Benh Zeitlin, director of the Beasts of the Southern Wild, will be on campus Thursday, Oct. 24 as part of the Fletcher Lecture series providing two question-and-answer forums at 10:30am and again at 6 p.m. in Le Bijou theatre located in the Bollinger Memorial Student Union.
The coming-of-age story follows young Hushpuppy, played by Houma native Quvenzhane Wallis, who searches for her lost mother after her father contracts a mysterious illness. As Hushpuppy’s world literally begins to fall apart, tough love and valor envelop the child heroine. Though the five-year-old Wallis lied about her age, claiming to be six years old to adhere to the minimum age requirement, Wallis beat over 4,000 other contenders that auditioned for the role.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is nationally acclaimed, receiving nominations for four Oscars and also winning the title of “Movie of the Year” by the American Film Institute. The film is set in a fictitious bayou community of Bathtub yet filmed on site in a familiar location of Terrebonne Parish. Terrebonne-meaning good Earth-is a unique part of Cajun Country, abundant in seafood, wildlife and natural resources. Known for endless bayous, dark-water swamps and ancient mossy wood, the site is perfect for the film’s setting. It is rated PG-13 for child imperilment, mild disturbing images, language and brief sexuality. On a budget of $1.8 million, this independent film has tremendously exceeded expectations in its success. The film’s gross income in the United States alone is over $12.7 million.
Aside from giving us such a picturesque location, the Louisiana parish also produced the lead role of the film. Born in the parish seat of Houma, Wallis is the youngest actress in history to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
In association with the Fletcher Lectures, head of the film department at Nicholls, Todd Kennedy has organized a meet-and-greet luncheon with the director.  Exclusive to his film classes, students signed up for a special invitation to the event. A roster of 20 has confirmed their planned attendance. While lunch with Zeitlin is for the budding film department of Nicholls, both discussion forums invite the general community.
“Some faculty will be in attendance, as well as a select few members of the community, but for the most part, this is a chance for you, students at NSU interested in film studies, to have access to a major U.S. filmmaker,” Kennedy says. “So, please take advantage of it.”
The student meet-and-greet with Zeitlin is also scheduled for Oct. 24, beginning immediately after the public discussion forum. It will be approximately between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the bottom floor of the library.
A screening of the movie was held on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the Peltier auditorium.
“The Fletcher Lectures series is a long and storied tradition,” Kennedy says. Beginning in 1985, noted writers have come to Nicholls to discuss their work. Chefs with credibility in Louisianan roots continue to cater the event. The lectures bring together a myriad of culture that so defines Southern Louisiana.
Kennedy will host both forums, fielding questions from the audience at 10:30 to noon.  The first will be in Le Bijou theatre. He will interview the director himself at the 6 p.m. time slot in the Peltier auditorium. Both forums are free and open to the public.