Film Screening: Au Menu—Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie

Join us for the next screening of our Au Menu film series with the screening of Luis Buñuel’s surrealist masterpiece, Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie.

This 1972 Oscar-winning film invites viewers into a world of absurdity, as Buñuel uses his wit to skewer bourgeois conventions and political hypocrisy.

Following the screening, we’ll host a conversation on Buñuel’s cinematic legacy and his influence on contemporary filmmakers with Charles Coleman, Film Program Director of the Facets Film Forum.

Attendees will be automatically entered into a raffle for a gift certificate to Sofitel’s Le Bar at the end of the evening!

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for a complimentary glass of French wine. Program starts at 6:30 p.m. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave. Non-alcoholic options will be available.

*Free for students with .edu email address.

About the Director

Emmanuel Radnitzky, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Luis Buñuel (1900–1983) was a Spanish-born filmmaker and one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema. A pioneer of surrealist film, he first gained notoriety with Un Chien Andalou (1929), co-created with Salvador Dalí, a shocking and dreamlike short that defied narrative conventions and embraced the irrational.

Buñuel’s work spanned countries and decades, with significant phases in Spain, France, Mexico, and the United States. He was known for blending biting social critique with surrealist imagery, often exploring themes of religion, repression, desire, and hypocrisy.

Radical, provocative, and endlessly imaginative, Buñuel left an indelible mark on world cinema, influencing generations of directors from Hitchcock to Almodóvar.

About the Presenter

Charles Coleman

Charles Coleman is the Film Program Director of the Facets Film Forum, which specializes in the presentation of new and classic foreign films, as well as independent cinema. He has taught film courses at the University of Chicago and his experience also includes more than twenty years in film programming and related fields. He is responsible for bringing to Chicago rare, one-of-a-kind screenings, has curated retrospective of acclaimed filmmakers, and seeks out the most recent films by up-and-coming directors. He has also given lectures at the Chicago Public Library and the Art Institute, keeps up on the latest trends, key filmmakers, as well as the newest developments from festivals and programs from around the world.