Synopsis
1968 Italy. Soft-spoken poet and playwright Aldo Braibanti is arrested, accused of breaking a Fascist-era law against leading a person morally astray—coded language designed to criminilaize homosexuality. The accusers are the family of his romantic partner, a former student who is committed by his parents to a psychiatric hospital where he might be “cured.” With every aspect of his life scrutinized and his own freedom on the line, Braibanti takes up his own defense, even as he faces a years-long prison sentence. Meanwhile, a crusading journalist searches for the truth about the case, bringing it to the widespread attention of the public. Veteran filmmaker Gianni Amelio (Open Doors, The Stolen Children) crafts an impassioned, clear-eyed narrative based on Braibanti’s life, told from alternating perspectives, that feels all too resonant amid today’s turbulent landscape.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Thu, Oct 20 @ 8:15pm CDT
at AMC River East, Screen 4
Screening
Fri, Oct 21 @ 8:15pm CDT
at AMC River East, Screen 4
Media
Film Credits
- Simone Gattoni, Beppe Caschetto
- Gianni Amelio, Edoardo Petti, Federico Fava
- Simona Paggi
- Marta Maffucci
- Luan Amelio Ujkaj
- Luigi Lo Cascio, Elio Germano, Sara Serraiocco, Leonardo Maltese
- Domenico Granata
- Kavac Film SRL, IBC MOVIE SRL, Tenderstories SRL, Rai Cinema SPA
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The March on Rome Marcia su Roma
Synopsis
For his latest absorbing inquiry into the history and power of the moving image, director Mark Cousins (The Story of Film) delves into Italy’s film archives to expose the machinations and faulty foundations of fascism. His focus is the infamous 1923 propaganda film A Noi, which was produced as the Italian Fascist Party’s official document of its “March on Rome.” Dissecting the film frame by frame and exposing its sleight of hand, Cousins reveals how the film tried to write history, sometimes ominously and often quite clumsily, eventually losing its sway on its intended viewers, as reflected in short fictionalized scenes with an Italian citizen of the time (played by Alba Rohrwacher). With Cousins’ characteristically witty and insightful narration as our guide, March on Rome is both a riveting analysis of the allure of cinema and a timely, provocative account of the politics of manipulation that persist today.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sat, Oct 15 @ 2:30pm CDT
at Gene Siskel Film Center
Screening
Mon, Oct 17 @ 3:15pm CDT
at AMC River East, Screen 7
Media
Film Credits
- Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra
- Timo Langer
- Mark Cousins, Timoty Aliprandi
- Alba Rohrwacher
- Stefano Di Fiore
- Antonio Badalamenti, Andrea Romeo
- Palomar SPA
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EO
Synopsis
In this loving homage to Robert Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar, the world is seen through the eyes of Eo, a sweet, sentient donkey. When the circus at which he performs shutters for good, Eo’s future is suddenly uncertain. Told through vignettes, the film chronicles the equine’s post-performing life as he journeys between ever-changing sets of new owners and unfamiliar circumstances, bearing witness to the best and worst of humankind. A superb, inventive visual style imagines Eo’s rich interior world and creates a powerfully sympathetic character from the animal’s silent, unknowable gaze. An elegant ode to the beauty of the natural world and mournful lament for humankind’s role in its slow destruction.
This film contains scenes of animal violence.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Wed, Oct 19 @ 6:00pm CDT
at AMC River East, Screen 7
Media
Film Credits
- Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski, Eileen Tasca
- Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski
- Agnieszka Glińska
- Mirosław Koncewicz
- Michał Dymek
- Sandra Drzymalska, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Isabelle Huppert
- Radosław Ochnio
- Paweł Mykietyn
- Jeremy Thomas
- Skopia Film
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A Girl Returned L’Arminuta
Synopsis
Summer, 1975. A 13-year-old girl mysteriously appears at a farmstead and moves in with the family. Who is she? What is she doing there? Based on a 2017 bestseller, A Girl Returned tells the story of a girl who unwillingly returns to the biological family she never knew and must reckon with her new home and sense of abandonment. Rendered with stunning emotional clarity, the film is a thoughtful examination of childhood, motherhood, and the ties that bind.
Screenings & Events
In-Person Screening
Tue, May 31 @ 6:30pm CDT
at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark St, Chicago
Free tickets available to claim starting May 16 or available at the door (subject to availability).
Post-Screening Discussion
Post-screening discussion led by Professor Veronica Vegna, University of Chicago
Post-screening discussion presented by: 
Sponsors
Film Partner
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Zen in the Ice Rift
Synopsis
Maia, a talented hockey player and relative loner, is isolated and focused on her future. Training with the boys’ team, she is antagonized for her masculine appearance. But Maia’s world begins to shift when her classmate Vanessa runs away from home and uses Maia’s family lodge as a hideout. The two begin to trust one another as they explore their dormant desires and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Media
Sponsors
Film Partner
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