The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo La misteriosa mirada del flamenco
Synopsis
The Chilean desert, 1982. It is rumored that a single loving gaze between two men is how the plague spreads—an illness both mysterious and lethal that is tearing through a remote mining town. At the center of the paranoia is a community on the margins: a home where eleven-year-old Lidia grows up among a fierce and loving queer family. As fear and violence begin to spread even faster than the plague, Lidia sets out to find the truth about this mythical epidemic to protect her beloved kin.
With sensuous magical realism and poetic tenderness set against the harsh desert backdrop, director Diego Céspedes draws us into a pivotal moment in queer history as lived by its most marginalized and misunderstood protagonists. An ode to the care and resilience of trans family, this breathtaking debut never loses sight of the power of love in the face of dire circumstances.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
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Media
Film Credits
- Giancarlo Nasi, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi
- Diego Céspedes
- Martial Salomon
- Angello Faccini Rueda
- Tamara Cortés, Matías Catalán, Paula Dinamarca, Claudia Cabezas, Luis Dubó
- Florencia Di Concilio
- Quijote Films, Les Valseurs, Weydemann Bros. GMBH Germany, Irusoin, Wrong Men
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Magellan Magalhães
Synopsis
In the 16th century, after convincing Spanish royalty to fund his expedition, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (played with harrowing intensity by Gael García Bernal) sets his sights on Southeast Asia. Charting a course for the Malay Archipelago, he embarks on a brutal campaign of religious conversion and colonial conquest, but obsession and madness begin to take hold.
Filipino auteur and “slow cinema” practitioner Lav Diaz helms this starkly beautiful biopic, an unconventional epic centering violence against a series of stunning, languid landscapes. Deliberately paced and endlessly absorbing, Diaz subverts the genre’s conventions at every turn, rejecting traditional mythmaking in favor of a more exacting, critical eye. The result is an awe-inspiring history that examines the sinister cruelty fueling the Age of Discovery.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
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Media
Film Credits
- Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves, Albert Serra, Montse Triola, Paul Soriano, Mark Viktor
- Gael García Bernal, Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio, Tomás Alves, Bong Cabrera, Baptiste Pintaux, Brontis Jodorowsky
- Rosa Filmes, Andergraun Films, Black Cap Pictures, Lib Films
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The Girls Are Alright Las chicas están bien
Synopsis
This playful meditation on love, art, and friendship follows a group of women who retreat to an idyllic, sunkissed village to rehearse a play. As they learn their lines and don their costumes, their personal lives—filled with summer flings and long distance loves—and those of their characters begin to merge to form a beguiling and poignant pastiche.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Media
Sponsors
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CineYouth Program
Espressivo: Music and Dance
Synopsis
Let the sound waves move your spirit. Music and dance are at the core of these personal and innovative works exploring cultural identity, nostalgia, loss, and remembrance. Like a playlist on shuffle, music videos, documentaries, and narrative dramas from these 8 filmmakers coalesce into a gorgeous display of how music can connect us, no matter who or where we are.
Please note: Films in this program contain flashing lights and themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Rabbit by Creeping Charlie
In this dreamy music video, two girls reminisce on their early childhoods, longing for the simplistic and innocent past. Set amidst a beautiful fall day and adorned with feminine playfulness, Rabbit explores how childhood notions evolve into contemporary creativity.
Las Mariachis
This documentary follows Maricella Martinez, the director of the all-female mariachi band Mariachis Lindas Mexicanas as she balances the band and motherhood. With a backdrop of lively and lilting tunes, Marcialla reflects on the ways in which Mariachi music has shaped her as a person.
Dis Feeling
In this stylish and atmospheric music video of his original song, Leif Ericson 7th grader Avant Spann speaks to both his past struggles and his dreams for his future. This piece was created as a part of The BASE Chicago’s Feel the BASE music video program.
Symphony ((SIN)FONÍA)
This abstract documentary simulates the experience of living with four distinct auditory conditions through the use of narration, instrumental music, unique sound design, and vibrant visuals. Two voices reflect on the uniqueness of the sense of hearing itself, and how it shapes our perception and emotions.
The Pact
This punchy music video takes a look at lost love through swirling memories of the past and features original music by Worry Club.
The Honey Trap
While at work, a young fan watches a video of his favorite musician on a talk show. Soon, he finds himself connecting with the superstar in ways he never expected.
The Delightful One (La Ravissante)
This experimental documentary is an ode to the rich culture and history of the Huron-Wedant Indigenous peoples. Mixing traditional music, spoken poetry, and footage of everyday life on their land, this work paints a picture of their past, present, and future.
Chiquita piconera
A grieving mother uses vibrant Spanish dancing to cope with the loss of her youngest daughter. However, the intensity of her grief and escapism threatens her relationship with her oldest daughter.
CineYouth Program
Pulling Focus: Documentary
Synopsis
Whether it’s a visual love letter to far away relatives, a detailed account of individuals’ experiences of colorism, or a behind-the-scenes look into the meticulous process of crafting authentic Lion Dance Heads, these seven personal documentaries shed light on lives, beliefs, and cultures.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, language, that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Places Nowhere
While discussing the topic of unexplainable memories with his friends, Filmmaker Alex Chen recounts a childhood memory of going to a mall with an exterior that was “painted like the sky.” He always figured it was a figment of his imagination… except his friend remembers the same mall. Assembling many years’ worth of archival and personal footage, Alex Chen attempts to rediscover the feeling of being in this long-forgotten mall.
Memories of a new destination (Records d’un nou destí)
Told through postcards and first-hand experiences, this film is a touching tribute to those that have traveled away from home. This profound documentary provides an avenue for the filmmakers to have a deeper connection with their relatives, learn more about their lives, and comprehend the bravery it must have taken for each of them to start anew.
A-Okay
In the form of a letter to their past self, filmmaker J Fitzpatrick takes the viewer on a deeply intimate journey through their early experiences (or lack thereof) of crushes and discovery of asexual and aromantic spectrums. Told in the second person perspective, A-Okay examines the highly sexualized society we live in and explores harmful stigmas surrounding sexual orientations, while also giving a voice (and advice) to those within the underrepresented communities.
Epiphany
This colorful documentary follows the mother and daughter team of Master Li and Master Zhou as they work through all the steps of creating traditional Lion Dance Heads. The observational camera work captures the details of their craft as Li and Zhou share their family heritage and the cultural significance of the artform.
Tainted by the Visual
Through an immersive viewing experience, filmmaker Laura Calzada explores the subjective experiences of blind individuals and uses different techniques to express sound artist Andy Slater’s experience of how vision loss reshaped his perception of sound.
Stay Out of the Sun
This vignette-style multimedia documentary discusses the global cultural practice of colorism. Various women recount their individual experiences and opinions about this issue from childhood through adulthood.
Butterflies
In this celebration of love and resilience, high school sweethearts Quinn and Josh reflect on the prom night that turned a mother’s fears into a moment of triumph. Through heartfelt stories and reflections, Butterflies challenges perceptions of disability, demonstrating that love knows no boundaries and victories, no matter how small they may seem, are always worth celebrating.
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