28th Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland, it is our pleasure, with the generous support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, to present two weeks of the best new and classic films from Poland and Polish filmmakers. Join us March 7–20, as we present 20 films, including 13 new titles-and 12 Chicago premieres-alongside classics from filmmakers including Krzysztof Kieslowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Andrzej Wajda. Meet filmmakers visiting us from Poland, and enjoy taste from the country through special events and at our concession stand.

Schedule

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

6:00 pm

MINGHUN

2024, Jan P. Matuszynski, Poland, 94 mins

In Polish and Chinese with English subtitles | Format: Digital

Jurek (Marcin Dorocinski) is a widower who is devoted to his teenage daughter Masia. Though they live in Poland, Masia cherishes and observes the traditions of her late Chinese mother. When Masia unexpectedly dies, Jurek’s Chinese father-in-law Ben (Daxing Zhang) travels to Poland to help lay her to rest and with the intent to perform a “minghun,” or ghost marriage for Masia, so that she might find balance and not be lonely in the afterlife. Jan P. Matuszynski’s (LEAVE NO TRACES) MINGHUN is a sensitive exploration of cross-cultural understanding, and a beautiful portrait of two men brought together by shared grief, love, and family.

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8:15 pm

A REAL PAIN

2024, Jesse Eisenberg, USA/Poland, 90 mins

In English and Polish with English subtitles | Format: Digital

Straightlaced David (Jesse Eisenberg) and his unpredictable cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. When tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history, the trip takes on an entirely new meaning. A poignant portrait of family and intergenerational trauma, A REAL PAIN has been hailed as one of the best films of the year, and won Culkin a Golden Globe award and Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Shot in Lublin, Warsaw, Krasnystaw, Krasnik, and Radom, writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who is a dual American and Polish citizen, has called A REAL PAIN his “love letter to Poland.”

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Date: March 7 - 20, 2025