List
2022 Movie Discussion Titles
Each month we screen a movie and then talk about it. These are 2022 films.
-
The Cakemaker
2021Get this itemAfter a German baker discovers that his lover has died in a car accident, he abruptly leaves his life in Berlin, moving to Jerusalem to search for answers and closure. There, he befriends his lover's widowed wife while concealing his own past. This beautiful debut film quietly and powerfully explores love, grief, and the deep human need to connect and heal. In Hebrew, German, and English with English subtitles.
-
Pain and Glory: Dolor y Gloria
2020Get this itemA well-known filmmaker in a creative dry spell, played by Antonio Banderas, is dealing with various health issues. Learning of plans to screen a restored version of an early film, he reconnects with the lead actor and reflects on his childhood. Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory is a sublime semi-autobiographical work of memory, imagination, and creation. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
2021Get this itemBorn in Puerto Rico, legendary actress Rita Moreno made her way to Hollywood, where she challenged racism and sexism. With new interviews, archival movie clips, and photos, we get an up-close look into Moreno’s trailblazing life and remarkable career.
-
Fireworks Wednesday
2018Get this itemIranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi--whose previous movies A Separation and The Salesman won Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012 and 2016--excels at depicting complex relationships and family dynamics. On the eve of the Persian New Year, this story focuses on a maid asked to spy on her employer's husband amid suspicions of infidelity. In Persian (Farsi) with English subtitles.
-
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
2022Get this itemBhutanese director Pawo Choynin Dorjii has crafted a gentle, life-affirming fable. An unmotivated teacher is sent to the most remote school in the country to fulfill his last year of mandatory government service. Over time, he finds purpose, connection, and community. In Dzongkha with English subtitles.
-
Te Llevo Conmigo: I Carry You with Me
2021Get this itemBased on a true story, this movie follows Ivan and Gerardo, who met as young men in Mexico, fell in love and illegally entered the U.S. hoping to find opportunities and acceptance, but leaving behind loved ones. Their relationship goes on to span decades, borders, and hardship. This powerful feature film debut poetically conveys the multifaceted nature of who we carry with us. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-
Parallel Mothers
2022Get this itemNow in his early 70s, Pedro Almodóvar makes films that still pop with his bold colors and melodrama, and he has a newfound interest in interrogating Spain’s recent, troubled past. Led by a brilliant Oscar-nominated performance from Penélope Cruz, what seems like a “typical” Almodóvar film slowly builds in power to courageously confront the horrors of the Franco regime. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-
Asako I & II
2020Get this itemFrom director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, whose movie Drive My Car won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. This earlier work addresses similar themes, including youth, romance, and modern Japan, while adding a compelling dash of mystery and even fable to the story about a young woman who finds herself falling in love with two men who look very similar, but are totally different. In Japanese with English subtitles.
-
Summer of Soul
2022Get this itemThe 2022 Oscar winner for best Documentary Feature examines the long forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that ran for six weekends, with legendary musical artists and a huge attendance. Working from 40 hours of footage, first-time director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson does an awesome job selecting performances, conducting interviews, and using archival news/TV clips and headlines.
-
Compartment No. 6
2022Get this itemA university student from Finland studying in Moscow travels by train to see the Kanozero Petroglyphs and has to share her compartment with a stranger she finds extremely annoying. Yet, as the journey continues over several days, an unexpected friendship develops and a new outlook takes root. A surprising, emotionally nuanced, character-driven film. In Finnish and Russian with English subtitles.
-
Song without a Name
2021Get this itemInspired by true events and set in 1988 Peru, the story follows Georgina, an indigenous young woman whose newborn baby is stolen from a clinic that advertised free assistance. Dismissed by the police, Georgina teams up with a journalist to investigate her daughter’s disappearance and expose deep-seated corruption. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-
Give Me Liberty
2021Get this itemA festival favorite that carries a message for why representation and authenticity matter in the stories we share. Featuring several actors with disabilities, this screwball comedy that was filmed in Milwaukee follows medical transport driver Vic as he frantically tries to get a disparate group of passengers (many are his Russian-speaking relatives) to where they need to go. Ultimately, they find connectedness through their humanity. In English and Russian with English subtitles.
Bookmatch
Bookmatch allows Skokie Library cardholders to receive a custom list of titles prepared for you by the library's expert staff.
Try Bookmatch