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Murmur of the Hearts Nian Nian
Synopsis
This tender and introspective drama connects the lives of three seemingly disparate characters: an unexpectedly pregnant painter, a distracted tour guide, and a talentless boxer. Each at a crossroads in their lives, they’re forced to reflect on their pasts as they prepare for uncertain futures. Intricately weaving together the threads of their lives, the film offers an elegant, surreal portrait of a generation at a crossroads.
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Shorts 8: Architecture – Versions of Home
Synopsis
In celebration of this year’s Chicago Architecture Biennial, this program tracks how we establish strong connections to a place, and the complications of staying in it. Featuring works by Camille Authouart, Mariia Ponomarova, Lloyd Lee Choi, and Ufuoma Essi.
An artist explores, observes, and draws scenes of La Défense, a neighborhood west of Paris whose large-scale public artworks constitute the largest open-air museum in Europe, in The Great Arc (France). Former residents remember happier times in a beloved apartment in Three Windows on South West (The Netherlands, Ukraine). Closing Dynasty (U.S.) follows a day in the life of a streetwise kid named Queenie as she navigates her own path through New York City. And Is My Living In Vain (U.K., France, New Zealand) explores the Black church as a site of personal and political belonging through portraits of communities across west Philadelphia and southeast London.
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
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Shorts 4: Documentary – In Motion
Synopsis
These short documentaries offer singular looks into lives that have been transformed by pivotal events. Featuring works by Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi, Sean Wang, Jon Siskel, Kevin Jerome Everson, Claudrena N. Harold, Arun Bhattarai, Francesca Scalisi, and Mark Olexa.
Displaced by war, Ukrainian children make a former military barrack their playground in waking up in silence (Germany, Ukraine). Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (U.S.) is a moving portrait of an elderly pair, their quirky rituals, and their strong sentiments for life. The community of Highland Park, Illinois, commemorates those who lost their lives in the Independence Day shooting of 2022 in Memorial (U.S.). In Accidental Athlete (U.S.), Paulette Jones Morant recounts her athletic journey at the University of Virginia in the 1970s. Mountain Man (Bhutan) chronicles Phuntsho Tshering and his annual sacred journey to the Himalayas to track the movement of the glaciers. The poetry of the passage of time is seen on the faces of the elderly and in the voices of a youth choir in A reflection (Switzerland).
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Sponsors
Documentary Program Sponsors
Cynthia Stone Raskin
![A young girl standing outside a tall building holds a cigarette in her hand in front of her face.](https://cinemachicago.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FF59_short_ClosingDynasty_1200x600.jpg)
Closing Dynasty [short film]
Synopsis
Streetwise kid Queenie navigates her own path through New York City. This beautifully shot film is a love letter to the city at street-level and young actor Milinka Winata delights with a funny and heart-felt performance.
This film screens as part of the Shorts 8: Architecture – Versions of Home program.
![Close-up of two older women holding up a long lit lighter.](https://cinemachicago.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FF59_short_NaiNaiWaiPo_1200x600.jpg)
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó [short film]
Synopsis
Sean Wang visits his maternal and paternal grandmothers who live as roommates during the pandemic. The resulting, roving portrait of Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó’s lives together and their shared love for him is hilarious, moving, and full of the hard-won wisdom of later years.
This film screens as part of the Shorts 4: Documentary – In Motion program.