Cinematic Connections in a Polarized World:
How movies bring us together
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - Thursday, April 23, 2026
This event is made possible through the generous support and financial contributions from the Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization, UI International Programs, the UI Old Capitol Museum, the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Perry A. and Helen Judy Bond Fund. Activities for the 2026 Provost's Global Forum are hosted in collaboration with the UI Old Capitol Museum.
The Provost’s Global Forum - Cinematic Connections in a Polarized World: How movies bring us together - brings scholars, students, and filmmakers together for film screenings, keynote talks, and lively conversations about how movies foster connection across cultural, religious and generational divides. Audiences can expect engaging panels on topics ranging from food and music to friendship, romance, and sports—paired with Q&As featuring international speakers. This event invites anyone interested in global Jewish cinemas, storytelling, or cross-cultural dialogue to explore how films help us laugh together, learn together, and imagine more connected futures.
The Forum will feature three days of sessions, a keynote presentation for the 2026 Joel Barkan Memorial Lecture.
- Find out about U.S. and international TV series and films that bridge social divides through intergenerational connections, fusion cuisine, music and dance, friendships, and love stories.
- Engage with experts about Argentinian-Jewish film and TV
- Learn about how Jewish screenwriters responded to Hollywood’s representation of Blackness from 1945 – 1953
- Explore why current TV series on Black-Jewish connections are all the rage
- Experience how Israeli-Palestinian love stories chart new territory
- Discover how Bollywood has been shaped by the 2000-year old Indian Jewish community
Schedule of Events
* Schedule subject to change
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026
Schedule will be made available by early April.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2026
Schedule will be made available by early April.
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026
Schedule will be made available by early April.
Speaker Biographies
Biographies will be added by early April.
Travel & Parking
Old Capitol Museum Senate Chambers location – The Old Capitol Museum is located on the Pentacrest at the University of Iowa. Linked is a map of campus.
21 N. Clinton Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Parking – The Capitol Street parking ramp is located at 220 S. Capitol Street, with entrances on both Capitol Street and Clinton Street. Parking is $2/hour and the first hour is free. The parking ramp is within walking distance of the International Commons. Accessible parking is located on streets surrounding the Old Capitol Museum. Most on-street parking in downtown Iowa City is metered with limited times of 1-2 hours. Free street parking is possible outside the central downtown area, but will require a walk.
If parking in the Capitol Street parking ramp, you will walk through the University Capitol Centre and exit through the doors on the north end of the building. The Old Capitol Museum is located across the street to the north.
Bus Service – The Old Capitol Museum is located adjacent to the Downtown Interchange bus stop. A number of University of Iowa (CAMBUS) and city buses frequent this location.
Accessibility – The Old Capitol Museum's accessible entrance is on the southside of the building. Take the ramp to the south door and ring the bell. A staff member will open the door for you as quickly as possible. Please allow for a few moments as they may be coming from a different floor to reach you.
Once inside the building, there is a centrally located elevator which can reach all 3 floors.
If you are needing any assistance, please feel free to stop by the main desk or contact the museum's Visitor Services Coordinator in advance. Any of their staff would be happy to assist you.
Places to Eat & Hotels
Visiting from out of town? Below are some highlights for places to eat, things to do, and hotel options close by. If you are a presenter, refer to your event contact for details on what meals are provided and what hotel you are staying in.
Places to Eat
For places to eat located inside the University Capitol Centre, visit the Old Capitol Town Center's directory.
For places to eat in downtown Iowa City, visit the Iowa City Downtown District food and drink guide.
For more options, visit Think Iowa City's restaurant guide.
Hotels
For hotels within walking distance of the University of Iowa campus, visit the Iowa City Downtown District hotel guide.
For more options outside of downtown Iowa City, visit Think Iowa City's hotel guide.
Things to Do
Shopping
Shops located within walking distance of campus can be found on the Iowa City Downtown District shopping guide.
Located 5 miles from campus is the Coral Ridge Mall.
Things to Do
Looking for events and activities happening in the area? Visit the Think Iowa City visitor guide.
RSVP for the 2026 Forum
Organizers & recipients of Provost's Global Forum Award
Elke Heckner
Elke Heckner is an associate professor in the Department of German at the University of Iowa. She is completing her book, Memories of Futurity: Remapping Visual Representations of the Holocaust and Genocide for publication. The book traces important paradigm shifts in cinematic and visual representations of the Holocaust that allow transnational Holocaust memory to be conceptualized from its very beginnings in terms of the notion of futurity. Last year, she received an International Programs Summer Research fellowship, which enabled her to work on chapters for the book project Memory in Action: Public Memorial Culture in the Age of Post-Truth.
Denise Filios
Denise K. Filios is an associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa. She enjoys teaching courses about such topics as fitness cultures in Spain, the music of the Hispanic world, and medieval Iberian literature and culture. She is the author of Performing Women in the Middle Ages: Sex, Gender, and the Iberian Lyric. Her current research studies the Camino de Santiago and other medieval-based long-distance walking routes and cultural itineraries in Spain.
About the Provost's Global Forum
Through the generous support of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, the Provost’s Global Forum is the premier annual event on campus focused on international and global issues. The forum brings together experts from the faculty and leading voices from a variety of areas to raise awareness about and contribute to debate on the foremost issues in globalization that face us today.
In addition to serving the University of Iowa community broadly, the forum endeavors to build connections between the University and the state of Iowa, and positions the UI as a national node in discussions of global affairs.
All events are free and open to the public.
International Programs Monthly Newsletter
Stay current on events like this forum and others offered throughout the year.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Daniel Vorwerk in advance by email at daniel-vorwerk@uiowa.edu or call 319-467-1619.