The MAC Free Global Flicks Series Returns Feb. 5-March 11

The popular Global Flicks series returns to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) on the campus of College of DuPage for its 36th edition, featuring world-class films from Mexico, Syria/Germany, Algeria/Russia, Belgium, Congo and Japan. They will be screened at the Playhouse Theatre at the MAC on Wednesdays at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. starting Feb. 5 and ending March 11. All films are presented in their original language with English subtitles. Admission is free.

Selections are as follows:

“Frida” (2002), Feb. 5 – Mexico/USA. Julie Taymor (“The Lion King”) directs biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award-nominated portrayal as Kahlo the movie was adapted by from the book “Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo” by Hayden Herrera. It won two Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Original Score among six nominations.

Humanity on the Move: “Sky and Ground” (2018), Feb. 12 – Syria/Germany. During the greatest humanitarian crisis of recent times, a Syrian-Kurdish family makes their way from their home in Aleppo, bombed out by the war, to a refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border. Their goal is to reunite with family members and seek asylum in Berlin, but first they must make the arduous and dangerous journey through Serbia, Hungary and Austria. Directed by Joshua Bennett and Talya Tibbon.

Costa-Bavara’s “Z” (1969), Feb. 19 – Algeria/Russia. This political thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its satirical view of Greek politics, its dark sense of humor, and its downbeat ending, the film captures the outrage about the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time of its making. “Z” was the first film to be nominated for Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film,

“Two Days, One Night” (2014), Feb. 26 – Belgium. Sandra is a factory worker paid minimum wage who has returned to work after seeking help with depression. It won the Sydney Film Prize at the 2014 Sydney Film Festival, was nominated for nine Magritte Awards, winning three, including Best Film and Best Director for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne and Best Actor for Fabrizio Rongione. Actress Marion Cotillard was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

“Virunga” (2014), March 4 – Congo. Virunga National Park is one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the last remaining mountain gorillas. It focuses on the conservation work of park rangers within the Congo's Virunga National Park during the rise of the violent M23 Rebellion in 2012 and the activity of the British oil company Soco International within the UNESCO World Heritage site. This film, part investigative journalism, part documentary is directed by Orlando von Einsiedel.

“Shoplifters” (2018), March 11 – Japan. Struggling to provide food, clothes, and education the Shibata’s supplement their income through odd jobs and petty theft. Despite their own needs, this unconventional family takes in an abandoned child and teaches her their ways of survival. In their fight to endure and even thrive, an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and tests the bonds that unite them. The film, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, premiered in May 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it went on to win the Palme d'Or. Other honors include Academy Award Nominee Best Foreign Language Film and Golden Globe Nominee for Best Picture.

Global Flicks is co-sponsored by College of DuPage Field Studies/Study Abroad/Global Education and the MAC.

McAninch Arts center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, presents its 2019 Global Flicks Feb. 5-March 11. Admission is free. The specific schedule is as follows:

• “Frida” – Feb. 5 in the Belushi Performance Hall at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

• “Sky and Ground” – Feb. 12, in the Belushi Performance Hall at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

• “Z” – Feb. 19 in the Playhouse Theatre at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

• “Two Days, One Night” – Feb. 26 in the Playhouse Theatre at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

• “Virunga” – March 4 in the Belushi Performance Hall at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

• “Shoplifters” – March 11 in the Playhouse Theatre at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000.