A cornucopia of films and workshops for children ages 2 through 13, the 21st Chicago International Children’s Film Festival continues Friday, October 22, through Sunday, October 31, at Facets Cinematheque, Burnham Plaza, and the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble. Subtitled films programmed for children under age 11 will feature an actor reading the subtitles live. For more information call 773-281-9075 or visit www.cicff.org, which features a full festival schedule.
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Of the first weekend’s seven features, two are especially noteworthy. Francis Nielsen’s French film The Dog, the General, and the Birds (2003, 75 min., in French with subtitles) is the beautifully animated story of a retired Russian general who faces retaliation from Saint Petersburg’s birds for having misused them decades earlier while securing a victory against Napoleon’s army. The old man faces a daily bombardment of bird droppings during his morning walks until he finds protection and redemption in the form of a persistent stray dog. Nielsen’s Chagall-inspired backgrounds are the perfect complement to a magical and poignant tale. (Facets, Sat 10/23, 3 PM)
Also very enjoyable is the Swedish entry Immediate Boarding (2003, 89 min., in Swedish with subtitles), about a boy and a girl (both wonderfully played by Amanda Davis) who swap clothes and identities at an airport while each is traveling to visit divorced parents. The tomboyish girl winds up on a remote livestock farm, while the shy boy, an aspiring concert pianist, finds himself serving as bridesmaid at his new mother’s wedding. The story is only a slight variation on The Parent Trap, but its goofy charm and refreshing emotional honesty raise it several notches above similar fare. (Facets, Sat 10/23, 5 PM)
