“Mothering Sunday,” a film adaptation of Graham Swift’s acclaimed novel of the same name, opens April 15 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Continuing to show is “Great Freedom.”
Featuring Odessa Young and Josh O’Connor in leading roles, “Mothering Sunday” is a romantic drama set in the wake of World War I. The film is anchored on a single day in the life of Jane Fairchild (Young), an orphaned maid. That day — a warm Mother’s Day in 1924 — allows Fairchild to spend time with her lover, Paul, who is due to celebrate his engagement to Emma Hobday.
Later in life, Fairchild becomes a writer and marries Donald, a philosopher she met while working at a book shop. One day, he asks her how she became a writer and she lists three things — the third of which, that Mother’s Day with Paul, she keeps to herself.
The story is ultimately about storytelling and what drives someone to become a writer.
“Mothering Sunday,” which is rated R for graphic nudity, some language and sexual content, shows at the Ross through April 28.
“Great Freedom” draws on past injustices to present a beautifully crafted tribute to the persistence of the human spirit.
The production sets in Germany following the end of World War II. Hans (Franz Rogowski) has been found guilty of being gay, something the government deems a crime.
Under the 19th-century German penal code known as Paragraph 175, homosexuality is grounds for imprisonment, and Hans — over the course of multiple decades — is spied on and repeatedly jailed solely for his sexuality. As he returns to prison, again and again, Hans develops an ever-closer relationship with his cellmate Viktor (Georg Friedrich), a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. As their charged rapport blossoms over time into something far more tender, the film explores love and lost time.
Directed by Sebastian Meise, “Great Freedom” is not rated. It shows through April 21.
Learn more about the films, including show times and ticket availability.
