What does Kanopy offer?
Library patrons are certainly aware of all the books at their disposal but they may not realize that they can also access a wide variety of films through Kanopy. Kanopy is an on-demand streaming platform designed for public libraries and universities offering thousands of movies from beloved classics, educational documentaries, and award-winners. Kanopy users can also explore critically-acclaimed independent features from different countries, many based on the same books they can check out at their library.
While books are intimate windows into another world, films can bring us directly into the homes of diverse families. Film adaptations of books allow viewers to easily observe the nuances of other lives in a way that a different medium cannot. When watching a film, viewers can see distinct cultural elements like food, clothing, and ways of speaking firsthand. Kanopy offers many films from around the world including A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, The Rabbi’s Cat, The Dinner, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Sold.
These titles are excellent resources for educators or librarians to expose library patrons and students to family structures of different backgrounds. Seeing how people in other countries live breaks down barriers to create a more globalized, empathetic society.
What kind of films does Kanopy have that are based on a book?
The Dinner
Based on the novel by Herman Koch, Ivano de Matteo’s film The Dinner (2014) centers on the families of two brothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds who are forced to work together when their teenage children, Michele and Bennie, commit a crime. Both families initially assume that Michele is the one to blame for the savage attack because Bennie, a woman, could not be capable of extreme violence. They begin to question their beliefs when Bennie appears unremorseful. This is a major change from the source material in which the two perpetrators are young men.
The Dinner shows that women are also capable of brutal atrocities. The film also differs from Herman Koch’s novel in its setting, switching from Amsterdam to Italy where gender roles are more rigorously defined, making Bennie’s actions even more radical. These changes to Herman Koch’s novel incorporate new themes that further complicate the source material. A complex and entertaining drama, The Dinner can be useful to psychology students as well as casual viewers of Italian cinema.
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
Adapted from the short story by Yiyun Li, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2007) follows Mr. Shi as he travels from Beijing to visit his recently divorced daughter, Yilan, in Spokane, Washington. At first, Yilan ignores her father’s attempts to bond with her but eventually, they reexamine their perceptions of one another.
One of the most significant conflicts the father and daughter face is their relationship with traditional gender roles. After being estranged for many years, Mr. Shi attempts to get to know his daughter, but he expects her to be meek and dutiful like his late wife. He is shocked to learn that Yilan had an affair and initiated her divorce. Yilan, on the other hand, was hurt by her father’s stoic masculinity which isolated him from her as a child.
If they ever want to get closer, Mr. Shi and Yilan must learn to overcome their preconceived notions of one another based on what society considers right or wrong for men and women. This adaptation of Yiyun Li’s work allows us to observe Mr. Shi’s desperation to get to know his daughter more clearly through the traditional meals he prepares that go uneaten and the unavoidable tension in Yilan’s apartment. This film would be beneficial to those studying immigrant families and Chinese culture.
Watch A Thousand Years of Good Prayers on Kanopy
The Rabbi’s Cat
The Rabbi’s Cat (2011) explores a very different father-and-daughter relationship. The Rabbi’s Cat is adapted from Joann Sfar’s comic series set in 1920s Algiers about a rabbi’s pet cat who obtains the ability to speak. Afraid that the cat’s newfound powers will make him a bad influence on his daughter, Zlabya, the rabbi agrees to teach the cat about the Torah so that he can spend more time with her. The rabbi’s desire to protect Zlabya from the corrupting influences of the outside world motivates the film.
Although the family is guided by the rabbi’s paternal rule as both a religious figure and a father, Zlabya has agency and ambition; she is welcome to have discussions with her father’s students and engage in religious discourse. Their father/daughter relationship is a lot stronger than the one shown in A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. Zlabya is just as protective of her father as he is of her, always willing to defend his honor. The Rabbi’s Cat illustrates the complexities of the Jewish religion as well as its role in family life.
Watch The Rabbi's Cat on Kanopy
Sold
The rule of the father is the driving force of the film Sold (2014). Based on the novel by Patricia McCormick, Jeffrey D. Brown’s film studies a young girl named Lakshmi from Nepal who is sold into sexual slavery in India. She carefully observes and mimics her mother’s devotion and attendance to her father. While cleaning her husband’s feet, Lakshmi’s mother says, “All joy in life comes from giving to others, and all misery from only thinking of yourself.” This remark influences Lakshmi’s desire to put her family’s needs first.
After a period of heavy rain damages the family crops, they are left without income. When a traveling woman offers Lakshmi a job working in the city, her father accepts and ignores his wife’s protestations. Rather than fight the decision, Lakshmi tries to see this as an opportunity to provide for her family. Sold explores the socioeconomic pressures that are often put on female family members, forcing them into the limited options of domestic or sex work—even at devastatingly young ages. Sold is a bleak portrait of child sex trafficking that educators should consider for political science and humanities classrooms.
Half of a Yellow Sun
Although they come from different financial backgrounds, the Nigerian women in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) must also support their families—but they are not exploited. Adapted from the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, explores the ideas of female empowerment in a patriarchal society. A family epic that takes place before and during the Nigerian Civil War, Half of a Yellow Sun focuses on the different lives of twin sisters and how their relationships and domestic lives change over time. Both sisters are independent and the prime decision-makers in their families.
When Olanna’s partner cheats on her, she leaves the house and seeks solace with her aunt. Olanna’s aunt urges her not to let the affair uproot her life and to remain focused on her job. She reveals her experience with her husband’s infidelity, comforting Olanna by saying, “I now know that nothing he would ever do would make my life change. My life would change only if I want it to change.” This statement transforms the traditional narrative of women being powerless over their husband’s decisions. Seeing the sisters’ determination and independence on screen is a rousing experience. Half of a Yellow Sun would be a welcome reference in classes exploring world history and gender studies.
Watch Half of a Yellow Sun on Kanopy
How can I access Kanopy?
Kanopy is a must-have resource for patrons interested in seeing how films bring the stories they read to life. These are only a handful of the book-to-film adaptations that Kanopy provides for public libraries and universities. These specific films take you across the globe—from China, Italy, Nigeria, Nepal, and Algiers—to marvel at the differences or similarities in your own life to the characters. Sharing global stories with library patrons and students allows them to explore family arrangements and unique traditions in other cultures.
The Kanopy films listed above also illustrate how gender limitations can cause strain on both individuals and families. There are thousands of movies just waiting to be accessed with your library card. Visit the Kanopy website today to learn how to get started. Find out more about Kanopy PLUS, their new subscription model where patrons can watch all the films they desire for one fixed price. Discover how the streaming service can enrich your library experience with films that both educate and entertain.
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Monterey Media
Half of a Yellow Sun Film
Monterey Media
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Matson Films
Sold Film
Matson Films
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Magnolia Pictures
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers Film
Magnolia Pictures