August 1 – August 2, 2023 Steve James: An American Cinematheque Tribute Series | A COMPASSIONATE SPY, LIFE ITSELF and HOOP DREAMS Aero Theatre and Los Feliz 3
ABOUT THE SERIES: The American Cinematheque is thrilled to welcome documentary filmmaker Steve James in-person for his newest film A COMPASSIONATE SPY. Over his 35-year filmmaking career, two-time Oscar and Emmy nominee Steve James has mostly trained his lens on contemporary subjects, often in his adopted hometown of Chicago. The city’s high school basketball games drive the acclaimed HOOP DREAMS while its most famous film critic, Roger Ebert, is celebrated in LIFE ITSELF. And with its emphasis on “cinematic social inquiry,” Chicago’s Kartemquin Films has been an ideal producing partner for the director for decades. But James’ documentaries have found a worldwide audience by framing relevant social issues with relatable human drama. His latest, A COMPASSIONATE SPY, reflects our current era of global tensions and Wikileaks in the lives of Atomic Age couple Ted and Joan Hall. “This is a fascinating, important and largely unknown story about a guy who, at an incredibly young age, made this huge decision to pass secrets to the Soviets,” says James. “And he didn’t do it for financial gain. In his mind, he was doing it because he was trying to save the world.”