One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jean Renoir’s antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein.
Rec. Grade Levels Archives: 10
Good Morning
A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of intergenerational relationships, Good Morning tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking in protest after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his child protagonists.
Go For It!
In this high-energy coming-of-age tale from local filmmakers, feisty Carmen spends her days working and her nights wowing club crowds with her dancing. But an opportunity to win admission to a prestigious dance school forces Carmen to choose between fulfilling her obligations to her family and urban community or moving on to a brighter but uncertain future
For Grace
After cooking his way through several of Chicago’s top restaurants, Chef Curtis Duffy is ready to open his new and ambitious restaurant, Grace. An in depth look at what it takes to create and manage one of the world’s greatest eateries, For Grace also tells the complex story of a man constantly pushing forward in a quest to overcome his traumatic past and create his own future.
Girls On The Wall
In this affecting documentary, the girls of the Warrenville, Illinois prison are given a chance to tell their stories in a musical based on their lives. To do this, they must reach within themselves and reflect on the life choices they have made. With unprecedented access to the juvenile prison, director Heather Ross skillfully traces these young women’s attempts to reclaim their humanity and ultimately their freedom
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