Noteworthy
The Gene Siskel Film Center, in collaboration with the Consulate General of India, Chicago, presents a series of nine films throughout December, highlighting the splendor and grandeur of Indian cinema. As awareness of the Indian popular cinema, particularly the films of Bollywood (a nickname applied to Bombay, the Hollywood of India), grows through the release of hits like the Oscar-nominated Lagaan, American movie-goers have become increasingly curious. Spectacle is the operative word to describe other films in the series, including Lagaan and the Chicago premiere Asoka, which has been compared to Gladiator in its action-packed scope.
Film
ASOKA
2001, Santosh Sivan, India,
180 min.
With Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena KapoorOne of the great historical legends of India
comes to the screen in this colorful story that takes an ambitious young emperor
Asoka (274 —232 B.C.) on a life’s journey from ruthless conqueror
to peace-loving disciple of Buddha. This film has it all: the passion of brother
against brother, deception by a mother, the intimacy of the palace bedchamber,
and the bloodthirsty action of the battlefield, where a lost love resurfaces
as a woman warrior. Superb cinematography and art direction make Asoka a treat
for the eyes.
LAGAAN
2001, Ashutosh Gowariker, India,
224 min.
With Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh
After its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last year, Lagaan
went on to box-office success, introducing singing, dancing, high-drama Bollywood
cinema to legions of new fans. With the passion of a folk tale and the dramatic
emphasis of a comic book, Lagaan spins a David-and-Goliath story in which Bhuvan,
a young, handsome village leader, uniquely defies his provincial British rulers.
The lifting of a ruinous tax hangs on the outcome of a cricket match in which
a starchy colonial team, led by the sneering Captain Russell, comes up against
a ragtag pack of farmers, led by Bhuvan.
Dogma Films
CONVERGING WITH ANGELS
2002, Michael Sorenson, USA,
170 min.
With Melissa Muniz, Robert Tobin
The well-ordered life of Dylan (Tobin), a high-priced male escort, goes into
moral free-fall beginning with the night he impulsively takes home a young woman
he finds passed out drunk on a sidewalk. A sad little stray cat in a lycra dress
and Prada shoes, Allison (Muniz) is looking for security or love, and she may
not know the difference. While Dylan plies his trade in swank hotels, a tentative
domestic relationship with seemingly homeless Allison evolves, based on the
illusion that neither of them has a past. Voyeurism is the dramatic strategy
and the engaging lure for this revealing story, the 25th film to be certified
as a Dogma production. Converging with Angels was completely made in Chicago.
Director Michael Sorenson, producer Thomas Jamroz, and several cast members
will be present for a discussion.
Gene Siskel Film Center, Saturday, Dec.7, 7:30 p.m.
Galleries and Exhibits
Chris Webster,
UNDERWORLD
(Photo Linen and Oils, Etchings)
British artist Christopher Webster makes photo-based mixed media works in response
to his developing understanding of humanity as both physical objects in real
universe, and spiritual entities in a spiritual universe. Webster posits bodies
between the metaphor of the desirous imagination and the tension of photographic
depiction. Webster’s work becomes the stage for a metaphorical interpretation
of the interaction of science and the occult, vision and memory, disease and
perfection.
Opening reception: Friday, Dec. 6, 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. Artemisia Gallery, 700 N.
Carpenter St. Gallery hours: Tues-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, contact
(312) 226-7323.
Troubling Taxonomies: Reinterpreting the Roger Brown Study
Collection
Twelve students from several different graduate programs, including Art Education,
Art Administration, and Art History, have joined together to co-curate, research,
and reclaim lost cultural narratives by reinterpreting objects from Roger Brown’s
former residence and studio. 1926 Exhibition Studies Space, 1926 N. Halsted.
Opening reception: Friday, Dec. 6,
5 p.m.- 8 p.m., free admission. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday,
3p.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 1p.m.-6 p.m. For more info, call (773)665-4802.
ID For Sale: Addressing Money, Moods, and the Mode
ID for Sale is a multimedia exhibition of garments organized by SAIC students.
The exhibit seeks to break down the barriers between art and commerce, fashion
and identity, culture and commodity. ID For Sale is the culminating project
by students in the school’s “Defining 20th Century Dress”
course. The exhibit features student garment designs as well as photography
in an installation-based setting.
Opening reception: Dec.13, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday Dec. 14 and Sunday Dec. 15
11 a.m.- 6p.m. 945 West Fulton Market (Three blocks west of Halsted near Sangamon).
For more info, call (312) 899-1215 or email veryprettynow@yahoo.com.