This fall, Free Film at the Figge presents a selection of distinguished Cannes Film Festival Un Certain RegardAward winners.
Un Certain Regard, meaning 'a certain glance,' is a prestigious section of the Cannes Film Festival that runs parallel to the regular competition for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest award. Un Certain Regard focuses on artistically daring films with unusual styles and non-traditional stories, new trends, and new countries of origin.
Free Film at the Figge is a Thursdays at the Figge program. Admission is free—John Deere Auditorium 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
POST-SCREENING WINE AND DISCUSSION
Socialize and discuss each film afterward with a complimentary glass of wine.
Underwritten by Barb Zimmerman
Thurs., Oct. 10, 6:30pm
BLACK DOG (2024)—China
Released from jail, Lang returns to his hometown in Northwest China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he bonds with a black stray.
2024 Un Certain Regard Award, Cannes Film Festival
Thurs., Nov. 7, 6:30pm
GREAT FREEDOM (2021)—Austria/Germany
In post-war Germany, Hans, having previously been imprisoned in a concentration camp, is incarcerated again and again for infringing on Nazi anti-gay laws, which are still on the books. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor, a convicted murderer. What starts as revulsion grows into something called love.
The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities presents the Gordon Ney Jewish Film Series 2024. The film series features outstanding films at the Figge Art Museum Theater, 225 W. 2nd St, Davenport, IA.
Admission: Adults - $7; Seniors (60+) & Military - $6; Students - FREE. For info call (309) 793-1300. All have adult content.
*Sunday, September 22, 4:00pm: "The Glory of Life"
Because of the power of love, the last year of Franz Kafka's life becomes his happiest. He has never before been able to allow himself to experience intimacy, he suffers from tuberculosis and is dependent on his overbearing family. But the worldly wise Dora Diamant accepts him as he is. And he accepts her. The two meet in 1923 on the Baltic Sea coast, where he is convalescing and she is working in a Jewish Volksheim. Together they go to Berlin and, when Franz's health deteriorates rapidly, to a sanatorium in Austria. Barely a year after they meet, he dies. The memory of their time together will shape Dora for the rest of her life.
98 minutes - German with English Subtitles - Drama (2024)
*Sunday, September 29, 4:00pm: "All About the Levkoviches"
Tamas is a gruff but tender, and an aging boxing coach in present-day Budapest whose relationship with his son, Ivan, has frayed to the point of estrangement. After converting to Orthodox Judaism, Ivan moved to Israel, where he had a son, Ariel, whom Tamas has never met. Now, Ivan and Ariel have come back to Budapest for the funeral of Tamas’s wife, forcing father and son to face one another. Breier’s film is masterfully acted and directed, maintaining a perfectly balanced tone between comedy and pathos.
*Sunday, October 6, 4:00pm: Double Feature - "Voiceless Witness"
Nikolay’s home is falling apart before his eyes during his home’s renovation. The October events left destruction everywhere and the fighting in Gaza fills him with memories of his military past. In order to maintain his sanity, he adopts a rescue dog from Gaza. Together, they confront the harsh, incomprehensible reality.
31 minutes - Hebrew with English Subtitles - Documentary (2024)
"6:30"
An exceptional documentary capturing the harrowing events of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel with profound sensitivity. It features firsthand accounts from survivors at seven different attack sites, each story vividly brought to life through the creative use of miniature models and animations. The strength of “6:30” lies its its nuanced depiction of that terrible day. This approach conveys the horror without explicitly showing it, offering a restrained yet deeply impactful portrayal.
65 minutes - Hebrew with English Subtitles - Documentary (2024)
During the month of June Free Film at the Figge presents four extraordinary, award-winning GLBTQ+ films at the Gay Pride 2024 Film Series. This Sunday, June 23rd, the critically-acclaimed film The Way He Looks will screen.
Sunday, June 23 / 4:00 p.m.
The Way He Looks(Brazil, 2014) A new classmate transforms the daily life of a blind teenager who longs for independence in this coming-of-age film.
Upon its premiere at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, The Way He Looks won the FIPRESCI Prize for best feature film in the Panorama section and the Teddy Award for best LGBT-themed feature. It also won the 2nd place award in the Panorama section.
POST-SCREENING WINE AND DISCUSSION
Socialize and discuss the Gay Pride film selection afterward with a complimentary glass of wine in the theatre lobby. Underwritten by Barb Zimmerman
Admission is free and the films screen in the John Deere Auditorium on the 2nd Floor of the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA. Don't miss this opportunity to see these outstanding movies.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
As part of Pride Month in the Quad Cities, the Figge Art Museum presents a series of four extraordinary, award-winning GLBTQ+ films in June. Admission is free and the films screen in the John Deere Auditorium on the 2nd Floor of the Museum. Don't miss this opportunity to see these outstanding movies.
A Post-Screening Wine and Discussion Socialize and discuss the Gay Pride 2024 film selections afterward with a complimentary glass of wine! Underwritten by Barb Zimmerman
The Figge Art Museum is located at 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, Iowa.
Thursday, June 6 / 6:30 p.m.
Jimmy in Saigon (U.S., 2022) Documentary filmmaker Peter McDowell explores the radical life, forbidden romance, and mysterious death of his brother, a 24-year-old Vietnam veteran who died in Saigon in 1972. Director Peter McDowell will introduce the film at this special screening of Jimmy in Saigon on the 52nd anniversary of his brother Jimmy's death. (Read film critic Linda Cook's review HERE!)
Sunday, June 16 / 4:00 p.m.
Ammonite(U.K./U.S.A./Australia, 2020) Based on a true story, acclaimed paleontologist Mary Anning sells fossils to tourists when a chance job offer to care for the wife of a visitor changes her life.
Sunday, June 23 / 4:00 p.m.
The Way He Looks(Brazil, 2014) A new classmate transforms the daily life of a blind teenager who longs for independence in this coming-of-age film.
Sunday, June 30 / 4:00 p.m.
Out in the Dark (Israel, 2012) Worlds collide for two men on opposite sides of the Mid-East conflict for Palestinian student Nimer and Roy, an Israeli lawyer.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
This spring, the Figge Art Museum presents a series of extraordinary, award-winning coming-of-age films. Free Film at the Figge is presented once a month at the Figge's John Deere Auditorium. Admission is free. The Figge is located at 225 West 2nd Street, Davenport, IA.
Thursday, March 21, 2024 / 6:30 pm
BOY (2010)
An 11-year-old devout Michael Jackson fan who lives on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984, welcomes home his absentee criminal father, who has returned to retrieve a bag of money he buried years ago.
AWARDS
American Film Institute: Audience Award for Best International Feature Film
New Zealand Film and TV awards: 13 nominations and seven wins, incl. Best Film, Director, Screenplay Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize nomination
Other International Film Festivals honors/awards include from:
o Berlin Intl. Film Festival
o Melbourne Intl. Film Festival
o Sydney Film Festival
POST-SCREENING WINE AND DISCUSSION
Socialize and discuss BOY after the film with a complimentary glass of wine.
Underwritten by Barb Zimmerman
Thursday, April 18, 2024 / 6:30 pm
Mommy(2014)
A mother with a sometimes-violent teenage son struggles to control his behavior in a desperate attempt to avoid the need to institutionalize him.
AWARDS
Cannes Film Festival: Jury Prize; nominated for Palme d’Or
Canadian Screen Awards: Nine awards, including Best Picture
French Cesar Award: Best Foreign Film
Chicago Film Critics: Best Foreign Language Film
Thursday, May 16 / 6:30 pm
Lady Bird (2017)
An artistically inclined 17-year-old high school senior from the wrong side of the tracks longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity in Sacramento, California.
AWARDS
Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best supporting Actress
Golden Globes: Best Picture, Best Actress, nominated for Best Screenplay, Supporting Actress
National Board of Review: Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Top Film
Film Critics’ Awards include from:
o National Society of Film Critics
o New York Film Critics
o Chicago Film Critics Society
o London Critics Circle
o Los Angeles Film Critics Association
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities' Lloyd M. Burstein Memorial Holocaust Film Series. The three curated award-winning films screen at the Figge Art Museum Theater, 225 W. 2nd Street in Davenport, Iowa. Admission: Adults - $7; Seniors (60+) & Military - $6; Students - FREE. For info call (309) 793-1300. All have adult content.
J'Accuse!will be presented on Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. The Lithuanian Jewish community was decimated in the Holocaust, when over 220,000 Jews, more than 95% of the Jewish population, were murdered. A key player in the massacre was Lithuanian nationalist Jonas Noreika, who today is revered as a national hero, and protected by the contemporary government’s official policy and infamous Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Centre. In director Michael Kretzmer's galvanizing documentary, the experiences of two dissident campaigners are followed: Grant Gochin, whose family was murdered by Noreika; and Silvia Foti, a brave Lithuanian woman fighting for the truth, whose grandfather was Jonas Noreika. Together, the two push against Lithuania’s systemic Holocaust denial in an attempt to bring justice to victims and insist that the truth be told.
Four Winters will be presented on Sunday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Over 25,000 Jewish partisans fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators from deep within the forests of WWII’s Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Belarus. Against extraordinary odds, they escaped Nazi slaughter, transforming from young innocents to courageous resistance fighters. Shattering the myth of Jewish passivity, these last surviving partisans tell their stories of resistance in FOUR WINTERS, revealing a stunning narrative of heroism and resilience directed by Julia R. Mintz.
Farewell, Mister Haffmann will be presented on Sunday, April 28 at 4:00 p.m. In this engrossing drama set in Paris during the Nazi occupation, Joseph Haffmann, a Jewish jeweler, sends his family away to saftey, with the intention of joining them later. Haffmann has decided to hand off the business to his trusted assistant Francois Merier and Mercier's wife, Blance, who are recently married and struggling to conceive a child--though Haffmann's plans go awry when he is unable to escape the city under the watrch of German authorities. Farewell Mr. Haffmann is a twisting, turning and satisfying tale that reveals the complex and contradictory sides of humanity pushed to its darkest limits. Directed by Fred Cavayé.
The 2024 Lloyd M. Burstein Memorial Holocaust Film Series is presented by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.
The Presenting Sponsor is The Joyce & Tony Singh Family Foundation.
Film Series Sponsors: Truth First Film Alliance, Inc., WVIK, Quad City Bank & Trust, Wheelan-Pressly, Friendship Manor.
Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc., Louis & Ida-Fox Rich Fund, Stanley & Bernice Harris Memorial Endowment, Gary and Randi Segal Family, Bernard & Irene Goldstein Memorial Endowment Fund, Marlyne & David Weiner Family, Glenn Peterson.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Tickets available at the door. Adults $7; Seniors (60+) and Military $6; Students Free. For more information contact [email protected] or (309) 793-1300.
Resistance
Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 4PM
He saved their lives in silence. Before he was the world-famous mime Marcel Marceau, he was Marcel Mangel, an aspiring Jewish actor who joined the French Resistance to save the lives of thousands of children orphaned at the hands of the Nazis. Jesse Eisenberg, Clémence Poésy, Ed Harris (Top Gun: Maverick), and Édgar Ramírez star in this compelling drama about a group of unsung heroes who put themselves in harm's way to rise above hatred and oppression during World War II. As a young man growing up in Nazi-occupied Europe, Marcel has no intention of getting involved in the war—his pursuits include impersonating Charlie Chaplin in burlesque clubs, painting backdrops for his plays, and antagonizing his obstinate father. His life is thrown into upheaval when he is recruited into the French Resistance, putting his acting skills to the ultimate test in teaching orphaned Jewish children how to survive in the horrifying reality of the Holocaust. Based on the inspiring true story, Resistance follows the revolutionary tale of a selfless act that would forever change countless lives.
120 minutes - English - Biography/Drama (2020)
Baltic Truth
Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 4PM
Hosted by award-winning Israeli performer Dudu Fisher (Les Misérables), "Baltic Truth" exposes the tragic events of the first months of WW2 in the Baltic States and how almost the entire Jewish community of the occupied Baltic Nations was eliminated by face to face executions, one bullet at a time with assistance of local population, before the Final Solution, before Auschwitz, and before gas chambers. The film reflects the need for accuracy of Holocaust history, and does not allow the shifting of blame simply onto Nazis, and the exculpation of Latvian and Lithuanian perpetrators. Lithuania is the most egregious historical revisionist today. That government’s well-organized and systematic campaign to rewrite the history of Holocaust criminals seriously jeopardizes the international community's efforts to preserve the truth of this dark period in history and thereby undermines efforts to prevent future genocide around the world. This film reveals the truth about the collaboration with the Nazi regime in the Baltic States; how neighbor turned on neighbor without hesitation, prompting a massacre of great proportions. Baltic Truth exposes how some national heroes involved in Holocaust crimes are being celebrated by their fellow countrymen to this very day.
90 minutes - English - Documentary (2022)
SHTTL
Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 4PM
This ambitious and technically astonishing film tells the expansive, multi-character story of a Jewish village in Ukraine on the border with Poland 24 hours before Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union. Shot in a single take in Ukraine, the film unspools with our knowledge of imminent terror and destruction looming, while at the same time focusing on the vitality of lives about to be destroyed. Featuring a remarkable cast that includes Moshe Lobel (who appeared in Broadway’s Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof revival) and Yiddish-fluent actor Saul Rubinek, this is a ruminative, philosophical work of naturalism that insightfully depicts a place brimming with vibrancy and the romance, politics, and intrigue of everyday life.
114 minutes - Yiddish & Ukrainian with English Subtitles - Drama (2022)
Reckonings: The First Reparations
Sunday, April 30 at 4PM
They met in secret to negotiate the unthinkable — compensation for the survivors of the largest mass genocide in history. Survivors were in urgent need of help, but how could reparations be determined for the unprecedented destruction and suffering of a people? Reckonings explores this untold true story set in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Roberta Grossman, Reckonings recounts the tense negotiations between Jewish and German leaders. Under the constant threat of violence, they forged ahead, knowing it would never be enough but hoping it could at least be an acknowledgement and a step towards healing.
84 minutes -- English/ German with English subtitles -- Documentary (2022)
Presenting sponsor for this film series is:
The Joyce and Tony Singh Family Foundation (FYI - Lloyd Burstein was Tony Singh's mentor)
Additional sponsors include:
**Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc.
** Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Homes
**Quad City Bank & Trust
**Stanley and Bernice Harris Memorial Endowment Fund
**Bernard and Irene Goldstein Memorial Endowment Fund
**Louis & Ida-Fox Rich Fund
**Gary and Randi Segal Family
**Marlyne and David Weiner Family
**Glenn Peterson
**Friendship Manor, Rock Island, IL
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
RiverAction's 2023 QC Environmental Film Series begins in January and will run through March 5th, with screening events hosted at various venues in the Quad Cities region. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://riveraction.org/filmseries.
January 22 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "The Seeds of Vandana Shiva" Hosted by QCEFS at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva tells the remarkable life story of Gandhian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, how she stood up to the corporate Goliaths of industrial agriculture, rose to prominence in the food justice movement, and inspired an international crusade for change.
January 29 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "My Garden of a Thousand Bees" Hosted by St. Ambrose Green Life at St. Ambrose University, 518 W Locust St, Davenport, IA
A wildlife filmmaker spends his time during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown filming the bees in his urban garden and discovers the many diverse species and personalities that exist in this insect family.
Reflection Speaker is Kraig McPeek, Field Office Supervisor for the Illinois-Iowa Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service.
February 5 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "Youth Unstoppable" Hosted by North High School Green Team at North High School Auditorium, 626 W 53rd St, Davenport, IA
YOUTH UNSTOPPABLE takes us inside the rise of the Global Youth Climate Movement. Slater Jewell-Kemker was 15 when she began documenting the untold stories of youth on the front lines of climate change refusing to let their futures slip away.
February 12 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "The Ground Between Us" Hosted by Augustana College Student Sierra Club at Olin Hall Auditorium, Augustana College, 820 38th St, Rock Island, IL
Since 2017, public lands throughout America have faced unprecedented threats. Bears Ears National Monument was shrunk by 85 percent, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was opened to oil exploration, and the Elliott State Forest in Oregon was nearly privatized. Throughout this, Americans from both sides of the political spectrum have stood up and made their voices heard in support of protecting these areas. The Ground Between Us presents these public lands debates alongside the day-to-day realities of three families who hold vastly different connections and perspectives on public lands.
February 26 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "Black Ice" Hosted by Black Hawk College's Clean Sphere at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
Told through the eyes of Malik Martin and Chris Dean, Black Ice follows a crew of aspiring ice climbers from the Memphis Rox gym travels to the frozen wilds of Montana, where mentors Manoah Ainuu, Conrad Anker and Fred Campbell share their love of winter adventure in the mountains.
March 5 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. "Dead Sea Guardians" Hosted by the Jewish Federation of the QC at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
The Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth and one of the wonders of the world - is dying. Three historic enemies join forces on a heroic journey to stop this catastrophe and save the Dead Sea from disappearing.
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When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Tickets available at the door. Adults $7; Seniors (60+) and Military $6; Students Free. For info call (309) 793-1300.
Three award-winning films will screen:
Sunday, July 10, 4:00 p.m "Crescendo" Sunday, July 17, 4:00 p.m "Sublet" Sunday, July 31, 4:00 p.m "Asia"
All have adult content.
"Crescendo" Sunday, July 10, 4:00 pm 106 minutes - English & German with English subtitles - Drama (2020)
When world-famous conductor Eduard Sporck accepts the job to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra, he is quickly drawn into a tempest of sheer unsolvable problems. Having grown up in a state of war, suppression or constant risk of terrorist attacks, the young musicians from both sides are far from able to form a team.
"Sublet" Sunday, July 17, 4:00 pm 89 minutes - Hebrew & English with English Subtitles - Drama (2020)
Michael is a travel writer for The New York Times, travelling to Tel Aviv for work. He is a former bestselling author, having written a book about New York City during the peak of the AIDS crisis, in which he lost a good friend to the disease. Instead of staying at a hotel, Michael meets Tomer, a younger film student in need of some extra money, and sublets his apartment in a popular neighborhood. The two gay men face a generational gap that puts their personal and clashing life philosophies into perspective.
"Asia" Sunday, July 31, 4:00 pm 85minutes - Hebrew & Russian with English subtitles - Drama (2020)
Asia's motherhood has always been an ongoing struggle rather than an obvious instinct. Becoming a mother at a very early age has shaped Asia's relationship with her teenage daughter Vika. Despite living together, Asia and Vika barely interact with one another. Asia concentrates on her job as a nurse while Vika hangs out at the skate-park with her friends. Their routine is shaken when Vika's health deteriorates rapidly. Asia must step in and become the mother Vika so desperately needs. Vika's illness turns out to be an opportunity to reveal the great love within this small family unit.
The Israeli Film Series is sponsored by:
The Joyce and Tony Singh Family Foundation
Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc.
Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Homes
Quad City Bank & Trust
Stanley and Bernice Harris Memorial Endowment Fund
Bernard and Irene Goldstein Memorial Endowment Fund
Louis & Ida-Fox Rich Fund
Gary and Randi Segal Family
Marlyne and David Weiner Family
Glenn Peterson
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
In recognition of Gay Pride Month, the Figge Art Museum will present a series of three award-winning, independent films on each Sunday in the month of June. Free to the public. The Figge is located at 225 West Second Street, Davenport, Iowa.
Sunday June 5th 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
The Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague (2013) will be presented.
The Oscar-nominated documentary "How to Survive a Plague" (2013) will be presented.
Synopsis: In the late 1980s, members of Act-Up and other AIDS activists battle hostility and indifference to bring attention to the disease and try to reduce the number of victims while hoping to lead the drive to find a cure.
On Sunday June 12th 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Rafiki (2018) will be presented
Synopsis: Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes the days hanging out with her friends and making up dance routines. Their paths cross when their fathers run against each other for seats in the County Assembly, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Soon their interest grows to affection and the girls find ways to love each other despite the ever-watching gaze of the neighborhood.
On Sunday June 19th 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
God's Own Country (2017) will be presented.
Synopsis: In Yorkshire a young unhappy farmer is living with his grandmother and sickly father. He numbs his frustrations with drinking and casual sex until a Romanian migrant worker sets him on a new path.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
RiverAction's 2023 QC Environmental Film Series begins in January and will run through March 5th, with screening events hosted at various venues in the Quad Cities region. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit 
