Brian Springer: The Disappointment: Or, The Force of Credulity
@ Gene Siskel Film Center
162 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601
Opening Thursday, March 17th, at 6PM
Best known for his scathing news media exposé Spin (1995), Brian Springer’s latest film is a labyrinthine, semi-autobiographical documentary about the search for four disparate treasures buried on his family’s farm in Missouri. These include gold coins left behind by a 16th century Spanish explorer; silver from the Civil War; the legendary lost diary of anarchist Kate Austin, who lived on the farm in the 1890s; and a mysterious limestone sculpture of dubious origin. Springer interweaves the stories surrounding these treasures with those of his family to spin a tale of spirit possession, Napalm, Indian massacres, early American opera, fanatical obsessions, 200 tons of dirt, and the way mothers try to protect their families from wounds that never heal. At its core, The Disappointment meditates on the ways history is passed along, altered, and sometimes lost through archeological findings. Tonight’s screening will be introduced by writer Brian Holmes. Co-presented by the Video Data Bank.
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