Hundreds of students and teachers representing eight Wisconsin high schools flocked to the Orpheum Theatre Friday afternoon for the fourth annual World Cinema Day.

World Cinema Day is a high school outreach program designed by the University of Wisconsin Language and Art Institutes, with support from the Global Film Initiative and the Wisconsin Film Festival.

The event aims at promoting the understanding of world cultures through foreign cinema.

This year, the UW Language Institute selected the Indonesian film "Of Love and Eggs" out of a possible nine international films being offered by the Global Lens Series of the Global Film Initiative.

The film portrays ordinary life around a Jakarta mosque and its underlying everyday struggles between parents and children, class and religion.

After the credits rolled, Professor Ellen Raferty, Chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia, led a lively discussion dealing with issues of class and language in Indonesian society. Two UW graduate students from Indonesia were also on hand for the discussion.

Yuli Pangaribuan, a native Indonesian in the audience who stood up and shared her views, said it was interesting to contrast the film with what she has seen.

"It was interesting to look at the Indonesian culture from the outside," Pangaribuan said. "As well as to see where it has gone in the 10 years since I have been in the U.S."

According to Wendy Johnson, outreach coordinator for the UW Language Institute, World Cinema Day has had great success in the past and has appeared on the "Hear on Earth" radio show on Wisconsin Public Radio.

"The event went really well, my favorite part had to be the discussion," Johnson said. "I wish it could have lasted longer."

In its partnership with the Wisconsin Film Festival, Johnson said, the UW Language Institute's main message is education.

"The Wisconsin Film Festival deals with the technical film aspect of the event, and we gather the educational materials needed to present and discuss the film," Johnson said.

According to Raferty, World Cinema Day provides many opportunities for high school students and helps them gain knowledge about Indonesian culture and Islam

"Film is a medium that really speaks to high schoolers," Johnson said. "It's just great we have this opportunity to present such a quality international film."