Freedom From the Known: Documentary Production Student Films

Correction 4/4 1:00pm: Hear Me, dirs. Safia Mahjebin & David Edwards, will no longer be screening as part of FREEDOM FROM THE KNOWN. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Five documentaries highlight the creative work made by University of Chicago students produced during lecturer Marco G. Ferrari’s Documentary Production two-quarter sequence class (Fall 2023 & Winter 2024). Through collaborative and experimental approaches these films explore independent documentary film, creatively confronting challenges embedded in the genre, such as the ethics, aesthetics, the politics of representation and the shifting lines between “the real” and “fiction.” Filmmakers will take part in a Q&A after the screening. 

It Was Everyone’s Dream 

Lina Klak, Lena Tsykynovska, Yuliia Ihnatesku 

A documentary that explores the Ukrainian immigrant experience through conversations with Luba, Serhiy, Haliya, and Vitaliy, four friends who immigrated to Ukrainian Village in Chicago in the 90s. 

Legacy in the Park: Calling Out For Tomorrow

Sophie Pope McCright, Audrey Rogerson, Manhar Dixit 

A meditation on the conflict that ensued following the building of the Obama Presidential Center on public land in historic Jackson Park. 

The Artistic Underground (A Message to Young Artists)

Charleigh Flynn, Sam Goslin, Ryan Baumgart 

Yet to, or in resistance of, breaking into the mainstream, young Chicago artists share their reflections on creation and Community. 

The Bastard Child 

William Yung, Donaven Craddock, Thomas Chang 

Three University of Chicago students, inspired by the rich yet endangered legacy of Chicago House music, embark on a documentary project to explore its roots and contemporary significance. Their journey to understand House music’s origins leads them to explore the House scene’s profound connection to issues of race, gender, and gentrification, culminating in a personal and communal journey of discovery. 

Presented in partnership with the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, with support from the Chuck Roven Fund for Cinema and Media Studies.