Celtic Utopia Útóipe Cheilteach
Synopsis
“The winners write the history; the losers write the songs,” so says Branwen, one of a new wave of Irish musicians featured in this loose and likeable tapestry of Ireland’s contemporary folk music scene. Funny, talented, and politically outspoken, these rebel artists are redefining Ireland’s traditional folk music, acknowledging the country’s colonial past and its painful legacy, while looking toward a better future—if not a utopia, at least an improvement on what came before.
Unfolding like a musical jam session, we meet and listen to a wide array of musicians—young, old, white, Black, guitarists, and rappers—offering up alternative folk songs that evoke the past, yet, as one cheeky bandmate says, are played “to scare priests and politicians.” The film also contrasts their present with evocative archival footage of Ireland’s recent history depicting its deeply conservative roots. With a form as irreverent as its subjects, Celtic Utopia is a wry and raw celebration of Irish culture, language, and yes, its fighting spirit.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Tue, Oct 21 @ 8:15pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Directors Dennis Harvey & Lars Lovén and produer Elin Lilleman Eriksson
Screening
Wed, Oct 22 @ 3:00pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Directors Dennis Harvey & Lars Lovén and produer Elin Lilleman Eriksson
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Media
Film Credits
- Elin Lilleman Eriksson
- Dennis Harvey, Lars Lovén
- Dominika Daubenbüchel
- Tuva Björk, Jamie Goldrick
- The Mary Wallopers, Negro Impacto, The Deadlians, Jinx Lennon, Poor Creature, Branwen, Lankum, Naoise Mac Cathmhaoil, Rising Damp, Young Spencer, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Róis, Post Punk Podge, Susan Hughes, Tadhg Mulligan, Alfie Mulligan, Múlú, Niamh Moriarty, Cathail O'Mhaoil, Summer Newman, Eimear Níc Ionnrachtaigh, Eoghan Ó Garmaile
- MDEMC, Sveriges Television (SVT)
Sponsors
Program Partner
Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin
With support from
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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
Screening
Wed, Oct 22 @ 5:30pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Director Weronika Mliczewska and documentary subjects Melissa Soong & Sang Ngô Thanh
Screening
Thu, Oct 23 @ 1:30pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Director Weronika Mliczewska and documentary subjects Melissa Soong & Sang Ngô Thanh
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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
Screening
Thu, Oct 16 @ 5:45pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 04
Venue information...
Writer Alan O'Gorman
Screening
Fri, Oct 17 @ 8:30pm
at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 2
Venue information...
Writer Alan O'Gorman
T-Coil Devices available
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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
Screening
Mon, Oct 20 @ 7:45pm
at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 2
Venue information...
- T-Coil Devices available
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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
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
Screening
Sat, Oct 18 @ 5:30pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Director Suzannah Mirghani
Screening
Sun, Oct 19 @ 12:00pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Director Suzannah Mirghani
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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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