Spike Lee Will Discuss 'Chi-Raq' in Evanston

EVANSTON, IL - Spike Lee will be in Evanston next month to discuss “Chi-Raq,” his most recent film, with members of the Northwestern University community.

The event - which includes a screening and discussion at the campus on Wednesday, March 2 - is not open to the public, just those affiliated with the University according to a news release.

The University’s department of political science will host the event, which will take place at the Cahn Auditorium. The Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities will co-sponsor the event along with the school’s department of African American studies and department of classics.

“Spike Lee’s art is at once stylish, provocative, civic-minded and extremely thoughtful,” said Sara Monoson, chair of the department of political science at Northwestern. “We are thrilled that discussion of ‘Chi-Raq’ with the filmmaker will be part of Weinberg College’s efforts to support frank conversations on campus about the most difficult issues.”

Local activists who were involved with the film’s production in Chicago will join Lee on stage.

“Chi-Raq,” addresses gun violence in America and is set in Chicago. It is “structured as an adaptation of Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” a masterpiece of ancient Greek comedy in which women from warring cities come together to stage a sex strike in an effort to force an end to violence,” according to the release.

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