FACETS reopening film strikes universal chord

FACETS is excited to announce that the 46-year-old organization has selected the film “Anne at 13,000 Ft.” to mark its long-awaited return to in-person programming, following an 18-month hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic: “Anne at 13,000 Ft.,” by Canadian director Kazik Radwanski, will have its Chicago premiere from Friday, September 17, through Sunday, September 19; it will play again from Friday, September 24, through Sunday, September 26. The film will be presented exclusively in-person at FACETS Cinema (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.) with reduced seating capacity and heightened health and safety protocols.

Charles Coleman, Film Program Director of FACETS, explains why he chose this film: “During difficult times, we often find ourselves trying to cope with anxiety when the more appropriate emotional reaction might be anger, sadness, or frustration. ‘Anne at 13,000 Ft.’ offers up something uniquely humane and identifiable, as during this pandemic all of us have felt like Anne—isolated and insulated from others.

“This remarkable film, which I chose to exhibit as FACETS once again opens to the public, is a breathtaking character study in a mesmerizing performance by Deragh Campbell. Her struggles as an awkward, young woman managing her relationship with the demands of society parallel with our experience as we navigate returning to normal during a tumultuous time while striving to connect with a world we no longer recognize.”

Writer/Director Radwanski specifically wrote the leading role for Campbell, knowing her capacity to portray the desperate life of a fragile young woman coping to preserve her identity while struggling to belong. Using handheld cameras and natural light to create a claustrophobic environment, the audience is immersed in Anne’s inner world as she works at a Toronto daycare center where she bickers needlessly with colleagues, is more interested in daydreaming with the children than supervising them, and whose seemingly grounded life gives way to increased anxiety and recklessness. For her best friend Sarah’s (musician Dorothea Paas) bachelorette party, they go skydiving, which is life-changing for Anne as she discovers a sense of release, clarity, and focus.

I have been to FACETS a few times. The Crusader has cosponsored the African Diaspora Film Festival, which has been held at the theatre a few times in the past. And as the world has changed much during the past 18 months, so has this intimate theatre— as it has undergone remodeling to address public health concerns. The changes include a renovated lobby area, a café replacing the old FACETS Vidéothèque, as well as increased ventilation. I am sure these improvements would be welcomed by the theatre’s founder, the late Milos Stehik who passed away more than two years ago.