FACETS CINÉMATHÈQUE
July 2008
The Facets Cinémathèque is located at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. For more information on films playing in the Cinémathèque, please call 773-281-4114. To order advance tickets online, visit the TicketWeb website by clicking here.
Chicago Premiere
PRAYING WITH LIOR
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WINNER
Best Documentary New York, Boston Vancouver, Seattle and San Diego Jewish Film Fests |
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"
Praying With Lior explores a rather extraordinary instance of real-world faith, sans condescension or proselytizing"
-Variety
"Charming as Lior is, this triumphant little movie leaps from good to great by exploring the Liebling family dynamic"
-Washington Post
"Patiently and delicately, Ms. Trachtman teases out the tricky dynamics of a family dealing with a disabled child"
-New York Times

"It's hard to have dry eyes"
-Chicago Tribune
"A warm and moving portrait"
-TimeOut Chicago
Recommended!
-Chicago Reader
"The film remains refreshingly down-to-earth about his abilities and limitations, and in the four-month buildup to his bar mitzvah, it wonders openly about where this rite of passage might take him."
-The Onion
The act of praying with Lior is indeed a special one. This tender documentary focuses on the profoundly special relationship Lior Liebling, a boy with Down syndrome, has with prayer and God. While some consider Lior, also known as "the little rebbe," to be a "spiritual genius" because of his fervent desire and enthusiasm for prayer, the camera also captures the incomparable impact Lior has on his family, friends and religious community. Although he is a high-functioning child with Down syndrome, whose humor and wit, and passion for life are an inspiration to those around him, Lior still faces many roadblocks along the way. Filmmaker Ilana Trachtman presents an intimate, emotionally charged portrait of Lior and his family as they prepare for Lior's greatest achievement to date – his Bar Mitzvah.
Directed by Ilana Trachtman, U.S.A., 2007, BetaSP, 87 mins.
Official site
Cinematical
Variety
Washington Post
New York Times
Chicago Tribune
TimeOut Chicago
Chicago Reader
The Onion
Showtimes:
Fri., Jul. 25 at 7 & 9 pm
Sat.-Sun., Jul. 26-27 at 3, 5, 7 & 9 pm
Mon.-Thurs., Jul. 28-31 at 7 & 9 pm
Tickets: