Siskel Center started a new lecture series, “Propaganda and Counterculture.” The program is incredibly interesting. However, I can hardly attend any because most of my Tuesdays are already scheduled. Because of that, I made a point to see “Nonotchka” last Tuesday.
The auditorium was packed with students who stayed for a class after the screening. I am curious to know their impressions! The movie is funny. Even with the obligatory dose of “cranberry trees,” it still captures some utterly funny details that are pretty close to reality.
Now that I think about it, maybe “funny” is exactly what feels slightly disturbing. One may say that we are not afraid of things we can laugh about, but at the same time, that exact feeling that “things are not too scary” prompts the viewers to believe that the communist regime was not so bad…
For the second year in a row, I did a full course of Bike the Drive! The weather was perfect except for heavy winds after 8 AM, which slowed down the last portion of my ride. Other than that – just perfect. This time, I didn’t pay for breakfast because, for two years in a row, I found it expensive and not good. I much preferred the snacks at the rest stops: bananas, apples, dried fruits and nuts packs. Also, Urban Remedy was giving away small bottles of coffee and cookies.
I checked my bike and attached the number the night beforeAt the event starting pointAt the turning point – the rest stop by the Museum of Science and IndustryStopping on the overpass on the way back30 miles challenge medalUrban Remedy goodies. I checked their website – their products are very expensive, so I don’t think I will buy any, but it was great to try.
Thursday was the last day of the Siskel Center’s “Entrances and Exits” series. Each night, the Film Center presented the first and last film of an outstanding director. Yesterday, it was Larisa Shepitko Heat and The Ascent. I only went to see the first one, because I can’t spend four hours in the movies, and couldn’t be that late (my workload is absolutely insane these days).
Heat is Shepetko’s first movie, the one she directed as her graduation project, and I never saw it or heard about it (yes, there are some gaps in my education). I can’t even describe how much I loved it. It’s incredible that in 1963, she could produce a full-length film that would be so moving, deep, powerful, and with almost no traces of propaganda or obligatory Soviet reports.
While searching for any information about this movie in English, I found this video, which outlines the history of Kyrgyz cinematography and talks about the Heat in detail.
I haven’t seen the movie, and I didn’t know the synopsis (and didn’t want to read any reviews before I saw it for myself), so I went in on Wednesday with an open mind.
I liked the show; There is nothing deep and philosophical, but everything is put together really well; the music and lyrics are great, and the special effects are amazing. Great entertainment and it’s exactly what I needed to balance my insane workload.
I was not in the office that only day when the actual clash with police happened. And yes, it was indeed right by our office, this only serious one. The pictures made by a photographer whom I know look horrific. To be clear, I have no pity for these pro-palestinian demonstrators. I think the way they are acting, the slogans they chant, and the posters they carry – all do a great disservice to everybody, including themselves. I do not even want to copy the pictures I saw. On the one hand, they look a lot like Soviet propaganda from the 1970s: police in a capitalist country assault the workers fighting for their rights. On the other hand, the posters which protesters carry, tell a different story.
Anyway, it was a huge mess, and over 50 people were arrested (and again, I have no pity). But since it happened literally in from of our office (the Israely consulate is located on the thrid floor of the train station) many people in the office were scared, and on Wednesday and Thursday, even fewer people were in the office.
Today, one of my co-workers told me that his friend who works for Chicago Police told him that there would be even worse tonight, so if I was staying late… I told him that I have a journalist son who has a little bit different information, and I was right. I still do not have details from Igor from the Union Park, and possibly he will blog about details himself.
I only took some pictures when I was walking around Monday night waiting for the Planned Parenthood fundraiser to start.
Finally, I went to reception.
It was crowded, as you can see, and loud, as you can imagine.
From the official event photo gallery
Also, it was scheduled very late, and the talks started even later, because the speakers couldn’t get from the United Center to Carnival, where reception took place. I didn’t see a single person I would know (although the guest list promised some familiar faces). I left at ten, because otherwise, I won’t have even five hours of sleep, and before I left, one guy started to hit on me (out of all events in the world, at the Planned Parenthood event!). Now I think that it would be better if I would just donate money and not show up!
One positive thing: I wore a dress which I bought for Vlad’s wedding, and ended up not wearing, but liked it enough not to return to the store. So here is it:
Glenwood Art Fest was this weekend, and I could not make it there until today. On Friday and Saturday, the rain randomly stopped and started, and when it started, it would pour! I got completely wet at least six times during these days!
But today, the rain finally stopped, so I took my mom and went there. Yesterday, when I was exporting, one of my fellow escorts told me that there will be “The Twelve Night” performed at 2-30. so I planned to be at the fest before that, and the timing was perfect.
OMG, they are so good!!! That’s how you should do Shakespeare – on the market, with no mics, with very simple props and costumes. Loudly. Over-expressive. Almost vulgar, but not. To the lough and joy of the audience.
Also, I really liked how they decorated the underpass under the CTA tracks!
That was something incredible! A Japanese female film director, Naomi Kawase, is almost unknown in the USA despite the impressive body of work she produced and multiple international awards, and that was the first exposure to her work for most of the audience.
For me, the plot of the film was very emotionally resonating: the famous photographer gradually losing his vision, hanging to whatever vision he has left, trying to be independent. Masatoshi Nagase, who plays the main male character, displays all the typical gestures and movements of visually impaired people (the way they check their phones, work on large screens, walk around) with frightening accuracy. I can’t describe how I felt. Also, the typical reactions of others around… One person in the audience mentioned during the after-screening discussion that she worked with visually impaired people and how she was grateful for this movie… It’s amazing. The trailer does not do the movie a justice.
August is officially a Ukraine Month in Chicago, and I only learned about it on August 1, and only because I went to the Daley Plaza Marked and saw the ceremony of the official proclamation of Ukraine Month:
Igor said he learned about this even at the last minute, but I didn’t know anything at all. It was very heart-warming to hear the words of solidarity and support for Ukraine, especially now when people’s attention is mostly focused on elections, and the war seems far away and irrelevant to way too many people…
It’s a very hot week! Boris tried to choose a week with less chance of a heat wave when we planned his coming, but it ended up being a week with several extremely hot and humid days.
I had three good-seat tickets for a “Broadway Rocks!” concert at Millennium Park, and Boris and I agreed we could go (the tickets were originally for my French friend and her daughter, who were going to visit me but had to cancel). Retrospectively, I should have returned these tickets and gone to the indoor Bruckner concert on Friday, but it was hard to tell in advance: even when you know the weather forecast, it’s hard to say how it will feel.
It was definitely too hot, and also the music was not what I was hoping for (and not Boris’ thing) so it was almost a disaster. My neighbor to whom I gave the third ticket said she enjoyed it, but maybe she was just polite. I felt like I ruined the evening for all of us, but I finally agreed with Boris that it was impossible to tell in advance.
For this visit, I tried to minimize the outings and just come home after work – partially because of the weather and partially because I felt like we were not doing it enough – just two of us being together, not on a mission.
On the other hand, we had one unexpectedly positive experience: going swimming in the evening. I never went to Fargo Beach to swim before (technically speaking, it is not allowed 🤷🏻♀️), but it is a three-minute walk from our building, and – well, it’s the same lake, and it’s getting deep pretty fast.
Boris arrived on Friday night, and on Sunday morning, we were on our way to visit Anna and her Family in Milwaukee. That weekend was an Air and Water Show weekend, the same show that came to Chicago a couple weeks later.
My last two attempts to watch it in Chicago were not very enjoyable because you could hardly see things from the northern beaches, and getting closer takes time, and you end up in a huge crowd. In Milwaukee, it turned to be a way better!
Hettie's Reflections 