Facets Multimedia
1517 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago IL 60614
800.331.6197

Sales hours:
    9am-5pm, Mon.-Fri.

Rental hours:
    10am-10pm, Mon.-Sat.,
    12pm-10pm, Sun. & holidays

• Current Schedule
• Films Coming in June

    Archives:

• 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
• 2012
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
• 2011
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
• 2010
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
• 2009
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
• 2008
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
• 2007
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
• 2006
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
• 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005

CHARLES COLEMAN
Film Programmer for Facets Cinémathèque

Read his feature in the Chicago Reader

June 2012

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.

The 10th Annual
CHICAGO AFRICAN DIASPORA
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

June 15-21, 2012

"The annual African Diaspora Film Festival is as diverse and porous as the diaspora itself"
  -TimeOut Chicago



The African Diaspora International Film Festival and The Facets Cinémathèque are presenting The 10th Annual Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF 2012-Chicago), which will be held at Facets from June 17-21. This outstanding event will feature a selection of Black Independent Films from around the world, depicting an eclectic mix of foreign, independent, classic and urban films which represent the human experience of people of color through an extraordinary range of subjects and artistic approaches. In collaboration with the South African Consulate in Chicago, ADFF-Chicago 2012 will pay homage to the 100 year anniversary of the ANC on South African Youth Day, June 16th with the screening of two important South African films: Come Back Africa, shot in 1960 during the apartheid era and also Nothing But The Truth, a film about the new South Africa directed by John Kani, one of the major cultural figures in that country. Highlighting stories from South Africa, Surinam, The United States, Brazil, Cuba and Cameroon are some of the countries represented in the 10th African Diaspora Film Festival-Chicago, as well as several works by independent African American filmmakers, ADIFF Chicago 2012 is poised to be another success in the Windy City.

The 10th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival-Chicago is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following institutions: Facets Cinémathèque, ArtMattan Productions, the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University, the South African Consulate General, Chicago; the Quebec Government Office - Chicago, the Consulate General of Switzerland - Chicago, and TV5 Monde.

Chicago Sun-Times     TimeOut Chicago    

---

Tickets: $9 general admission
$15 for Opening Night

Note: Facets membership privileges for free admission are not eligible for the 9th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival.

In addition, Groupons and any other passes or discounted tickets will not be accepted for this engagement.

---

OPENING NIGHT FILM! 
Facets Film Dialogue
with filmmaker Keith Miller

Chicago Premiere

WELCOME TO PINE HILL

Written, produced and directed by Keith Miller, Welcome to Pine Hill follows Shannon Harper, a recently reformed drug dealer working as a claims adjuster by day and bouncer by night who receives earth-shattering news that compels him to make peace with his past and search for freedom beyond the concrete jungle of New York. Developed in collaboration with the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, of which director Keith Miller is a member, Welcome to Pine Hill is a 2011 Independent Filmmaker Lab participant and Miller's debut feature.

Directed by Keith Miller, U.S.A., 2012, 80 mins. In English. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival.

Trailer     Official site     Chicago Sun-Times     Chicago Reader        

Facets Film Dialogue

Filmmaker Keith Miller will be present for a Q&A after the screenings on Friday, June 15th & Sunday, June 17th

Showtimes:
Fri., June 15 at 6:30 pm
Opening Night Film and Reception: 8 pm - 9 pm
Special Admission fee for this event: $15.00, which includes the reception and film.

Sun., June 17 at 5 pm
A cocktail reception will follow this screening from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland, Chicago.

---

GOLDEN SCARS

An intimate portrait of the realities facing young musicians in Cuba, offering an exclusive look into the unique stories of two young rappers born in Santiago de Cuba. They are neither blood brothers, nor the best friends in the world. What they have in common is a passion for an expressive urban culture that gives voice to their most powerful impulses. Going beyond issues of politics and revolution, these artists share their passion and the source of their musical inspiration. The spiritual strength as well as their fierce convictions drive them to pursue their odyssey despite the tensions and personal struggles with which they are confronted.

Directed by Alexandrine Boudreault, Canada, 2010, 61 mins. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Trailer        

Showtime:
Fri., June 15 at 9 pm

---

THE FORGOTTEN
(LES OUBLIÉS DE L'HISTOIRE)

Azzouz decides to immigrate to Belgium in search of a better life. Yamna, forced to flee her country, decides to join Azzouz, her lover and in Brussels, they will meet Nawal, Said, Ben, Tatiana and Amal, all of whom are trapped in the network of exploitation of illegal immigrants.

Directed by Hassan Benjelloun, Morocco, 2010, 105 mins, In French and Arabic with English subtitles. Winner of the Best Feature Film Award at the Arpa International Film Festival, Los Angeles.

Showtime:
Sat., June 16 at 2 pm

Special Presentation

The Forgotten is also being shown at the Alliance Française de Chicago
as an Opening Night Event.

Thursday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m.
54 W. Chicago Avenue
Admission $7 with a glass of French wine.

---

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

A gripping investigation into the complex dynamic between those blacks who remained in South Africa and risked their lives to lead the struggle against apartheid and those who returned victoriously after living in exile. In New Brighton, South Africa, 63-year-old librarian Sipho Makhaya prepares for the return of the ashes of his brother Themba, recently deceased while in exile in London after gaining a reputation as a hero of the anti-apartheid movement. Internationally recognized, multiple award-winning actor John Kani is the lead actor in this film version of the internationally acclaimed award-winning play Nothing But The Truth which he also authored.

Directed by John Kani, South Africa, 2008, 78 mins. In English.

Trailer        

Showtimes:
Sat., June 16 at 4 pm
Thurs., June 21 at 6:30 pm

---

Chicago Premiere

COME BACK, AFRICA

Filmed in secret from the South African government, Come Back, Africa is a devastating, yet uplifting street-level portrait of the inhumanities of state-sponsored racism, and the glimmers of hope found through community, dance and music. Convincing authorities that he was there to simply make a musical travelogue, director Lionel Rogosin went underground to film the fish-out-of-water story of a rural African who comes to Johannesburg looking for a dignified job, only to be mentally and physically battered by the realities of Apartheid. Ignored in the segregated U.S. upon its initial 1960 release, Come Back, Africa has brilliantly resurfaced to become one of the great cinematic historical documents of its era. Features young Miriam Makeba, who performs two full songs!

Directed by Lionel Rogosin, U.S.A./South Africa, 1960, 35mm. 83 mins. In English.

The screening on Saturday, June 16 will be followed by a discussion with a South African Consulate representative and a reception. Sponsored by the South African Consulate—Chicago

Trailer     Official site     Director site     Slant Magazine     Chicago Sun-Times

TimeOut Chicago     Chicago Reader        

Showtimes:
Sat., June 16 at 6 pm
Thurs., June 21 at 8:30 pm

---

JESSE OWENS

This powerful documentary centers on the African American track and field star, Jesse Owens, who triumphed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin amidst the rise of Nazi propaganda. Despite the racial discrimination he endured, Jesse Owens' grace and athleticism rallied crowds across the globe. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus. The story of the 22-year-old son of a sharecropper who triumphed over adversity to become a hero and world champion, Jesse Owens is also about the elusive, fleeting quality of fame and the way Americans idolize athletes when they suit our purpose, and forget them once they don't.

Directed by Laurens Grant. U.S.A., 2012, 60 mins. In English.

Facets Film Dialogue

There will be a pre-screening reception at 7:30 pm with the Owens family and the South African Consulate. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Laurens Grant and Owens family members Marlene Owens Rankin (youngest daughter and head of the Jesse Owens Foundation), Beverly Owens Prather (middle daughter) and Gloria Owens Hemphill (oldest daughter—not in the film).

Director interview     Los Angeles Times     Variety        

Showtime:
Sat., June 16 at 8:30 pm

---

ONE PEOPLE
(WAN PIPEL)

Roy is a young black Surinamese studying in Amsterdam. When he learns that his mother is dying, he borrows money from his Dutch girlfriend to return home. There, he scandalizes everyone when he begins a relationship with Rubia, a Hindu. Will Roy stay with Rubia and remain in his newly independent homeland, or follow his family's wishes and return to Holland? One People is a classic Caribbean film, as well as Suriname's first feature-length drama, recently and lovingly restored.

Directed by Pim de la Parra, Suriname/Netherlands, 1976, 111 mins. In Dutch, Hindustani and Sranan Tongo with English subtitles.

Trailer (no EST)     Chicago Reader    

Showtimes:
Sun., June 17 at 1 pm
Wed., June 20 at 8:30 pm

---

FILLING THE GAP

Conceived as an effort to alter the way African-American children see themselves and their ancestors, this docu-drama highlights the inventive and inspired contributions of African-Americans in the 1840s, the period leading to the Civil War in American History. Developed in collaboration with Florida-based historian Mary Fears to produce a historically accurate portrayal of the brave, compelling lives of African American skilled craftsmen, artists, inventors, and Union spies, Filling the Gap is certain to enthrall young audiences with this overlooked facet of history.

Directed by Tyrone Young, U.S.A., 2010, 83 mins.

Trailer     Official site     Chicago Sun-Times        

Showtime:
Sun., June 17 at 3 p.m

---

TAXIPHONE

Oliver and Elena, are a young Swiss couple who are travelling through the Sahara until their truck breaks down. They are forced to stop in the oasis of Tar where the everyday life rotates around a small taxi phone, the only place one can make a phone call from, receive or send mail. There, they meet other tourists, young people dreaming of immigrating to Europe, children with big hopes, and also fantastic storytellers. While Oliver has a hard time getting accustomed to life in the desert, Elena is soon absorbed by this fascinating world.

Directed by Mohammed Soudani, Switzerland/Algeria, 2010, 94 mins. In French and Arabic with English subtitles.

The screening will be preceded by a cocktail reception from 6:30-7:30pm, offered by the Consulate General of Switzerland, Chicago.

Trailer     Official site        

Showtimes:
Sun., June 17 at 7:30 pm

---

THE BIG BANANA

This new film exposes multinational corporations culpability in the land grab of Africa, which makes us reconsider where we get our fruit from. Banned in Cameroon, The Big Banana illustrates the poor working conditions in banana plantations and exposes the adverse impact of corporato-cracy government on the people while reaping super profits for corporations. The side effects of plantation corporations on the people of Africa—and everywhere else in the world—are abject poverty and environmental degradation from chemical fumigation.

Directed by Franck Bieleu, Cameroon, 2011, 85 mins. In French with English subtitles.

Trailer     Official site     TimeOut Chicago        

Showtime:
Mon., June 18 at 6:30 p.m

---

ABDIA DO NASCIMENTO

A loving and revealing documentary about Afro-Brazilian scholar/writer/activist/politician Abdia do Nascimento (1930-2011), a significant figure and leader of Brazil's black movement who founded the Black Experimental Theater in 1964. He was very active in the international Pan-African Movement, but was forced into exile by the military regime. Eventually, he returned to Brazil in 1983 and not only was elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies, but also to the Senate later on. There, his focus was supporting legislation that addressed racial problems in Brazil. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2004. This film traces his life, ideology and struggles through many interviews with himself as well as the people he influenced.

Directed by Aída Marques, Brazil, 2011, 95 mins. In Portuguese with English subtitles.

Showtime:
Mon., June 18 at 8:30 pm

---

THE FIRST RASTA

By popularizing reggae internationally, Bob Marley became the global ambassador for Rastafarians, a Jamaican spiritual movement formed from the union of black nationalism and messianic Christianity. Yet the wide circulation of Rasta iconography—not to mention ceremonial clouds of ganja smoke—has stripped it of its original context and political content. The First Rasta tells the life of Rastafarianism's founder, Leonard Percival Howell, from precocious anti-colonialist to world traveler and social visionary. In the early 20th century, Howell set sail around the world and during his journey, and sampled ideologies from anarchism to bolshevism as well as from Marcus Garvey to psychoanalysis. In 1939, he returned to Jamaica enlightened and "Gong" Howell set up the Pinnacle, the first Rastafarian community. Utilizing archival footage, police reports, traditional voiceover narration, and interviews with Howell's followers, acquaintances, and relatives, director Hélène Lee, who has also written a book about the subject matter, goes beyond the clichés associated with Rasta, and attempts to correct this cultural amnesia.

Directed by Hélène Lee and Christophe Farnarier, France/Mauritius, 2011, 90 mins. In English.

Trailer     New York Times     TimeOut Chicago     Chicago Sun-Times        

Showtime:
Tues., June 19 at 6:30 p.m

---

SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
(EHKY YA SCHAHRAZAD)

A sharp observation of Egyptian society, Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story uses the classic Arabian Nights framework of a story within a story. Hebba Younis (Mona Zakki), is a contemporary, fiercely independent talk-show host. She is married to Karim Hassan (Hassan El Raddad), an opportunistic newspaper editor for a government-owned daily. Hebba is asked to forfeit the success of her career for the professional ambitions of her husband and in the eyes of government officials, he must persuade his wife to soften the critical tone she broadcasts across the nation.

Afraid of how yet another divorce may affect her celebrity status with the public, Hebba finally complies, ultimately privileging the success of her marriage over her own personal and professional aims. In shifting away from hard politics to devote her program to social issues for which the government cannot be held responsible—the so-called "women's stories"—she discovers lives and struggles that may be even more damaging to reveal.

Directed by Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt, 2009, 135 mins. In Arabic with English subtitles.

Trailer     Variety     ScreenDaily     NewCity Chicago     TimeOut Chicago

Chicago Reader        

Showtime:
Tues., June 19 at 8:30 pm

---

PARRADOX

A touching and humorous rollercoaster ride through the European filmmaking world from the 60s to the 90s. This film tells the rise and fall of Pim de la Parra, a crazy, controversial and creative genius, and of his resurrection. Driven by women, ego and money, De la Parra celebrates life in abundance while producing and directing dozens of films, changing the entire Dutch film industry and helping many young talents on their way. Parradox is a film about creativity and passion, about stupidity and serenity, about tragedy and happiness. De la Parra is the director of the Dutch/Surinam classic film Wam Pipel, which is also being shown in this festival.

Directed by In-soo Radstake, The Netherlands, 2010, 89 mins. In English and Dutch with English subtitles.

Official site        

Showtimes:
Wed., June 20 at 6:30 pm

---

For all Cinémathèque inquiries, contact Charles Coleman at 773.281.9075 or charles@facets.org