Julia (Tilda Swinton) is an alcoholic. She is a manipulative, unreliable, compulsive liar who is all strung out beneath her still-flamboyant exterior. Between shots of vodka and one-night stands, she gets by on nickel-and-dime jobs. Increasingly lonely, the only consideration she receives comes from her friend Mitch, who tries to help her. But Julia shrugs him off, as her daily alcohol-induced confusion reinforces her sense that life has dealt her a losing hand and that she is not to blame for the mess she has made of it. Glimpsing imminent perdition, and after a chance encounter with a Mexican woman named Elena, Julia convinces herself—as much in panic and despair as for financial gain—to commit a violent act. Although her journey becomes a headlong flight on a collision course, Julia somehow chooses life over death. The film is in English and Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is $6 for all alumni, faculty, and staff, and is free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Friday, August 28 at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, August 29 at 1 and 6:15 p.m., and Sunday, August 30 at 3:45 and 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

The Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film of the year, Departures is a delightful and sensitive journey into the heartland of Japan and an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan’s cultural heritage. The film follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad titled “Departures,” thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency position but discovers the job is actually for a “nokanshi” or “encoffineer,” a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. His wife and others despise the job, but Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of “nokanshi,” acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy, and meaning of life and living. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles. Admission is $6 for all alumni, faculty, and staff, and is free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m., Saturday, August 29 at 3:45 and 9 p.m., and Sunday, August 30 at 1:15 and 6:30 p.m. For more information visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

The Department of Art and Art History inaugurates the 2009 academic year with an exhibition of work by graduate students who are entering UM’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. The exhibition includes work in ceramics, glass, graphic design, painting, photography, and sculpture. Attend the opening reception on Friday, August 28 from 5 to 9 p.m., when the artists will be on hand to greet visitors and discuss their work. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, continues through Wednesday, September 16 at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Gallery at the Wesley Center Building. For additional information, e-mail [email protected].

Need to renew, replace, or obtain a new Florida Driver’s License? Need to switch your out-of-state driver’s license? Need to renew your Florida Vehicle Registration? The University of Miami Police Department is bringing the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ mini-FLOW (Florida Licensing on Wheels) to the Coral Gables campus from Wednesday through Friday, August 26-28.

UM Police is bringing Mini-FLOW to campus for your convenience during the first week of class. Through mini-FLOW, you can renew, replace, exchange, or get a new Florida State Driver’s license, as well as renew your vehicle registration. (Please note that written exams and driving tests will not be offered). No appointment is necessary; simply stop by at your convenience from 9:30 a.m.  to 3:30 p.m. The mini-FLOW will be set up in the first-floor lounge of the University Center. Further information is available at www.miami.edu/police or through the UM Police Department Crime Prevention Office at 305-284-1105. A complete list of acceptable proof of identification documents is provided at www.flhsmv.gov. Visit www3.hsmv.state.fl.us/intranet/FlowMobile for a complete list of services offered.