“A deliriously sharp reflection of society's secret thirst for blood and human spectacle while hypocritically maintaining a stiff moral chin. A unique one-of-a-kind that's not for all.” - Tom Meek, Cambridge Day
Sunday, March 3, 1:30 p.m. | In this brutal mockumentary the activities of serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team while he terrorizes cities across Belgium and philosophizes about the state of the world. One of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite films, MAN BITES DOG controversially won the International Critics’ Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, stunning audiences with its cynical and unflinching satire of media violence. In 2010, critic Scott Tobias wrote that upon its release, “Most of the arguments centered on whether it should even exist…today, it doesn’t look like provocation for provocation’s sake; it’s a thoughtful, evergreen thesis on documentary 'reality' and the grotesque distortions of the movie camera.” Content consideration: NC-17 version presented, includes depictions of graphic violence and sexual assault. Print Courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Special Award of the Youth, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - SACD Award, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Best Film, Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
Winner - André Cavens Award, Belgian Film Critics Association
Chicago European Union Film Festival - Spotlight on Belgium: Join us this year as we dive into the best of Belgian cinema new and old. Presenting Chicago audiences with a potent cultural immersion and showcasing bright new native talents alongside a slice of repertory favorites. View full festival.
The Film Center thanks the consulates, consuls general, and cultural institutes of the European Union in Chicago and their embassies in Washington, D.C., for their support, partnership, and collaboration. Special thanks to Paul M. Van Halteren, president of EuroChicago and Honorary Consul of Belgium in Illinois, and our 2024 Belgium Spotlight partners:
European Union Center w/European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign through support from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI NRC Program.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu