for the club, including sophomore Anna Balan.

“I’ve talked to other students about the Cine-Club and not a lot of people know about it,” Balan said.

The screenings are every Friday at 3 p.m. in Centennial Hall room G02. The next screening will be “Les Tontons Flingueurs”, also known as “Monsieur Gangster”, on March 3.