March 2011

PUSHING THE ELEPHANT by Beth Davenport and Elizabeth Mandel

PUSHING THE ELEPHANT (2010, 84 min) chronicles Rose Mapendo's escape from the ethnic violence of the Democratic Republic of Congo and describes how she became a vital voice for reconciliation. When the civil war came to Rose’s village, she was separated from her five-year-old daughter, Nangabire. Rose managed to escape with nine of her 10 children and was eventually resettled in Phoenix, Arizona. More than a decade later, mother and daughter are reunited in the U.S. where they must come to terms with the excruciating decisions of the past to build a new future. In this intimate family portrait unfolding against the wider drama of war, Rose emerges advocating forgiveness and assisting dozens of survivors as they rebuild their lives.

Our very informative post-screening discussion was facilitated by Jan Sullivan of the Congo Education Excellence Project.

Co-presented with the ITVS Community Cinema program, Independent Lens, WTTW, and the Congo Education Excellence Project. 

May 2011

HATS OFF by Jyll Johnstone

HATS OFF (2008, 52 min) profiles the beauty, passion, and eccentricities of 90-something actress Mimi Weddell. Named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in New York" by New York Magazine, Weddell turns stereotypes about aging upside down as she embarks on an acting career at age 65 to appear in bit parts on TV shows, films and ad campaigns. As her bemused baby boomer kids get their say, this entertaining documentary portrait doesn't sand away Weddell's rough edges but shows how she meets life's challenges with perseverance, humor and an infectious spirit.

"A delight! A great story about an amazing woman everyone will love." -- Jeffrey Lyons, NBC Reel Talk

Co-presented with the Aging Well Conference.

June 2011

THE KINGS OF PASTRY by Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker

THE KINGS OF PASTRY (2010, 90 min) is a highly entertaining new documentary that follows chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago’s renowned French Pastry School, to France where he takes part in the grueling "Meilleurs Ouvriers de France" competition. During the competition, sixteen chefs whip up the most gorgeous, delectable, gravity-defying concoctions and edge-of-your-seat drama as they deliver their spun-sugar desserts to the display table. The inevitable disasters and successes prove both poignant and hilarious. THE KINGS OF PASTRY was created by the award-winning filmmaking team of Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker (The War Room; Startup.com).

Co-presented with POV, PBS' award-winning nonfiction film series:  www.pbs.org/pov

October 2011

DEAF JAM by Judy Lieff

We've all heard of poetry slams, but Judy Lieff's DEAF JAM (70 min) takes us in an entirely different direction: she follows a group of deaf teens who use American Sign Language (ASL) to perform poetry in a dramatically visual way.

Aneta, one of the teens, becomes one of the first deaf competitors in a National Poetry Slam, where she discovers the power of ASL poetry to express her innermost self to hearing audiences.

Co-presented with ITVS Community Cinema, Independent Lens and WTTW.

October 2011

SCRAPPERS by Brian Ashby, Ben Kolak, and Courtney Prokopas

Named by Roger Ebert as one of the "Best Documentaries of 2010", SCRAPPERS (90 min) is a revealing portrait of Oscar and Otis, two metal scavengers searching for a living with brains, brawn, and battered pickup trucks. Set in Chicago’s labyrinth of alleys, SCRAPPERS opens a window on the daily struggles faced by these original "recyclers" and their families, especially as they deal with the ripple-effect the financial crisis has on scrap metal prices.

Filmmakers Brian Ashby and Courtney Prokopas attended this screening of SCRAPPERS in person and held a very informative discussion with our Reeltime audience. 

Co-presented with the Evanston ReBuilding Warehouse.