Release Years Archives: 2021

< Back to Summer Screenings page

Shabu

  Shamira Raphaëla

  The Netherlands      2021    

Synopsis

It’s summertime, and 14-year-old Shabu is in trouble. After a disastrous joyride in his grandmother’s car, he must spend his holiday working to pay for the damages. Rather than dwelling on his misfortunes, the magnetic Shabu makes a plan: skip the job and raise money throwing the party of the summer. Shot in Rotterdam’s De Peperklip district, Shabu paints a winning portrait of its irresistible protagonist — dancing, laughing, and drumming all the way.

 Dutch 
  75 minutes

Screenings & Events

Media

Sponsors

Film Partner

Logo: Danish Cultural CenterLogo: Eye Film 160x85

< Back to Summer Screenings page

Far Away Eyes

  Wang Chun-hong

  Taiwan      2021    

Synopsis

A photographer wanders through Taipei as the city braces for a presidential election. Adrift and questioning his chosen vocation, self-doubt begins to creep in as his 30th birthday approaches. What does his future hold? A thoughtful blend of fiction and documentary, complemented by gentle, strikingly composed black-and-white cinematography, distinguish this contemplative urban travelog of sorts that echoes the quiet pulse of life in the city.

 Chinese with subtitles 
  79 minutes

Screenings & Events

Media

Sponsors

Film Partner

logo: Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago 150x149logo: Taipei Taiwan Cultural Centerin New York

< Back to Summer Screenings page

Welcome Venice

  Andrea Segre

  Italy      2021    

Synopsis

Brothers Pietro and Alvise, heirs in a long line of fishermen, are at odds about the future of their family home. Is the house on the picturesque island of Giudecca in the Venice lagoon a vital lifeline to a shared history and self-sufficient way of life or their ticket to financial freedom? An epic, impossible clash of wills ensues, bringing into relief the human impact of global tourism on life in the sublime city.

 Italian with subtitles 
  100 minutes

Media

Sponsors

Film Partner

Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

< Back to Summer Screenings page

Precious Ivie Ivie wie Ivie

  Sarah Blaßkiewitz

  Germany      2021    

Synopsis

Ivie is a 30-something Afro-German woman and aspiring teacher struggling to land a job. Her world is upended when Naomi, an unknown half-sister, shows up with news that their father (a man neither knows) has died. As the sisters grow closer, Ivie begins to question her life. Showcasing Leipzig’s canals, parks, and nightlife, Precious Ivie is a moving chronicle of cultural identity, inner strength, and everyday racism.

 German with subtitles 
  112 minutes

Media

Sponsors

Film Partner

Logo: Goethe Institut 62x100

< Back to Summer Screenings page

A Girl Returned L’Arminuta

  Giuseppe Bonito

  Italy      2021    

Synopsis

Summer, 1975. A 13-year-old girl mysteriously appears at a farmstead and moves in with the family. Who is she? What is she doing there? Based on a 2017 bestseller, A Girl Returned tells the story of a girl who unwillingly returns to the biological family she never knew and must reckon with her new home and sense of abandonment. Rendered with stunning emotional clarity, the film is a thoughtful examination of childhood, motherhood, and the ties that bind.

 Italian with subtitles 
  110 minutes

Screenings & Events

Post-Screening Discussion

Post-screening discussion led by Professor Veronica Vegna, University of Chicago

Post-screening discussion presented by: Logo: Citi 161x100

Sponsors

Film Partner

Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100