Hard Truths
Synopsis
For his 23rd film, legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the stark domestic dramas he’s known for, like his 1971 feature debut Bleak Moments (a ChicagoIFF Gold Hugo winner) and his blistering, Cannes-winning 1993 breakthrough Naked. Reunited with Leigh for the first time since his 1996 multiple Oscar nominee Secrets and Lies, the astonishing Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman wracked by fear, tormented by afflictions, and prone to raging tirades against her husband, son, and anyone who looks her way. In stark contrast, Pansy’s easygoing younger sister Michele is a single mother whose family life and hair salon are brimming with warmth.
Fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous, Hard Truths takes us into the intensities of kinship, duty, and the most enduring of human mysteries: that even through lifetimes of hurt and hardship, we still find ways to love those we call family.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Georgina Lowe
- Mike Leigh
- Tania Reddin
- Dick Pope BSC
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan Livingstone
- Gary Yershon
- Richard Kondal, Jennifer Eriksson, Alison Thompson, Mark Gooder, Andrew Karpen, Kent Sanderson, Javier Méndez, Javier Pons, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek, Gail Egan
- Cornerstone, Film4, Mediapro, Thin Man Films, Creativity Media
- https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/hard-truths
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Rosa’s Wedding La boda de Rosa
Synopsis
Facing her 45th birthday, Rosa has a startling revelation. She is unhappy. Between long work hours and caring for her elderly father, there’s little time left for herself. Drastic measures are in order. The plan? To get married, wedding and all, to herself. Equal parts human, hilarious, and inspirational, Rosa’s Wedding is an affecting story of independence and self-determination.
Screenings & Events
Media
Sponsors
CineYouth Program
Thinking Funny: Comedy
Synopsis
Navigating life and tragedy, these hilarious stories showcase characters in absurdist situations of all kinds. Thrown into the trenches of the human experience, our characters rise victorious holding the holy grail of humor in their hands.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Goodbye Herman
As Ryan shares the news of his departure, Herman comes to terms with this unexpected change in their friendship.
Ladke
In a twist of the classic Cinderella story, Saloni seeks out the boy with the flyest Nikes having never seen his face.
first date?
Dropped in the throes of Gen Z dating culture, Sammy and Kari explore the different facets of romantic relationships through their scintillating discussion.
Contagious Swagger
While Jeffrey tries to make the best impression on his girlfriend’s parents, his shoes prove to be an unexpected ally in the situation.
Body of Christ (Mi primera comunión)
As Pablo falls in love with the altar boy Sebastián, he finds that God has become an obstacle to their relationship in more ways than one.
The Murder
About eight minutes before her murder, a woman takes us on a journey to confront her killer’s arduous masculinity.
CineYouth Program
Pen, Pencil, Pixel: Animation
Synopsis
Across these eleven shorts, you’ll find no single genre, theme, or medium, but you will find fantastical worlds, disarming emotional honesty, and vibrant displays of creativity. Whether drawn by hand, sculpted with clay, or animated digitally, these inventive shorts are sure to entertain and inspire.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Kaine Interception
In this Lego stop-motion actioner, secret agent Kaine and his mysterious new partner April race to interrupt a jewel heist.
La infancia
A man in a dark house is surrounded by an ethereal forest. Animals wander, children play, and fires burn. Is any of this real?
Weathered
Teenagers share stories of adversity, resilience, and personal transformation in vulnerable interviews supported by vivid animation.
Attack of the Living Clay
In a tiny household world, a clay man improvises ingenious, violent methods to fight off a horde of zombies.
Why so blu
Blue brushstrokes on film capture life and loss.
Trigonometry’s Ultimate Method to Putting the Fun Back in Your Own Funeral
Trigonometry’s untimely death inspires him to go out with one last hurrah, crashing his own funeral.
Twenty Twenty Three — To The Lighthouse
Drowning and stressed, a high school student asks herself, “Am I going crazy?”
Treasure Haunt
Longing for a single hug, a man traverses all boundaries and drinks the ghost potion, flying towards his love.
Headlands
Waves of nostalgia wash over an old woman as she dives deep into the water of her youth.
Echoes in the Sand
Hell-bent on finding his parents, Peter rebels against his robot guardian, bounding toward the voices in the desert.
Snake
In a heartfelt visual letter penned to his mother, a man dreams of her voice and of snakes in a field.
Sponsors
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You Have to Come and See It Tenéis que venir a verla
Synopsis
Having lost touch over the course of the pandemic, two 30-something couples catch up in Madrid for dinner and a concert. They make plans to hang out again—this time in the countryside where one couple has moved and is adopting a suburban lifestyle. The afternoon transforms from a friendly get-together into a referendum on opposing approaches to life and the city. Captivating performances translate a smart, incisive script to create a rumination on modern living.