Founded in 1993 by a Columbia College film student, the Chicago
Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is the longest-running fest of its kind,
maintaining its non-commercialized spirit through the art house domination of
Hollywood-ized independent films. The key term here is “underground,”which is indeed different than “independent.”Let Roger explain, from his words about the festival back in
1996: “[The films at CUFF] are not to be confused with ‘independent
films,’which are discovered at Sundance by Hollywood
agents and lead to fame and fortune for their lucky directors. They exist on
another plane–grottier, more anarchic, less eager to please, more willing to
outrage. Underground films are to independent films as garage bands are to
warm-up acts.”
With regards to this year’s
line-up, these acts remain as curious and truly independent as ever. CUFF takes
no allegiance to strict experimental, narrative, documentary, or animation
forms, but is a haven for finding the projects that bridge the categories in unique
ways. Featuring a dozen feature films (over 60 minutes each) and also a dozen
shorts programs, CUFF takes place May 13-17 at the city’s wonderful Logan Theatre, located in the Logan Square
neighborhood.
Jury members for the festival include Chicago filmmakers Michael
W. Phillips Jr. and Ines Sommer, and also our own Far Flunger, Kevin B. Lee.
The fest’s
opening night feature is the North American premiere of “Ruined
Heart,” as directed by prolific
filmmaker/poet Khavn de La Cruz (credited in this film as Khavn). Starring the
city of Manila and Tadanobu Asano (“Ichi the Killer,” “Thor,” Martin
Scorsese’s upcoming “Silence”),
this gangster odyssey of color and grit is a self-proclaimed “punk noir opera,” one that boasts a killer wall-to-wall soundtrack that
constantly shifts the shape of the story, while playing upon the age-old
narrative expressed in its subtitle: “Another Lovestory
Between a Criminal and a Whore.” Wong Kar Wai’s
go-to cinematographer Christopher Doyle shot the film as well. Khavn will be in
attendance for the 8pm screening on May 13, and will perform at the following
opening night party, which will be held at the Elastic Arts Foundation (3429 W
Diversey Ave), for just five dollars.
Among other features at CUFF, two particularly stood out to me
when previewing as much as I could from the entire batch. One of them was “L for
Leisure,” an indeed laid-back
collection of international vacation tales set in the early ’90s. If you’re able to look past its American Apparel production design and
sometimes glib nostalgia, the atmospheric comedy is a light-hearted meditation
on experiences of youth, its past setting allotting presentations outside of
whippersnappers conversing through technology. This film from directors Lev
Kalman and Whitney Horn will screen on May 14 at 6:30pm.
The film that caught my eye most, and held my attention for a
full 70 minutes, involved nothing more than people dancing. “Living
Stars,” directed by Gastón
Duprat and Mariano Cohn, is a bit of a miracle movie. It’s extremely light but not weightless at the same time, offering
keen sociological narratives to strangers’lives, as expressed
through the freeness of their dance moves, their choice of songs, the
environment in which they dance, and the people watching them. The film is as
entrancing as you let it be, and an experience to share with an audience. “Living
Stars” will show on Sunday, May
17 at 6:00pm.
CUFF ends on Sunday, May 17 with a presentation of a “Burnt
in Memory, My Lover Has Steel Legs and Street Lights for Eyes” from local filmmaker Robert Stockwell. Aiming to create the “Koyaanisqatsi” of the Windy City without Philip Glass ominousness, Stockwell’s pulsing ode documents Chicago’s many corners and residents, while allowing their images to
speak for themselves without narrative. During this screening, the musicians
who provided Stockwell’s
improvised score for the recorded version will accompany the film with another
round of improvised music.
Below are just a few highlights from the fest’s
various short categories, listed along with their director and respective
program.
“En Plein Air” (Jerzy
Ross) – There’s something curiously off about this short that’s nonetheless
created from a confident vision, especially as it toys with how romantic
relationships can be influenced by those outside of them. (Playing before “L for
Leisure”)
“Discussion Questions, presented by Martin Thebes” (Jonn Herschend) –
The most toe-tapping Powerpoint project you may ever see. (Shorts 1)
“I’m in Pittsburgh and It’s Raining” (Jesse McLean) A
stand-in/body double shares her experience of playing Anne Hathaway in this
experimental doc. (Shorts 1)
“Hacked Circuit” (Deborah
Stratman) – Foley artistry gets the single-take “Birdman”treatment, expressing the craft within a new subtext of a
post-Snowden era as sounds for Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation”are
recorded. (Shorts 1)
“Resting Place” (Kristian
Knigge) – A caretaker pushes a wheelchair-bound former Olympian through the
woods. Shot in a breathless one take that will leave the audience gasping.
(Shorts 2)
“Uzi’s
Party” (Lyra Hill) – A very
impressive Chicago-shot short from sisterly duo; one directs and co-writes, the
other co-writes and plays five characters. (Shorts 3)
“High and Dry” (T.J.
Misny) A NY photographer struggles to cry the genuine tears, at the behest of her
co-workers and possibly-depressed boyfriend. (Shorts 3)
“After Creation After Icebergs” (Mary
Beth Reed) – A hypnotic morphing of canvas colors, with modulating editing
speeds. (Shorts 8)
“Her Silent Seaming” (Nazli Dinçel) – An alarming recollection of graphic sexual experiences,
told through select text accompanied by a haunting rhythm and a raging score.
(Shorts 8)
“Hard-Core Home Movies” (Greta Snider) This short from 1989 asks for a definition of
what’s considered hard-core in the punk scene. Talking to people who
enter the pit for contrasting reasons, the director gets a wide variety of
answers. (As part of “Dirty Looks presents ‘Hardcore
Home Movies”)
“Elsewhere the Survivors” (Ali
Aschman) – Cut-out etchings in stop-motion animation make for a haunting short
of piercing design and voiceover. (Shorts 10)
“Bad at Dancing” (Joanna
Arnow) – Writer/director Joanna Arnow (“i hate myself :)”)
awkwardly interjects into her friend’s
love life, trying to find a place in their sexual exploits in this dark comedy.
This short is solidification of a rising talent, especially for those who can
connect to storytellers way past the point of having a personal filter. (Shorts
11)
“Displacements” (Manuel Alvarez Diestro) – A gripping photographic view of the
densely populated city of Hong Kong, where towering apartment buildings and
graveyards are united in skylines. (Shorts 12)
Along with watching the films and its various nightly after
parties, attendees are encouraged to engage with festival filmmakers like
Khavn, Deborah Stratman, and others during the four 90-minute Bar Talks occurring
at the theater’s new lounge throughout
the festival, each moderated by Newcity film critic Ray Pride. Topics involved
are “Cinema Delirium: The Making of ‘Ruined
Heart’” (May 14, 5:00pm), “True Fiction: Narrative
Filmmaking,” (May 15, 5:00pm), “The
Naked Truth: Documentary Filmmaking” (May
16, 12:00pm) and “Local Option: Making Films in Chicago” (May 17, 12:00pm).
