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Banner: the 59th Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: Political


In-Person
Within a maze, a man on a ladder leans over a hedge.

After Work

Erik Gandini  |   Sweden, Italy, Norway
English, Italian, Norwegian  
Documentary, Political, Social Commentary

In his funny and thought-provoking latest film, Erik Gandini (Videocracy) chronicles the past, present, and future of labor.

In-Person
A black and white image. Illimunated by a single bright light, a man sits in front of a ham radio.

Alien Island (Isla Alien)

Cristóbal Valenzuela  |   Chile, Italy
Spanish  
Documentary, Political, Science Fiction

During Chile’s military dictatorship, radio operators receive messages from an alien race. Are they real, or is it something more insidious?

In-Person
A bald, bearded man wearing a white button up stands in front of a large home with an American flag hanging from it.

American Fiction

Cord Jefferson  |   United States
English  
Comedy, Political, Social Commentary

Cord Jefferson’s hilarious directorial debut confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Starring Jeffrey Wright as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment.

In-Person
An older man and woman sit across from each other, sharing glasses of wine.

And the Party Goes On (Et la fête continue)

Robert Guédiguian  |   France
French  
Family Affairs, Political, Romance

In this joyful, humanistic drama, Rosa, the heart and soul of her community, faces retirement with mounting disillusionment — until she meets Henri.

In-Person
The black and white image of a woman leaning against a wall, the city street with a vintage car can be seen beyond.

The Battle (A Batalha da Rua Maria Antônia)

Vera Egito  |   Brazil
Portuguese  
Drama, Historical, LGBTQ, Political

On a pivotal night during Brazil’s dictatorship, a leftist student movement braces for violent conflict in this moody, stylized nod to history.

In-Person
Two women stand on a rooftop, staring out at the countryside.

Bye Bye Tiberias

Lina Soualem  |   France, Palestine, Belgium, Qatar
French, Palestinian Arabic  
Documentary, Family Affairs, Political, Women Centered

Filmmaker Lina Souaelm traces the journeys of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbas — and the women of her extended family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and resilience.

In-Person
A woman in a sequin dress takes a selfie in a public bathroom. Another woman pokes her head in to look.

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Nu Aștepta Prea Mult De La Sfârșitul Lumii)

Radu Jude  |   Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
Romanian  
Comedy, Political, Social Commentary

A production assistant attempts to cast actors for a workplace safety video in this wry, absurdist satire of capitalism in the digital age.

In-Person
A woman in a silk pink robe watches a young Sudanese woman with a smile.

Goodbye Julia

Mohamed Kordofani  |   Sudan
Arabic  
Drama, Political, Women Centered

Two women from different class and racial backgrounds form a dangerous bond against the tumultuous backdrop of South Sudan’s impending secession.

In-Person
A man kneels next to a little girl while a soldier holds out his hands.

Green Border (Zielona Granica)

Agnieszka Holland  |   Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
Arabic, English, French, Polish  
Drama, Political, Social Commentary, Women Centered

The plight of a Syrian family on the Poland-Belarus border prompts an everyday woman to action in this clear-eyed portrait of a political crisis.

In-Person
Three people look out at a snowy, mountainous landscape.

A Happy Day

Hisham Zaman  |   Norway
Norwegian  
Comedy, Coming of Age, Political

Endearingly deadpan, this wholly original tale finds three teenage friends plotting their escape from a frozen, hopeless place — until one falls in love.

In-Person
A family in a car together, all eyes on a little girl in centerframe. She holds out a note.

In the Rearview (Skąd dokąd)

Maciek Hamela  |   Poland, France, Ukraine
English, French, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian  
Documentary, Political, Social Commentary

In this sublime documentary, civilians fleeing war-torn Ukraine share intimate stories of struggle and resilience in the backseat of a minivan.

In-Person
A young boy, wearing smeared red lipstick, lays back in bed holding back tears. A older woman lay next to him, comforting.

Lost Country

Vladimir Perišić  |   Serbia, France, Luxemburg, Croatia
Serbian  
Coming of Age, Drama, Historical, Political

Serbia, 1996. When an election is stolen, 15-year-old Stefan is forced to confront his mother, a television spokesperson for the corrupt Milosevic regime.

In-Person
A person with a mustache, wearing blush and frills, smiles over their shoulder behind them.

Lubo

Giorgio Diritti  |   Italy, Switzerland
Italian, Jenisch, Swiss-German  
Drama, Historical, Literary Adaptation, Political

1939. The nomadic Lubo is conscripted into the Swiss army. When his children are taken by the state, he begins a desperate search to reunite his family.

In-Person
A child in a snowsuit lays down on a snowy hill surrouded by people going up and down with sleds.

Occupied City

Steve McQueen  |   The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States
Dutch, English  
Documentary, Historical, Political, Social Commentary

From the streets of Amsterdam, McQueen creates two interlocking portraits: a vivid journey through the last years of pandemic and protest, and a door-to-door excavation of the Nazi occupation that still haunts his adopted city.

In-Person
An older man with white hair leans back in his armchair. The room is blue, and on the table before him is 6 eggs.

The Pigeon Tunnel

Errol Morris  |   United Kingdom
English  
Biopic, Documentary, Political

Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris (The Fog of War) pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré, author of the most classic espionage novels of all time.

In-Person
A civil rights march. People standing arm in arm and walk in unity.

Rustin

George C. Wolfe  |   United States
English  
Biopic, Historical, LGBTQ, Political
The architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who [...]
In-Person
A black family of six poses together in front of their home.

Silver Dollar Road

Raoul Peck  |   United States
English  
Documentary, Political, Social Commentary

Acclaimed director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) tells the shocking story of a Black family who fought for decades to keep their ancestral land.

In-Person
Astronaut Ronald McNair smiles while holding a film slate. He wears a name badge that says Cecil B. McNair.

The Space Race

Lisa Cortés, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza  |   United States
English  
Documentary, Historical, Political, Social Commentary

Pioneers in civil rights and outer space, Black astronauts boldly ventured where no Black Americans had ever gone before. This is their untold story.

In-Person

Stamped from the Beginning

Roger Ross Williams  |   United States
English  
Documentary, Historical, Political, Social Commentary

Based on the book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi (How to Be An Antiracist), this searing documentary explores the roots of anti-Black racism in America.

In-Person
A bearded man seated before a desk holds up his fist to show a tattoo on his forearm.

Terrestrial Verses

Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami  |   Iran
Persian  
Drama, Political, Religion

Incisive, often darkly comic vignettes offer a glimpse into the world of everyday citizens grappling with the absurdity of life in modern Iran.

In-Person
A group of Jazz musicians record in a studio.

They Shot the Piano Player

Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal  |   Spain, France
English, Portuguese, Spanish  
Animation, Documentary, Musical, Political

In this lively animated music documentary, a New York journalist (Jeff Goldblum) seeks the truth behind the disappearance of a Brazilian jazz pianist.

In-Person
An idilic scene of a forest and a lake. A family lounges on the shore nearby, while some swim.

The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer  |   United Kingdom, Poland, United States
German  
Drama, Historical, Political

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house next to the camp.