Best In Show

Submitted by manager on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 21:37

Our SCIENCE ON SCREEN Film Series is an unexpected pairing of current, classic, cult and documentary film with lively introductions by notable experts in science, technology and medicine.

THE FILM: The tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the air as hundreds of eager contestants from across America prepare to take part in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest events of their lives -- the Mayflower Dog Show. Christopher Guest sends up the owners of five of the canine contestants, including veterans of the equally funny WAITING FOR GUFFMAN: Eugene Levy, Parker Posey and Catherine O'Hara. Bob Balaban, Fred Willard and Jane Lynch ramp up the dippy madness in this mockumentary that expertly skewers a complete range of pet obsessions.

Director Christopher Guest. 90 mins, Rated PG-13 for language and sex-related material

With Dr. Donald Joralemon, Professor and Chair,
Smith College Department of Anthropology

THE TOPIC: What differentiates animals treated as beasts of burden or sources of protein from those we invite into our houses and consider as family members? What motivates us to project human characteristics onto specific creatures and why do some humans spend exorbitant amounts of money to compete with their animals in beauty contests and sporting trials?

Dr. Joralemon is a medical anthropologist who has studied shamans on the north coast of Peru and recipients of organ transplants in the United States. He also has an abiding love for English Springer Spaniels and has produced four litters, for a total of 28 puppies, three of which continue to share space in his Conway home. His wife is a serious equestrian who both breeds and trains Arabian and Iberian horses. Five horses and a barn cat complete the animal population at White Horse Farm.

Dr. Joralemon received his B. A. in Religion from Oberlin College and his MA and PhD in Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has co-authored a book on Peruvian shamans and written a number of articles on the bioethics of organ transplantation.

Each film in our SCIENCE ON SCREEN Film Series is used as a jumping off point for the speaker to discuss scientific research, technological advances and other compelling topics, providing the perfect combination of entertainment and enlightenment.