Event: ‘I believe in America’ Public Talk
Time: 17:00-20:00
Date: 17 December 2019
Place: LC216, University of Malta Msida Campus
'I believe in America': The opening scene of 'The Godfather' and the Challenge of the American Dream
Overview
The UM’s M.A. in Film Studies, in collaboration with the Malta Film Commission, is proudly rehosting a public talk is proudly rehosting a public talk, based on last year’s event entitled “‘I Believe in America’: The Opening Scene of ‘The Godfather’ and the Challenge of the American Dream” delivered by Mark A. Schapiro (Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Malta).
Inspired by Mario Puzo’s extremely successful novel, ‘The Godfather’ (1972) is a world-renowned film by Francis Ford Coppola. Much more than a crime or mafia story, ‘The Godfather’ owes its status of both ‘mainstream’ and ‘auteur cult film’ to its complex, ambivalent, and multifaceted representation of the values, heritage, and legacy of the so-called Old Continent and the New World, together with the issues related to migration, integration, and organised crime.
More about the speaker
Mark A. Schapiro, a career member of the United States Foreign Service, began serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Malta in July 2017. On 29 September 2018, he temporarily became Chargé d’Affaires.
Prior to arriving in Malta, Mark served as Director for Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus at the National Security Council from 2015-2016. Much of his career has focused on the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe.
Mark has received:
- Multiple US Department of State Superior and Meritorious Honour Awards
- The Commander’s Award for Public Service from General David Petraeus (2007)
- The Superior Civilian Service Award from U.S. Army 3ID Commander MG Anthony Cucolo (2010)
A native of New York City, Mark possesses:
- An undergraduate degree from Brown University
- A graduate degree with Distinction from the London School of Economics
- And a 2017 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, where he received the Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens Award for Excellence in Strategic Writing
He has also self-published 'Authorized Departure', a book on the US diplomatic experience in Iraq.
Please note: Refreshments will follow towards the end of the event