Feb 10, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST NECESSITIES OF LIFE (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"A model of delicate emotional restraint, the handsome pic earns its many lump-in-throat moments" --Variety

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner), an Inuit hunter from Baffin Island, is unexpectedly forced from his isolated home terrain by Canadian authorities and quarantined in a Quebec City tuberculosis sanitarium. Concerned for his family's survival, isolated from everything he knows, and stuck in a confusing environment with people that he cannot understand, Tivii slides into a deep depression and loses his will to live. Realizing the real threat to his well-being, Tivii's nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas), orchestrates the transfer of Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur), a similarly afflicted Inuit orphan boy, to the sanitarium. Kaki's presence invigorates Tivii's spirits and having been separated from his native culture for years, Kaki is able to serve as Tivii's translator as well as acclimate him to this new world. In turn, Tivii takes a fatherly interest in Kaki, teaching him traditional Inuit customs and myths. Inspired by a real tuberculosis epidemic that broke out in the Inuit population in the 1950's, Necessities of Life won several awards at the Montreal World Film Festival, including a special Grand Prize of the Jury.

Directed by Benoît Pilon, 2008, Canada, 35mm, 102 mins. In French and Inuktitut with English subtitles.

Feb 10, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST NECESSITIES OF LIFE (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"A model of delicate emotional restraint, the handsome pic earns its many lump-in-throat moments" --Variety

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner), an Inuit hunter from Baffin Island, is unexpectedly forced from his isolated home terrain by Canadian authorities and quarantined in a Quebec City tuberculosis sanitarium. Concerned for his family's survival, isolated from everything he knows, and stuck in a confusing environment with people that he cannot understand, Tivii slides into a deep depression and loses his will to live. Realizing the real threat to his well-being, Tivii's nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas), orchestrates the transfer of Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur), a similarly afflicted Inuit orphan boy, to the sanitarium. Kaki's presence invigorates Tivii's spirits and having been separated from his native culture for years, Kaki is able to serve as Tivii's translator as well as acclimate him to this new world. In turn, Tivii takes a fatherly interest in Kaki, teaching him traditional Inuit customs and myths. Inspired by a real tuberculosis epidemic that broke out in the Inuit population in the 1950's, Necessities of Life won several awards at the Montreal World Film Festival, including a special Grand Prize of the Jury.

Directed by Benoît Pilon, 2008, Canada, 35mm, 102 mins. In French and Inuktitut with English subtitles.

Feb 11, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST NECESSITIES OF LIFE (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"A model of delicate emotional restraint, the handsome pic earns its many lump-in-throat moments" --Variety

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner), an Inuit hunter from Baffin Island, is unexpectedly forced from his isolated home terrain by Canadian authorities and quarantined in a Quebec City tuberculosis sanitarium. Concerned for his family's survival, isolated from everything he knows, and stuck in a confusing environment with people that he cannot understand, Tivii slides into a deep depression and loses his will to live. Realizing the real threat to his well-being, Tivii's nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas), orchestrates the transfer of Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur), a similarly afflicted Inuit orphan boy, to the sanitarium. Kaki's presence invigorates Tivii's spirits and having been separated from his native culture for years, Kaki is able to serve as Tivii's translator as well as acclimate him to this new world. In turn, Tivii takes a fatherly interest in Kaki, teaching him traditional Inuit customs and myths. Inspired by a real tuberculosis epidemic that broke out in the Inuit population in the 1950's, Necessities of Life won several awards at the Montreal World Film Festival, including a special Grand Prize of the Jury.

Directed by Benoît Pilon, 2008, Canada, 35mm, 102 mins. In French and Inuktitut with English subtitles.

Feb 11, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST NECESSITIES OF LIFE (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"A model of delicate emotional restraint, the handsome pic earns its many lump-in-throat moments" --Variety

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner), an Inuit hunter from Baffin Island, is unexpectedly forced from his isolated home terrain by Canadian authorities and quarantined in a Quebec City tuberculosis sanitarium. Concerned for his family's survival, isolated from everything he knows, and stuck in a confusing environment with people that he cannot understand, Tivii slides into a deep depression and loses his will to live. Realizing the real threat to his well-being, Tivii's nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas), orchestrates the transfer of Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur), a similarly afflicted Inuit orphan boy, to the sanitarium. Kaki's presence invigorates Tivii's spirits and having been separated from his native culture for years, Kaki is able to serve as Tivii's translator as well as acclimate him to this new world. In turn, Tivii takes a fatherly interest in Kaki, teaching him traditional Inuit customs and myths. Inspired by a real tuberculosis epidemic that broke out in the Inuit population in the 1950's, Necessities of Life won several awards at the Montreal World Film Festival, including a special Grand Prize of the Jury.

Directed by Benoît Pilon, 2008, Canada, 35mm, 102 mins. In French and Inuktitut with English subtitles.

Feb 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 12, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 13, 2010 at 5:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 13, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 13, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 13, 2010 at 11:55 PM CST Facets Night School: THUNDER ROAD at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $5.00

Strap Your Hands 'cross My Engines: Driving Thunder Road

Susan Doll's look at the overlooked Robert Mitchum classic: Thunder Road. Directed by Arthur Ripley, 1958. "Mitchum was a great actor, and there is a cool intelligence at work in Thunder Road, both behind and in front of the camera." -Senses of Cinema

Feb 14, 2010 at 3:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 14, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 15, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 15, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 16, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 16, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 17, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 17, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 18, 2010 at 7:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 18, 2010 at 9:00 PM CST Still Bill at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $9.00

"Seductively low-key" --Variety

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers had an unusual path to musical acclaim and he was born an asthmatic stutterer who was often told "you can't do nuthin'." He did not own a guitar until he was 32 years old, the same year he started his musical career -- while keeping his job fabricating toilets for Weber Aircraft, just in case. His first album, 1971's "Just as I Am", came with a hit single, "Ain't No Sunshine", which hit No. 3 on the pop charts. He followed this auspicious start with a string of hits, including "Lean on Me", "Use Me" and "Grandma's Hands". Nine Grammy nominations also rolled in during the next 15 years, with three wins, but in 1985, Bill Withers just stopped. He did not fade entirely from public view -- he was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2005 -- but there were no more albums from this prolific artist.

Still Bill, an intimate and engaging portrait of this music icon, takes its name from Withers's second album, and also answers the questions about who Bill Withers is and where he has been since his music career ended. The filmmakers travel with Withers as he visits his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia, to see an old friend, go to his high school reunion, attend a tribute concert held for him and visits his old Navy buddies. A picture of Withers gradually emerges: a family man, a musical perfectionist, a man ready for his next act. Through archival and new concert footage and interviews with music greats, his family and closest friends, the film reveals the man behind the music. Still Bill is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it is an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today's world.

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, U.S.A., 2009, 78 mins.

Feb 20, 2010 at 11:55 PM CST Facets Night School: DAY OF THE DEAD at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $5.00

Zombies, Humanity and George Romero's Third Zombie Classic

Patrick Ogle's reappraisal of the underappreciated undead favorite: Day of the Dead

Directed by George Romero, 1985

"A fitting conclusion to a remarkably astute series, a landmark in the horror genre." -TimeOut London

Feb 27, 2010 at 11:55 PM CST Facets Night School: SAVE THE GREEN PLANET at Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL $5.00

Korean Cult Craziness: The Mind-Blowing Genre Hybrid of Save the Green Planet

Michael Smith's dissection of: Save the Green Planet (Directed by Jang Joon-Hwan, 2003)

"Snazzy, playful, some-what gory, often hilarious, and generally unpredictable." -Village Voice

"Alternately heartbreaking, suspenseful, and darkly funny." -Chicago Reader