Child of Dust Dziecko z pyłu
Synopsis
This heartfelt and intimate documentary follows the extraordinary, emotional journey of Sang, a 55-year-old Vietnamese man who always dreamed of meeting his father, an American soldier. Among the thousands of “Amerasian” children born during the Vietnam War derogatorily known as “children of dust,” Sang has wrestled with his divided identity for the entirety of his life. But when he takes part in a genetic program to identify his birth father, he finally gets a chance to be reunited with his long-lost parent in hopes of becoming whole.
Sensitive and deeply moving, Child of Dust follows Sang as he confronts his troubles at home and his long-held personal wounds before venturing to the United States to meet a family he’s never known. Attuned to the complexities of both Sang and his American relations, the film charts their complicated reunion and the surprising paths they take upon encountering one another. It’s a profoundly humanist portrait of the painful legacy of the Vietnam War, five decades on.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Weronika Mliczewska, Bao Nguyen, Chi-Minh De Leo, Michal Sikora, Andrzej Łucjanek, Antonio Russo Merenda
- Weronika Mliczewska
- Marcin Sucharski PSM, Mateusz Romaszkan
- Mikael Lypinski
- Sang Ngo Tranh, Nelson Torres
- Joaquin Garcia
- Ya Man Studio SP, Fixa Film, Clubhouse Films, Ginestra Film, Lonely Production
- https://www.yamanstudio.com/services
Sponsors
Program Partner
Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin
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Christy
Synopsis
Kicked out of his last foster home, sullen and misunderstood 17-year-old Christy moves in with his older brother’s family in a working-class neighborhood in Cork. While the brothers struggle to reconnect after years of separation in the shadow of their shared traumatic pasts, Christy begins to find a sense of belonging among the rest of the community, allowing a softer side of himself to emerge. A meaningful life awaits him, if he can evade the darker forces threatening to undermine his future.
A vivid and complex study not only of its protagonist but also of the endearing and strong cast of characters of Cork’s North Side, Christy paints this tight-knit community with humor and tenderness. Rooted in impressive realism, this coming-of-age offers a hopeful portrait of a teen on the precarious threshold of adulthood.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Marina Brackenbury, Meredith Duff, Rory Gilmartin
- Alan O'Gorman
- Allyn Quigley
- Colm Hogan
- Danny Power, Diarmuid Noyes, Emma Willis, Cara Cullen, Helen Behan, Lewis Brophy, Chris Walley, Alison Oliver, Jamie Forde, Darren Stewart, Ian Tabone, Sophie McNamara, Rúaidhrí Conroy
- Daithí O'Dronai
- Yann Demange, Claudia Yusef, Niamh Fagan
- Wayward Films, Sleeper Films
Sponsors
Program Patron
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
With support from
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The Condor Daughter La Hija Cóndor
Synopsis
High in a remote community in the Bolivian Andes, a tender Quechua song ushers a new life into the world. Young Clara has learned these songs, and the sacred ways of midwifery, from her adoptive mother Ana, with whom she cares for the pregnant women of the surrounding villages. Despite her sense of duty to her people and respect for their midwifing tradition, Clara is a smart and curious girl tempted by the outside influences creeping into the community. When she runs off to the city to become a singer, she leaves a dark void in her wake.
Álvaro Olmos Torrico’s mesmerizing tale of encroaching modernity in an Indigenous family is a film of stunning contrasts: the sweeping pastoral landscapes and lush warmth of the village against the decadent neon of Cochabamba nightlife; the windswept quiet against the cacophonous city streets; the sounds of Quechua and Spanish. Grounded by deeply affecting performances and a cinematic exploration of music and song, Clara’s poetic journey is one toward the self.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Álvaro Olmos Torrico, Cecilia Sueiro Mosquera, Diego Sarmiento Pagán, Federico Moreira, Iris Sigalit Ocampo Gil
- Álvaro Olmos Torrico
- Álvaro Olmos Torrico, Irene Cajías
- Nicolás Wong Díaz
- María Magdalena Sanizo, Marisol Vallejos Montaño, Nely Huayta
- Cergio Prudencio, Marcelo Guerrero
- Iris Sigalit Ocampo Gil, Aniceto Arroyo
- Empatía Cinema, Ayara Producciones, La Mayor Cine
Sponsors
Program Patron
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
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Cotton Queen
Suzannah MirghaniGermany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
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Cotton Queen
Synopsis
In a close-knit Sudanese village known for harvesting the purist cotton by virginal hands, teenage Nafisa is dreaming of something beyond fertile fields. Her ambitions are amplified with the arrival of a wealthy young businessman returning to Sudan after years abroad. His introduction of a genetically modified seed promises to make the village completely dependent on his profit-driven vision of the future.
Through a blend of magical realism rooted in local spiritual customs set by village legend and elder Al-Sit, the film explores the complications inherent in the pursuit of progress as commerce and cultural sustainability vie for the hearts of the community. Nafisa’s strong will, open mind, and profoundly principled nature deepens and uplifts her to become the new hero her village needs yet might not be ready for.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Caroline Daube, Didar Domehri, Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi, Jessica Khoury, Mohamed Hefzy, Alaa Karkouti, Maher Diab
- Suzannah Mirghani
- Amparo Mejías, Simon Blasi, Frank Müller
- Frida Marzouk
- Mihad Murtada, Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, Hassan Kassala
- Amine Bouhafa
- Strange Bird, Maneki Films, Philistine Films, Film Clinic, Mad Solutions
Sponsors
Program Patron
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
With support from
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Cover-Up
Synopsis
Chicago journalist Seymour Hersh has uncovered some of the most momentous political scandals in American history, from exposing the U.S. military’s My Lai massacre in Vietnam to its torturing of Iraqi citizens at Abu Ghraib. After decades spent trying to get Hersh to agree to make a documentary, Oscar winner Laura Poitras (CitizenFour), together with Mark Obenhaus, finally get their moment, sitting with the occasionally combative Hersh to do a deep dive into his history, his investigations, and his sources, telling a story not only about the legendary indefatigable reporter but also about the need to hold those in power accountable for their actions.
No hagiographic portrait, Cover-Up shows Pulitzer Prize winner Hersh as a complex and contentious figure whose reputation has taken a fair share of knocks, even as he’s been one of America’s most important truth-tellers. As President Nixon says of Hersh in an archived audio recording, “The son of a bitch is a son of the bitch, but he’s usually right.” As we observe brief scenes of Hersh still working to expose abuses in Gaza, the film serves as a testament to the vital need for investigative journalism in our precarious modern world.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Yoni Golijov, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Streisand
- Amy Foote ACE, Peter Bowman, Laura Poitras
- Mia Cioffi Henry
- Seymour Hersh
- Maya Shenfeld
- Thomas MacWhirr, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Josh Braun, Nick Shumaker
- Praxis Films, Project Mockingbird
Sponsors
Program Partner
Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin
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See your most-anticipated screenings at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.
