TAKE 2: What to See in Theaters and Stream in June 2019

Welcome to TAKE 2, our monthly feature where we highlight recent Chicago International Film Festival selections that are now playing in theaters or on streaming platforms in case you missed them at the Festival! Take a look below for the best of #ChiFilmFest to watch this month.

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In Theaters

SAUVAGE / WILD

Director: Camille Vidal-Naquet
Official Selection, Out-Look Competition, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

In this frank, provocative story of a French hustler, Félix Maritaud delivers a raw, mesmerizing performance as Leo, a young man who sells his body for cash in the underbelly of Strausbourg. In a world fueled by drugs and fleeting encounters, Leo longs for meaningful connection, maybe even love. Taking a note from Agnes Varda’s classic Vagabond, Sauvage is by turns a chilling and stirring character study of a deeply lost soul.

Screening Details:
Opens June 7, visit website for showtimes
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street, Chicago, IL

THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED

Director: Assia Boundaoui
Official Selection, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

In this real-world conspiracy thriller, filmmaker Assia Boundaoui seeks the truth behind long-running FBI surveillance targeting Arab-Americans in Chicago’s Bridgeview community. During her investigation, she uncovers thousands of redacted documents, wary neighbors, and a pre-9/11 probe code-named “Operation Vulgar Betrayal.” A timely and unsettling portrait of pervasive prejudice and paranoia in America’s Muslim neighborhoods.

Screening Details:
Opens June 8, visit website for showtimes
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL

IN THE AISLES

Director: Thomas Stuber
Official Selection, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

Socially awkward but charming Christian works the nightshift at a chain megastore, driving a forklift. Bakery minder Marion takes a shine to him—and the two begin to forge a sweetly touching connection. But will secrets they are harboring prevent them from being together? Alternately humorous and melancholic, this off-center, blue-collar romance features finely tuned performances from its leads: rising star Franz Rogowski (also of Festival film Transit) and Sandra Hüller of 2016 crossover German hit Toni Erdmann.

Screening Details:
Opens June 21, visit website for showtimes
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL

THE RAFT

Director: Marcus Lindeen
Winner, Silver Hugo Award, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

In 1973, five men and six women sailed across the Atlantic on a small boat as part of a radical social experiment. The aim of anthropologist Santiago Genovés: to study the roots of sex and violence upon this adrift laboratory. But the scientist’s plan goes awry when members of the group challenge his expectations. The Raft is a captivating, witty, and ultimately heartening look at human behavior.

Screening Details:
Opens June 28, check website for showtimes
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street, Chicago, IL

On Streaming

WOMAN AT WAR

Director: Benedikt Erlingsson
Official Selection, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

Halla is a middle-aged, woolly sweater-wearing Reykjavik choir conductor, but she’s also a secret eco-warrior, fighting to save the Icelandic countryside from industrial pollution. Writer-director Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men) makes audacious use of an Icelandic Oompah band and a Ukrainian vocal trio to comment on the action.

Streaming Details:
Woman at War is available to stream on iTunes, Google Play, and Comcast, among other sites, starting June 4.

FATHER THE FLAME

Director: Chad Terpstra
Official Selection, International Documentary Competition, 54th Chicago International Film Festival

It’s not just a pipe. In this rich, mesmerizing tribute to the handcrafted pipe, world-renowned Michigan craftsman Lee Erck travels the globe to reveal the significance of his sculptural art. From an Italian briar cutter to a royal family of Danish artisans to a Native American peace-pipe maker, Father the Flame immerses viewers in this epic tradition, while also telling a touching story about family legacy.

Streaming Details:
Father the Flame is available to stream on iTunes and Amazon starting June 4.

RETOUCH

Director: Kaveh Mazaheri
Official Selection, Short Film Competition, 53rd Chicago International Film Festival

Maryam’s life revolves around her husband and toddler until one day her routine is interrupted, presenting a life changing opportunity.

Streaming Details:
Retouched is available to stream now on Vimeo. Visit the Vimeo page and turn on caption to view with English subtitles.