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Banner: the 59th Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: Religion


In-Person
A young man with glasses glares straight ahead. His face is sweaty and battered.
OutLookSnapshots

Carnal Sins (Almamula)

Juan Sebastián Torales  |   France, Argentina, Italy
Spanish  
Drama, Horror, LGBTQ, Religion

Seduced by the myth of a local monster that punishes impure acts, gay teen Nino pursues temptation within a deeply religious community.

In-Person
A woman looks to the side, resting her chin on her hands.
Special Presentation

Eric LaRue

Michael Shannon  |   United States
English  
Drama, Religion, Social Commentary, Women Centered

In his masterful directorial debut, Michael Shannon tells the riveting story of a mother grappling with the fallout of a school shooting.

In-Person
Four women lay together, holding each other tenderly.
DocumentaryDocumentary CompetitionWomen in Cinema

Four Daughters

Kaouther Ben Hania  |   France, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Tunisia, Cyprus
Arabic  
Documentary, Family Affairs, Religion, Women Centered

An artistic Cannes-winning tour-de-force blending documentary and fiction that explores the secret trauma at the heart of a Tunisian family.

In-Person
A clergyman sits on a golden throne, holding an alterboy in his lap. They are surrounded by more members of the clergy.
Spotlight

Kidnapped (Rapito)

Marco Bellocchio  |   Italy, France, Germany
Hebrew, Italian  
Drama, Historical, Religion

The true story of a six-year-old boy who was stolen from his Jewish parents and raised by the Catholic Church, told in shocking, stately style.

In-Person
A man stands in the center of a darkened studio set with bright lights shining down on him as an audience watches.
After Dark

Late Night With the Devil

Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes  |   United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia
English  
Drama, Horror, Religion

A flailing late-night talk show host (Chicago native David Dastmalchian) makes a desperate move for ratings in this retro possession chiller.

In-Person
A high angle of a man wearing a backpack walking down the shoreline next to the blue ocean.
DocumentaryWomen in Cinema

The Mission

Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine  |   United States, India
English, Hindi, Latin, Onge, Piraha, Sarikoli  
Documentary, Religion, Social Commentary

An absorbing, multilayered account of the journey of an American missionary who was killed while attempting to convert an Indigenous people.

In-Person
A bearded man seated before a desk holds up his fist to show a tattoo on his forearm.
Snapshots

Terrestrial Verses

Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami  |   Iran
Persian  
Drama, Political, Religion

Incisive, often darkly comic vignettes offer a glimpse into the world of everyday citizens grappling with the absurdity of life in modern Iran.