The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover Eighth Film in A&M International's Feasting on Light: 2001 Fall Film Festival

The eighth film for Texas A&M International University's Fall Film Festival Series: "Feasting on Light" is The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. The film will be shown Wednesday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Bullock Hall 101 and is free and open to the public.

Horrific and beautiful, The Cook has been described as a metaphor for the decline of Western Civilization and the cruelty of Thatcherism. Each scene is exactingly filmed -- lush visuals with a hard core of rage at the center.

Greed, lust, revenge and capitalism are all offered to the viewer in uncompromising detail, serving some of the most unpleasant aspects of modern society with only touches of dark comedy. The director, Peter Greenaway, brings layers to his gruesome story with insight and complexity, allowing the viewer a shudder, and later, food for thought.

The film is rated NC-17 for male and female nudity, sexuality, language,and violence.

After the show, there will be 15 to 30 minutes of commentary and questions and answers, led by Series creators Dr. Sean M. Chadwell and Dr. William J. Nichols II, both assistant professors in the College of Arts and Humanities.

The next film in the Series, 301/302, will be shown on November 7.

For more information, contact either Drs. Chadwell or Nichols by phone, at 326.2471, 326.2610, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 418C, room 421B or visit the festival's website: http://www.tamiu.edu/~wnichols/food.htm.

University office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu