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An older man and a younger man stand by a whirring projector.

The Return of the Projectionist
(Le Retour du projectionniste)

  •   Orkhan Aghazadeh
  •   France, Germany

In this real-life tale set in a remote village in Azerbaijan’s Talysh mountains, elderly TV repairman Samid dusts off his old Soviet film projector with dreams of bringing movies on the big screen back to his rural community. When he meets Ayaz, a tech-savvy young man who creates short animated movies on his cell phone, the two join forces to realize Samid’s vision. But first, he must get a new projector bulb all the way from Lithuania and overcome skepticism among some of the town’s more conservative citizens.

Impeccably photographed and suffused with its protagonists’ love of cinema, The Return of the Projectionist unfolds with the sublime simplicity of the Iranian New Wave and the charm of Cinema Paradiso. Against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Samid and Ayaz’s goals may seem trivial, but their everyday struggles — between tradition and modernity, past and future — resonate deeply.


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Special Guests

Scheduled to attend: Director Orkhan Agazade

Sponsor(s)

Documentary Program Partner

Logo: WTTW (2019)

Documentary Program Patron

Cynthia Stone Raskin

With Support From

logo: French Embassy in the United States 156x125Logo: Villa Albertine 203x60

Event Information

Sunday, October 20, 2024
8:15pm

  •   88 minutes
LOCATION
Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N State St
Chicago, IL 60601


ACCESSIBLITY OPTIONS:
  • Assistive Listening Devices available
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Tickets

Accessibility

Cinema/Chicago is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment at all our programs and events. All event venues are fully wheelchair accessible, with no-step entrances or ramp access and elevators. All venues offer wheelchair-designated spaces, companion seating, easy-access theater seating, and accessible restrooms. For accommodation requests, please email us at access@chicagofilmfestival.com, call us at 312-683-0121, x108, or complete our Accommodation Request Form.

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