Films that explore Shakespeare’s troubled family life and temptations of a young Vietnamese bride open June 7 at Nebraska’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
Also continuing to show is “Non-Fiction,” a film about a writer who blurs the lines between fact and fiction.
Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, “All is True” is set in 1613 and Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of his wage. Disaster strikes when the famed writer’s renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground.
As the ashes settle, Shakespeare returns to Stratford where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son, Hamnet, Shakespeare struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters.
His very personal search forces him to examine his own failings as a husband and father. It also leads him to uncover secrets and lies within a family at war.
“All is True,” rated PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material and language, shows through June 20.
In her directorial debut, Ash Mayfair highlights the temptations of a very young bride in “The Third Wife.”
Set in the late 19th-century in rural Vietnam, the film follows May, who at 14, is given away in an arranged marriage to become the third wife to her older husband, Hung. May learns that she can gain status and security if she gives birth to a male child — a very real possibility when she gets pregnant.
However, May treads a dangerous path when she starts to develop an attraction to Xuan, Hung’s second wife. As May is drawn toward forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she must make a choice — carry on in silence and safety, or forge a way toward personal freedom.
“The Third Wife,” rated R for sexual content, is scheduled to show at the Ross through June 13.
Set in the bohemian intelligentsia of the Parisian publishing world, “Non-Fiction” follows the romantic and emotional fallout that results when a controversial writer (played by Vincent Macaigne) begins blurring the line between fact and fiction. He begins to use his real-life love affairs — including a passionate fling with an actress (Juliette Binoche), who happens to be married to his editor (Guillaume Canet) — as fodder for an explosive new novel.
“Non-Fiction” is rated R for some language and sexuality/nudity. Its run at the Ross has been extended to June 13.
For more information, including showtimes, call 402-472-5353 or visit the Ross website.
