CONTACT ZONES: CINEMA OF GLOBALIZATION, 1989-2024

Fall Lecture Series | August 25 - December 8, 2026

Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. with Select Sunday Encores

“We might have come to the end of something,” Adam Curtis reflected recently, referring to "globalization," which began with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But just how well do we know this world that we were, until recently, living in? Globalization ushered in the end of the Cold War, a “neoliberal” world economy, the Internet, and—for some—free movement across borders. In our present moment of AI, immigration reform and rising international tensions, it is easy to forget the optimism that originally greeted globalization in the 1990s. Cinema, both then and now, has voiced the poetic and material desires of this interconnected world, embedding collective hopes in the stories and emotional lives of individuals. As the new century has revealed the dire cost of the circulation of cheap goods and labor, the best cinema has held up a critical mirror to this world system and its effects on localities. The films in this class consider this era from a decolonial, decentered perspective, placing equal emphasis on far-flung corners of the world as its centers. Our goal will be to excavate the lost dreams of lovers, strivers and dissidents who take on systems—social, political, economic—much bigger than themselves. Brief lectures before screenings and open discussions afterwards will cover background on local histories related to films in the series as well as theories of globalization, neoliberalism, migration and digital culture.

Presented in collaboration with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism. Lecturer: Professor Daniel R. Quiles. Select titles offered with Sunday encores; encores do not include lecture.

Full program details and tickets coming soon. Check back for additional details.