GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER (GSFC)
OF THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SAIC)
SCREENINGS AND EVENTS, OCTOBER 4-31, 2019
OCTOBER SERIES
Screening/Lecture Series: Viewing Positions (August 30-December 10): This series will use a wide variety of films to demonstrate the different relationships that films establish with the viewer, and the thematic, cultural, and ideological implications of those differences. With weekly Tuesday lectures by artist and longtime art and film critic Fred Camper, this series is presented in cooperation with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism. In October, the following will be showcased: Yasujiro Ozu’s LATE SPRING (September 27 & October 1); Robert Bresson’s AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (October 4 & 8); Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub’s TOO EARLY, TOO LATE (October 11 & 15); Chantal Ackerman’s FROM THE OTHER SIDE (October 18 & 22); and Yvonne Rainer’s FILM ABOUT A WOMAN WHO… (October 29). https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/viewingpositions
Ahmad Kiarostami in person! Abbas Kiarostami (September 6-October 30): The Gene Siskel Film Center presents a retrospective of major Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, a series that encompasses the largest selection of his work yet available in North America with 22 features and 10 short films. Features presented in October: THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES (September 28 & October 2); TASTE OF CHERRY (October 4 & 7); THE WIND WILL CARRY US (October 5 & 9); CASE #1, CASE #2 (October 5); ABC AFRICA (October 11 & 14); TEN (October 12 & 16); 10 ON TEN (October 12); SHIRIN (October 18 & 21); CERTIFIED COPY (October 19 & 23); THE REPORT (October 19); 24 FRAMES (October 25 & 28); LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE (October 26 & 30); and FIVE (FOR OZU) (October 26). Following the Wednesday, October 23 screening of CERTIFIED COPY will be a discussion with Ahmad Kiarostami, film producer and son of the late Abbas Kiarostami. https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/abbaskiarostami
Conversations at the Edge (September 26-November 21) is a dynamic weekly series of screenings, performances, and talks by groundbreaking media artists. The series is organized by SAIC's Department of Film, Video, New Media, and Animation in collaboration with the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Video Data Bank. Presented October with guests in person are: New Films from the GLAS Animation Festival (October 3); Zach Blas: Obedient x3 (October 10); Narcisa Hirsch: Contact Zones (October 17); An Evening with Rachel Rossin (October 24); and Shengze Zhu: PRESENT.PERFECT. (October 31). https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/CATE-Fall19
OCTOBER RUNS
Chicago premiere! MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL (October 4-17): Expert documentarian Stanley Nelson charts the life and career of jazz giant Miles Davis. Director Stanley Nelson and Vincent Wilburn, Jr., nephew of Miles Davis, will appear for audience discussion on October 4 (7:45 only), 5, and 6. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/miles-davis-birth-of-the-cool
ONE CHILD NATION (October 4-10): U.S.-based filmmaker Nanfu Wang returns to her hometown in China to examine the country’s former one-child-per-family law and its attendant consequences. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/one-child-nation
Chicago premiere! THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GIRAFFES (October 11-17): This documentary saga features 86-year-old Anne Innis Dagg traversing the path of her groundbreaking past work with giraffes and finally finding acclaim for her pioneering research. Director Alison Reid and subject Anne Innis Dagg are scheduled to appear for audience discussion on October 12 and 13. Amy Roberts, Senior Curator of Mammals, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, is scheduled to appear for discussion on October 12 and 16. The October 16 screening is a Movie Club event (see OCTOBER SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS below). http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/the-woman-who-loves-giraffes
Chicago premiere! FANTASTIC FUNGI (October 18-24): Narrated by Brie Larson, this mind-boggling documentary explores the hidden kingdom of mushrooms. Director Louie Schwartzberg is scheduled to appear for audience discussion on October 18 (8:00 only) and 19. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/fantastic-fungi
First Chicago run! END OF THE CENTURY (October 18-24): After two men hook up in Barcelona, their brief affair becomes complicated by the revelation that they had sex 20 years prior. Part of Panorama Latinx. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/end-of-the-century
First Chicago run! DESOLATION CENTER (October 18-24): This eye-opening L.A.-centered documentary tells the story of Desolation Center, a DIY organization that staged punk shows in the desert during the early 1980s. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/desolation-center
First Chicago run! GOOD KISSER (October 25-31): Romantic partners Jenna and Kate find their comfort zones tested as they face down a threesome with mystery woman Mia. Director Wendy Jo Carlton is scheduled to appear for audience discussion on
October 25 (8:30 only), 26, and 27.
Back by popular demand! Anchored by a new interview with Morrison, the documentary portrait TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM (October 25-31) of the great African American novelist is as rich and abundant as the woman it depicts. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/toni-morrison-the-pieces-i-am
Chicago premiere! THE GOLDEN GLOVE (October 25-30): Director Fatih Akin takes a deep dive into grotesquery with this story based on the life of notorious German serial killer Fritz Honka. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/the-golden-glove
OCTOBER SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
New 4K restoration! An essential film noir classic, the 1946 version of THE KILLERS (October 4, 6, 10) by Robert Siodmak tells the story of a factory payroll heist and the murder of a prizefighter through chronologically scrambled flashbacks. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/the-killers-1946
New 4K restoration! Don Siegel’s hard-edged 1964 remake of THE KILLERS (October 4, 6, 7) follows two ruthless hit men as they circle a racecar driver. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/the-killers-1964
In Louis Malle’s ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (October 5, 9, 12), an aging war hero and his boss’s wife connive to murder her husband in Malle’s jazzy first feature with a score by Miles Davis. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/elevator-to-the-gallows
National Theatre Live: FLEABAG (October 5, 12, 20, 25, 27): This hilarious, award-winning one-woman show, featuring recent Emmy Award-winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge, that inspired the hit TV series looking at an oversexed, emotionally unfiltered, and self-obsessed woman living her sort of life. The October 5 and shows are already sold out and tickets are going fast for the remaining dates. Note that FLEABAG will return for another engagement in November—dates TBA. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/nt-live-fleabag
New 4K restorations! Originally released in two parts—THE TIGER OF ESCHNAPUR (October 11, 13, 14) and THE INDIAN TOMB (October 11, 13, 16)—Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic in Technicolor centers in on a love triangle between a German architect, an Indian Maharajah, and a temple dancer of uncertain origin. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/the-tiger-of-eschnapur
New restoration! In African auteur Djibril Diop Mambéty’s final feature HYENAS (October 11 & 17), a fabulously rich woman promises to shower an impoverished town with wealth, but first they must kill a local storekeeper. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/hyenas
Chicago premiere! LUCREZIA BORGIA (October 12): The historical figure Lucrezia Borgia comes alive in this stage adaptation of Victor Hugo’s most powerful work. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/lucrezia-borgia
Gene Siskel Film Center Movie Club examines THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GIRAFFES (October 16), the documentary saga featuring the 86-year-old Anne Innis Dagg traversing the path of her groundbreaking past work with giraffes and finally finding acclaim for her pioneering research. Facilitating the post-screening discussion will be Amy Roberts, Senior Curator of Mammals, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo. Each ticket-holder attending the Movie Club post-screening discussion receives a complimentary beverage. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/movieclub
Chicago premiere! THAT PÄRT FEELING: THE UNIVERSE OF ARVO PÄRT (October 18 & 20): The music and personality of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt are explored in this compelling documentary. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/that-part-feeling-the-universe-of-arvo-part
The heart of this program that includes a wealth of Verdi-related treats, recently rediscovered documentary IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF (October 19), goes behind the scenes of a production of Verdi’s Luisa Miller. August Ventura, creator of the Verdi Documentary Project, is scheduled to appear for audience discussion. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/in-the-mouth-of-the-wolf
MY CHAR-BROILED BURGER WITH BREWER (October 20): Chicago-based independent filmmaker Jim Sikora presents a program of early work centered on his involvement with the L.A. punk/hardcore scene. Jim Sikora is scheduled to appear for audience discussion. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/my-char-broiled-burger-with-brewer
Fringe Benefits: The Gene Siskel Film Center presents a monthly series dedicated to provocative and outré films that have galvanized audiences and critics alike. Featured will be Paul Schrader’s CAT PEOPLE (October 25 & 31) in which a young woman experiences a sexual awakening and undergoes a violent transformation in this neon-drenched remake of Jacques Tourneur’s horror masterpiece. Presented in 35mm. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/fringebenefits
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All screenings and events are at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, located at 164 N. State St.
Tickets to each screening--unless stated otherwise—are $12/general admission, $7/students, $6/Film Center members, and $5/Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) staff and School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) faculty, staff, and students. Friday matinee tickets are $8 each. All tickets may be purchased at the Film Center Box Office. Both general admission and Film Center member tickets are available through the Gene Siskel Film Center’s website www.siskelfilmcenter.org/content/tickets or through the individual films’ weblinks on www.siskelfilmcenter.org. There is a surcharge of $1.50 per ticket. The Film Center and its box office are open 5:00 to 9:00 pm, Monday through Thursday; 1:00 to 9:00 pm, Friday; 2:00 to 9:00 pm, Saturday; and 2:00 to 6:00 pm, Sunday.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL TICKET PRICES:
Film Center members pay $5 per screening to the Screening/Lecture Series: Viewing Positions (August 30-December 10).
KIAROSTAMI (September 6-October 30) SATURDAY DOUBLE-BILL DISCOUNT! Buy a ticket at the regular prices for the first Kiarostami film on any Saturday in October, and get a ticket for the second Kiarostami film that day at the discounted rate with proof of original purchase: $7/general admission; $5/students; $4/Film Center members. (This discount rate applies to the second feature only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
MILES DAVIS (October 4-17) and ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS DISCOUNT (October 5, 9, 12)! Buy a ticket at the regular prices for either MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL or ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS, and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of original purchase: $7/general admission; $5/students; $4/Film Center members. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
THE KILLERS, FOUR KILLERS TWO-FILM DISCOUNT! Buy a ticket at the regular prices for either version of THE KILLERS (1946 version: October 4, 6, 10; 1964 version: October 4, 6, 7) and get a ticket for any show of the other version at this discount rate with proof of the original purchase: $7/general admission; $5/students; $4/Film Center members. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
Tickets to National Theatre Live: FLEABAG (October 5, 12, 20, 25, 27) are $14/general admission and $8/Film Center members. Note: Friday Matinee discounts do not apply to the October 25 screening.
FRITZ LANG TWO-FILM DISCOUNT! Buy at ticket at the regular prices for either THE TIGER OF ESCHNAPUR (October 11, 13, 14) or THE INDIAN TOMB (October 11, 13, 16) and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of original purchase: $5/general admission; $4/students; $4/Film Center members. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
LUCREZIA BORGIA (October 12) special ticket prices: $6/Film Center and Alliance Française members and $5/students. The usual $12/general admission price still applies.
DESOLATION CENTER (October 18-24) and MY CHAR-BROILED BURGER WITH BREWER TWO-FILM DISCOUNT (October 20)! Buy a ticket at the regular prices for either DESOLATION CENTER or MY CHAR-BROILED BURGER WITH BREWER and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of original purchase: $7/general admission; $5/students; $4/Film Center members. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
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A Gene Siskel Film Center membership is a year-round ticket to great movies for only $6 per screening! Memberships are $50 (Individual) and $80 (Dual). For more information, call 312-846-2600 or visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org/content/membership.
Discounted parking is available for $19 for 24 hours at the InterPark SELF-PARK at 20 E. Randolph St. A rebate ticket can be obtained from the Film Center Box Office.
The Film Center is located near CTA trains and buses. Nearest CTA L stations are Lake (Red line); State/Lake (Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple lines); and Washington (Blue line). CTA bus lines serving State St.: 2, 6, 10, 29, 36, 62, 144, and 146.
For more information about the Film Center, call 312-846-2800 (24-hour movie hotline) or 312-846-2600 (general information, 9:00 am-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday), or visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org.
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About the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Since 1972, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has presented cutting edge cinema to an annual audience that has grown to over 100,000. The Film Center’s programming includes annual film festivals that celebrate diverse voices and international cultures, premieres of trailblazing work by today’s independent filmmakers, restorations and revivals of essential films from cinema history, and insightful provocative discussions with filmmakers and media artists. Altogether, the Film Center hosts over 1,700 screenings and 200 filmmaker appearances every year. The Film Center was renamed the Gene Siskel Film Center in 2000 after the late, nationally celebrated film critic, Gene Siskel. Visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org to learn more and find out what’s playing today.
About Panorama Latinx
Panorama Latinx is an initiative of the Gene Siskel Film Center dedicated to year-round Latin American programming. The Film Center engages the dynamic Latinx community of greater Chicago through showcasing the work of emerging and established Latinx filmmakers educational screenings, and community partnerships. http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/panoramalatinx
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman. Learn more at saic.edu.
Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
164 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
