By Nancy Warren

The most rewarding thing about teaching at Paul D. Camp Community College, aside from being able to work in my bunny slippers most of the time, is discovering a movie for Movie Night that piques the interests of college students and helps them see the world through different lenses.

I use movie clips and trailers in my classes and, when I see what a difference it makes in student engagement, it makes me glad I became a teacher. Films bring the written word to life and allow students to see how others live. The views and experiences expressed in film help us all be more understanding of others.

Analyzing the films is educational, and it is in line with the college’s mission statement “to provide diverse learning opportunities.” Following some of the movies, guest speakers lead interesting discussions on the film’s meaning and/or the persuasion techniques used in the films. The Movie Night events also benefit the community, as they are open to the public.

Because there are no movie theaters in much of PDCCC’s service region, the college has stepped up to the plate to meet the needs of the community, showing different types of movies: new releases, documentaries, foreign films and classic films.

We kick off this semester with “The Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid (The Lone Ranger), at three different locations:

• Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at PDCCC’s Regional Workforce Center in Franklin (free and open to the public)
• Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Smithfield Little Theater in Smithfield (free and open to the public)
• And Sept. 20, Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts ($5 at the door, but free to Paul D. Camp students and staff)

Johnny Depp plays the part of a friend to Reid, but as the story unfolds, Tonto has a story of his own to tell. The action, however, is the main attraction. Horses, guns and a runaway train keep the audience wondering what is coming next. It is 149 minutes of sheer entertainment and is rated PG-13.

This will be the first time the college has shown a movie in Smithfield. But this is just the beginning; more movies have been planned at the Suffolk and Franklin campuses.

Upcoming movies at 4 p.m. on the Hobbs Suffolk Campus and at 7 p.m. at the Regional Workforce Development Center in Franklin include “Enough” on Oct. 2, starring Jennifer Lopez, which takes a harsh look at domestic violence; and “The Waiting Room” on Oct. 16, a documentary set in a California hospital that recounts the frustration of the uninsured.

The foreign film, “Sin Nombre,” which focuses on gang violence, identity and trust, will be shown Nov. 7. The classic film, “Rear Window,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jimmy Stewart, will be featured Nov. 21.

To view the Movie Night trailers and learn more about each film, visit www.pdc.edu/movie-night/.

Nancy Warren is an associate professor of English at the Paul D. Camp Community College Franklin campus and coordinator of Movie Night. Email her at nwarren@pdc.edu.