University to premiere ‘Beyond the Classroom: China,’ documentary on Capstone Abroad

The University of South Carolina will host two screenings of “Beyond the Classroom: China,” a documentary by associate professor of media arts Laura Kissel.

The film, to be shown in the Russell House theater at 5 p.m. Feb. 4 and 5, chronicles the study-abroad experience of the 23 Capstone scholars who participated in last summer’s Capstone Abroad trip to China.

The students and faculty who attended the Capstone in China trip will be honored as special guests at the Feb. 4 showing. Free tickets for that showing are available in the Study Abroad office, 321 Legare.

The Feb. 5 show will have general-admission seating. Admission is free, and no ticket or RSVP is necessary.

The Capstone in China trip was part of the “China: Tradition and Transformation” class, led by history professor Karl Gerth. The students visited a number of sites, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Nanjing Road, during their two-week excursion.

The Capstone Scholars Program, begun in 2005, focuses on academic excellence and the culture of inquiry. An integral part of the Capstone program is learning outside of the classroom. The Capstone Abroad Program is one such opportunity. Each May, faculty members lead groups of undergraduate scholars overseas to learn outside the boundaries of the Columbia campus.

Laura Kissel is a documentary filmmaker and co-founder of the Orphan Film Symposium, dedicated to the research, preservation and exhibition of orphan films. Her latest work, “Cabin Field,” has been honored with three festival awards, including the Jurors’ Citation Award at the 2006 Black Maria Film and Video Festival. Kissel is the S.C. Arts Commission’s Media Arts Fellow for 2007 – 08. She earned her MFA in Radio-TV-Film from Northwestern University in 1999.

The film screenings are sponsored by International Programs, Study Abroad, the Center for Asian Studies, Capstone Scholars, the department of art and the Walker Institute.

For more information, contact Elise Hammonds in the Study Abroad Office at 803-777-7557.