5 Films to Rent in Honor of FACETS’ 45th Anniversary
In honor of our 45th anniversary, David Edelberg and Randy Adamsick, current members of the Facets board of directors and colleagues of Milos Stehlik for more than 30 years each, share their watchlist.
The favorites listed are both emblematic of Milos’s vision and also represent some important milestones in cinema history that occurred at Facets.
All films listed are available to rent from Facets. Become a Facets Member for only $10 /month and start renting today.
(1) Intimate Lighting
Directed by Ivan Passer, Czechoslovakia, 71 mins.
Two old friends, Peter, a professional musician, and Bambas, a provincial one, reunite for a weekend in their small hometown in the countryside in this 1965 film.
Randy and David’s Take
An important, but overlooked film of the Czech New Wave of the 60s, Ivan Passer’s Intimate Lighting may not be as well-known as Milos Forman’s Fireman’s Ball (1967) or Jiri Menzel’s Closely Watched Trains (1966), but this 1965 gem established some of the trademarks of new Czech cinema: sardonic comedy, close attention to human frailty, and the absurdity of it all. Passer later came to the U.S. to direct the neo-thriller Cutter’s Way (1981), also worth seeing.
(2) The Decalogue
Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, Poland, 572 mins.
Originally made for Polish television, Decalogue(1989) focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human.
Randy and David’s Take
Facets audiences came back night after to witness Kieślowski’s historic 10-part exploration of the 10 Commandments. Written in the aftermath of the Solidarity movement, this compelling examination of modern morality is told with a dazzling visual style that echoes the complexity of the subject matter. Be sure to see A Short Film About Killing and A Short Film About Love (Episodes 5 and 6) which were released in full-length versions.
After screening The Decalogue in it’s entirety, Facets released the series on VHS and then on DVD, making it available for the first time in North America.
(3) Ariel
Directed by Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, 74 mins.
In Kaurismäki’s 1988 crime drama, a coal miner named Taisto (Turo Pajala) attempts to leave behind a provincial life of inertia and economic despair, only to get into ever deeper trouble.
Randy and David’s Take
Finnish filmmaker brothers Aki and Mika Kaurismäki took the international film world by storm in the 80s with their droll, low-budget, pulp capers featured a quirky troupe of local actors, many of whom still appear in Aki more recent hits such as Le Havre (2011) and The Other Side of Hope (2017). Ariel is Aki’s deadpan portrayal of out of work miner who turns to a hapless (but humorous) life of crime.
(4) Hail Mary
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, France, 107 mins.
Mary (Myriem Roussel) is a teen basketball player who, when approached by a jet-setting angel, is informed that she will soon bear God’s son in Godard’s provocative 1985 drama.
Randy and David’s Take
One of the most controversial moments in Facets’ history. Our Chicago premiere of Hail Mary (1985) was greeted with hundreds of protestors out on Fullerton and a fake pipe bomb that was left in the building with founder Milos Stehlik’s name on it!
Godard’s typically oblique modern re-telling of the Virgin Mary story (with nudity and not-that-much-blasphemy) was condemned by Pope John Paul II, stating that the film “deeply wounds the religious sentiments of believers.” This led to protests at showings across the country, but none more vociferous than here in Catholic Chicago.
Binge on a marathon of equally controversial religious films such as Scorcese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ (2004), or for that matter, Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).
(5) Battle of Algiers
Directed by Gillo Portecorvo, Italy, 125 mins.
Staggering newsreel-like authenticity of the staged street riots and vital performances of the actors give Battle of Algiers (1967) a unique dramatic impact on this detailing of the Algerian revolt against the French.
Randy and David’s Take
Portecorvo’s Battle of Algiers was one of those most accomplished and controversial films of the anti-war era. Its groundbreaking fictionalized documentary style set the stage for countless (but less effective) docu-dramas that followed. The film’s violent reaction in France also signaled how film can be a catalyst for social change, a mantra that Milos followed his entire career.
David remembers the actual screening: “You needed to be there. Inside an abandoned church, later transformed into a pricey condo development, we sat on seriously uncomfortable rock hard backless wooden benches and watched this very first Facets film. Projected onto (as I remember) a king size bed sheet, 16 mm film on multiple reels, deftly changed every thirty minutes or so by a very young Milos Stehlik who could thread film through a projector as quickly as any member of the incredibly powerful and deliciously corrupt Chicago projectionist union.”
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