Admission is free. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.

Summer 1993

Spain, 2017

Carla Simón’s tender coming-of-age film follows Frida, a young girl from Barcelona grieving her mother’s untimely death. Sent to live with her uncle’s family in rural Catalonia, Frida struggles with loss and belonging. The film unfolds from her perspective, capturing childhood’s quiet mysteries. Subtly alluding to the early ’90s HIV/AIDS crisis, it never explicitly names the illness. Through evocative performances from its child actors and Simón’s delicate hand, it portrays childhood grief and resilience with stunning, unspoken depth.

DCP, color, 96 min. Director/Screenwriter: Carla Simón. With: Laia Artigas, Paula Robles, Bruna Cusí, David Verdaguer, Fermí Reixach.
 

System Crasher

Systemsprenger, Germany, 2019

The trauma-fueled rage of a volatile nine-year-old, Benni, pushes her through an endless cycle of foster homes. Actor Helena Zengel (News of the World) astonishes with her full-bodied performance. Avoiding sensationalism, writer-director Nora Fingscheidt immerses us in Benni’s chaotic world, where even the most patient caregivers struggle. The film offers no easy answers, instead it urges viewers to confront the complexities of trauma: How far are we willing to go to help wounded children heal?

DCP, color, 119 min. Director/Screenwriter: Nora Fingscheidt. With: Helena Zengel, Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Lisa Hagmeister.

—Public Programmer Beandrea July