Chicago Doc10 fest features powerful stories of perseverance
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A still from "American Doctor" by Poh Si Teng. Photo: Ibrahim Al Otla/Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The Doc10 film festival, a destination for provocative and timely nonfiction films, returns to Chicago this weekend.
What to expect: Tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King, comedian Maria Bamford and writer Salman Rushdie are among the subjects explored in this year's slate of 18 films centered on the theme of perseverance.
- Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Chicago-area doctor working in Gaza, and local accounts of ICE raids anchor more docs in the fest.
What they're saying: Many of this year's films focus on people navigating difficult circumstances — from a parent searching for a missing child to doctors providing care in war-torn Gaza — with determination, Doc10 senior programmer Anthony Kaufman said in a release.
- "Perhaps these are exactly the kind of stories we need right now," he wrote.
Flashback: CMP, formerly known as Chicago Media Project, founded Doc10 in 2016 to share documentaries that drive social impact.
- The annual fest was born of a crowdfunding event that CMP convened in 2013 to connect filmmakers and institutions and help documentaries in progress reach the finish line.
Between the lines: The festival is known for bringing future Oscar-winning films to Chicago, including "Navalny," "Summer of Soul" and "American Factory" in recent years.
The lineup: "A Child of My Own" follows a Mexican woman longing so much for a child that she fakes her own pregnancy.
- "American Doctor" shows how three American doctors from different backgrounds — Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian — try to provide care in war-torn Gaza, including a Chicago-area ER doctor Thaer Ahmad. The film is co-presented with the Chicago Palestinian Film Festival.
- Clarence B. Jones narrates "The Baddest Speechwriter of All" about his time as Martin Luther King Jr.'s lawyer and speechwriter, including memories of helping King write the "I Have a Dream" speech.
The intrigue: Henry Winkler joins a panel to discuss "The Librarians," about the workers on the front lines of anti-censorship efforts.
- Plus, former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) answers questions after a screening of "The Last Republican," about his stand against President Trump and the Republican Party.
The closing film, "Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie," revisits the 2022 assault on Rushdie that almost killed him. Rushdie and director Alex Gibney will join the post-screening Q&A.
👀 View the full schedule for Doc10 and "Speak Truth."
If you go: Doc10 runs April 24–May 3 at the Davis Theater in Lincoln Square and the Gene Siskel Film Center in the Loop.
- Screenings start at $8 and $16, with special events starting at $35.