Tucked away in Room 4070 of the brutalist labyrinth that is the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Vilas Hall is a weekly sanctuary for film buffs: the Cinematheque.
A coalition of UW–Madison academics and students, Cinematheque showcases a range of films which may otherwise rarely — or never — reach Madisonians. Over the past few months Cinematheque has screened everything from Jean Grémillion’s 1937 “Lady Killer” to Alexander Payne’s 2023 “The Holdovers,” with Payne in attendance for a post-screening discussion.
And it’s always free. Although donations are accepted at the door or through Cinematheque’s website , each showing is open to the public on a “ first-come, first-seated basis. ”
Here’s what’s on this weekend:
“Crossing” (2024)
Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m., 821 University Ave., Room 4070
Swedish director Levan Akin’s “Crossing” follows a retired schoolteacher, Lia (Mzia Arabuli), as she sets off on a journey to bring her long-lost niece, Tekla (Tako Kurdovanidze), back home to rural Georgia. When a neighbor informs Lia that Tekla may have landed in Istanbul, the unlikely pair search the city for any sign of her.