Ecstasy on film: Nathaniel Dorsky discusses The Arboretum Cycle, his latest work of devotional cinema, which he'd prefer you watch alone

by Ben Sachs on September 24, 2018 at 6:00AM

; it was full every night. I wondered, "Are these New Yorkers going to want to see a whole film about a garden, flowers, leaves, and light?"

‘The Serenity of Madness’ showcases the brilliance and wonder of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s art

by Ben Sachs on September 18, 2017 at 4:47PM

The recent work showcased in Serenity is particularly useful for understanding Cemetery. In fact the pieces made between 2012 and 2014 feel like an extended prologue to that work.

The Portuguese movie The Ornithologist is a strange and beautiful journey into the unknown

by Ben Sachs on June 28, 2017 at 2:15PM

The next morning Fernando awakes to find himself tied up in an elaborate manner suggesting S-M play. The women, fearing he'd leave them in the night, have taken him prisoner.

You can now see Mimosas, the subject of a great making-of documentary

by Ben Sachs on June 7, 2017 at 3:10PM

Grasshopper Film, the U.S. distributor of Mimosas, describes the movie as a western on their website, and while I doubt that Laxe had westerns on the brain when he was making the film, it does evoke numerous classics in that genre. The theme of religious devotion in the desert sometimes recalls John Ford's Wagon Master, while Laxe's inspired use of locations to convey isolation and psychological fortitude recalls such Anthony Mann westerns as The Naked Spur and The Far Country.

Immerse yourself in the work of Jean-Pierre Melville, master of the French crime film

by Ben Sachs on May 31, 2017 at 2:54PM

Whereas Bresson's distilled film style came from his interest in spiritual themes, Melville's was rooted in physical experience. One cannot overstate the influence of Melville's wartime experience on his cinematic output.

Terrence Malick loves us—he just has a peculiar way of showing it

by Ben Sachs on March 29, 2017 at 8:00AM

was. I went on seeing him.

A Hasidic rabbi outside Wrigley Field teaches Cubs fans how to bless their team

by Aimee Levitt on October 17, 2016 at 7:49PM

On Sunday afternoon, during the last few hours before sundown and the beginning of Sukkot, he made his rounds outside the ballpark. He had just finished and was ready to dash up to West Rogers Park by the time we finally found each other, but he said it had been a successful day and he had guided many people through the basic Jewish blessings.

Street preacher Steve the Rebuker calls for Cubs fans to repent

by Aimee Levitt on October 17, 2016 at 7:16PM

He handed me a tract. It was called "The Contract!"

Spertus's first Sunday Cinema series takes audiences on journeys

by Andrea Gronvall on February 12, 2016 at 5:00PM

Christmas: You're doing it wrong

by Aimee Levitt on December 23, 2015 at 12:30PM

• There should be absolutely no appearances by Santa until after his official arrival at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. No lights should be hung until Santa has arrived.