It seems that audiences now expect film festivals to be road shows of the latest and greatest in independent, art house, and foreign cinema rather than an opportunity to discover work not yet buzzed about. This year’s Chicago European Union Film Festival lineup has plenty of the latter, and the chance to discover new films and filmmakers makes perusing the schedule all the more exciting.
Polish master Krzysztof Zanussi, whose works from the 70s and 80s are among the greatest Polish films ever made, again foregrounds his preoccupation with faith in Ether, a Faustian historical drama in which the anesthetic, here in the hands of an amoral doctor, serves as a metaphor for both power and pain, specifically the ability to either exacerbate or alleviate the latter. Like many of Zanussi’s recent films, it’s a bit ham-fisted, especially in how it incorporates the Faustian elements. Still, it’s confidently realized, and worth watching for anyone who hopes to catch a glimpse of Zanussi’s erstwhile genius.
Two animated features, Salvador Simó’s Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (Spain), about a turning point in the surrealist director’s prodigious career, and Raúl de la Fuente and Damian Nenow’s Another Day of Life (Poland-Spain), reminiscent of Waltz With Bashir in its exploration of Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski’s experiences during the 1975 Angolan civil war, round out an eclectic program. There’s much to catch up with, but there’s also much to discover, with even more in store for those up to the task. v
Fri 3/8-Thu 4/4: dates and times vary; see schedule, Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, 312-846-2800, siskelfilmcenter.org, $11, $7 students.
