Trick Bag

Kartemquin Films is proud to announce the release of The Kartemquin Films Collection: The Early Years - Volume 1: 1967-1968.

The DVD features Parents and Thumbs Down, two classic cinéma vérité films from the formative period of Kartemquin's 44-year history, plus an exclusive interview with filmmakers and Kartemquin co-founders Gordon Quinn & Jerry Temaner.

In Parents, sit in with a Chicago parish youth group as they discuss issues of parental authority, growing up, and the struggle to communicate with their parents. In Thumbs Down, join the group in an anti-war Mass and witness the deepening crisis of communication between their generation and that of their parents, priests and neighbors. Thumbs Down has been digitally remastered from the original fine grains and 35mm soundtrack mix.

"Thumbs Down offers a great deal of understanding about the nature of a neighborhood that is often talked about in the most oversimplified way… Temaner and Quinn are filmmakers and 'inquiring reporters' with great insight, and they have a lot to tell us about ourselves."
—Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, 1968.

Visit the Kartemquin Store today to purchase your copy!

Coming Soon: The Early Years, Volumes 2 & 3
The release marks the latest step in Kartemquin’s attempt to re-release all of the films in our entire back-catalog by 2011. The Early Years Volume 2: 1969-1970, featuring Hum 255 and What the F&*# are These Red Squares? and Volume 3: 1971-1974, featuring Now We Live on Clifton, Trick Bag, Winnie Wright, Age 11 and Viva La Causa, will be coming to DVD this Fall. Volume 3 will also feature a special reunion interview with members of the original Kartemquin Collective.

Three Kartemquin films will be featured in Facets' 40 Years After: Filming the '68 Revolution retrospective taking place in Chicago August 22-28. Hum 255, Trick Bag and Thumbs Down will all screen over the course of the week. Get the details.

Kartemquin's 1975 documentary, Trick Bag, will be screened on October 19th as a part of The Chicago Reporter's John A. McDermott Short Film Festival program. The festival is in honor of the Reporter's 35th anniversary and will include, in addition to Trick Bag, excerpts from 3 films with connections to Kartemquin associates: David E. Simpson (Halsted St. USA), Judy Hoffman (Voices from Cabrini) and long-time Kartemquin friend Mike Gray (American Revolution 2). The festival will also screen the winner of the McDermott short film competition (Kartemquin's Justine Nagan served on the jury) and a presentation on independent media and social change by the Reporter's Publisher.

Join us for this incredible event:

October 19th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Chicago Cultural Center

Buy tickets now.

The kick-off event of the Kartemquin Retrospective at the University of Chicago is Thursday, October 27th at 7pm at the Film Studies Center at 5811 S. Ellis. The evening entitled "Violence & Power" will include screenings of Thumbs Down, Hum 255, Trick Bag and The New Americans as well as a discussion with the filmmakers following the film excerpts.

Other events for the Retrospective will take place throughout November. For more information visit here.