February 18, 2026
7:30 pm
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Josh Petrusa
The Irwin Library Film Series returns for its third year with a new theme – Irwin Closet Picks! Honoring the popular Criterion Closet Picks video series, Butler Libraries faculty have picked their favorite Criterion Collection releases from the ‘Irwin Closet’ to showcase this year, and will introduce, contextualize, and appreciate them at this year’s screenings. Criterion publishes “important classic and contemporary films from around the world,” and this year’s series will span black & white, color, in English, foreign language, animated, live action, musical, comedy, fairy tale and more. Popcorn and soda will be available, as well as BCR credit!
Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 PM: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) starring Rachel Roberts, directed by Peter Weir
Before moving to Hollywood to make Dead Poet's Society and The Truman Show, Peter Weir introduced international audiences to a new era of cinema in his native Australia with his second feature, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Based on a 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, the film concerns a class trip of students and teachers from an all-female college on a Valentine's Day picnic, with those who return struggling with the mystery surrounding those who don't. Weir aimed to create an eerie and disquieting film exploring class, sexual repression, and the colonial arrogance of human contact with an unknown and wild natural world. This mesmerizing and dreamlike film runs from discipline and order to inexplicable mystery, making an unforgettable viewing experience.