ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time. To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of what to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org
Film Festival!
(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT
36th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival The 36th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival goes virtual September 18-27 at ChicagoLatinoFilmFestival.org with five award-winning and critically acclaimed titles: “Ema,” (Chile, 2019, 102 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles. Mariana DiGirolamo delivers a star-making performance as a reggaeton dancer whose marriage to choreographer Gaston (Gael Garcia Bernal) is thrown into disarray after they are forced to reverse the adoption of their son Polo when he commits a shockingly violent act. “Divine Love,” (Brazil, 2019, 100 minutes) in Portuguese with English subtitles The Party of Supreme Love has supplanted Carnaval as the nation’s main cultural event. Scanners in public spaces announce a woman’s child-bearing status and an active sex life is encouraged -- as long as it leads to procreation -- in this synth-heavy, sci-fi film. “The Weasel’s Tale,” (Argentina, 2019, 126 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles A legendary actress, her retired film director and weasel hunter husband and her scriptwriter live together in an old mansion. Their clashes are no different than the ones they once experienced on a movie set in this dark comedy. “Days of Light,” (Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, 2019, 89 minutes) Six up-and-coming Central American filmmakers tell the story of a solar storm that leaves the area without power or telecommunication for days. Characters must face life on its most basic terms. “90 Minutes,” (Honduras, 2019, 92 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles In the amount of time it takes to play a soccer game, the sport ties together four interlinking stories of violence, romance, suspense and drama -- from an immigrant who must fight for his life to a TV cameraman who must do everything possible to get a story.
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Inspirational Dancing!
With Rumi Mandala South Asian Performing Arts draws inspiration from the work of 13th century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic Rumi in its hour-long performance, ”With Rumi,” Saturday, September 26 at 3 and 6 p.m. The performance will have a limited audience, pending COVID-19 restrictions, at High Concept Labs, located at Mana Contemporary Chicago, 2233 S. Throop St. and will be livestreamed for a digital audience. Rumi’s lyricism and universal articulation of love and access to the divine serve as the basis for much Persian and Afghani music. His poetry is iconic in Persian art. "With Rumi" is conceptualized and choreographed by Mandala Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar and derives from Rumi’s forlorn description of lovers—tahwid—who are unable to experience transcendental “oneness” due to physical and emotional distance. Through her choreography, Nayar tells the lovers’ stories and joins the natural curves of Persian calligraphy with the angles of classical Bharatanatyam dance and the free flow of modern dance. An original score by Sufi composer Niloufar Nourbaksh accompanies the dance and film; a digital animated film by Aadit Arora bridges the gap between page and performance. Tickets are $25 general admission for limited in-person seating and $10 to stream the performance, both available at withrumi.eventcombo.com All programming is subject to change. Mandala Arts, founded by Nayar, explores dance, theatre, and music forms of South Asia. Performances and productions have a connection to both modern and ancient and classical traditions, ranging from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas, from Persia to Indonesia.
