Chicago Cultural Center Free International Screenings Program
When: Wednesdays, May 29-October 2, 2019 6:30pm-8:00pm (No screenings July 3 and September 18)
Where: Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington Claudia Cassidy Theater, 2nd Floor North
August 21 The Man Who Bought the Moon
L’uomo che comprò la luna
Co-presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago
Dir. Paolo Zucca, 2018, Italy, 102 min.
In this absurdist, feel-good comedy, undercover Italian operative Kevin Pirelli is sent to his ancestral island to track down a Sardinian fisherman who has laid claim to the moon. In spite of his extensive training, nothing can quite prepare Kevin for the real Sardinia. At the heart of this time-honored tale of the clash between cultures is a story of love, honor, and homegoing. Italian and Sardinian with subtitles.
August 28 Three Summers
Co-presented by the Australian Consulate-General in Chicago
Dir. Ben Elton, 2017, Australia, 95 min.
Every summer, revelers of all stripes gather at the Westifal music festival. When Irish folk band fiddler Keevey meets Roland, a self-righteous theremin player, sparks literally begin to fly. From one year to the next, their rollercoaster romance forms the backdrop of interweaving stories of Morris Dancing, didgeridoos and drumming in this comedy about a community who discover they have more in common than their taste in music.
September 4 Two Irenes
Co-presented by the Consulate General of Brazil in Chicago
Dir. Fabio Meira, 2017, Brazil, 89 min.
13-year-old Irene is bored by her ho-hum, small-town existence, until she uncovers her father’s double life complete with a second, secret family. Keeping this to herself, she strikes up a friendship with her stepsister, a girl her age who also happens to be named Irene. What follows is a delicate dance of identity, betrayal, and self-discovery as Irene must manage her own duplicitous existence. Portuguese with subtitles.
September 11 Semana Santa
Co-presented by the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago
Dir. Alejandra Márquez Abella, 2016, Mexico, 85 min.
Dali and her eight-year-old son Pepe head to the beach for a holiday with Dali’s boyfriend, Chavez, in tow. A promising start to their highly anticipated vacation, culminating in Pepe’s Easter Sunday birthday, is soon derailed/thwarted as the seductions of resort life tantalize each one. Will this emerging family be able to survive the tidal wave of temptations that threatens to tear them apart? Spanish with subtitles.
September 25 Brazilians
Co-presented by the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago
Dir. Csaba M. Kiss and Gábor Rohonyi, 2017, Hungary, 95 min.
In this winning social comedy that scored big at the Hungarian box office, the gypsy community in Acsa village have long been treated like second-class citizens. Pressured by the parish priest, the mayor invites them to participate in the local soccer championship with a trip to the World Cup going to the victors. With their cultural pride and athletic prowess at stake, this team of lovable outcasts must band together. Hungarian with subtitles.
October 2 Strawberry Days
Co-presented by the Swedish American Museum and the Consulate General of Sweden in Chicago
Dir. Wiktor Ericsson, 2017, Sweden, 93 min.
In this tender coming of-of-age romance, Polish teenager Wojtek has joined his down-on-their-luck migrant worker parents to pick strawberries in Sweden for the summer. Smitten with the landowners’ daughter, he quickly wins Anneli over with his persistent charm. Just as love begins to blossom, the young couple is faced with not only their social and cultural differences but also but also each community’s own prejudices. Swedish and Polish with subtitles.
