Get ready to lean into the darkness! 

For this episode, we invited a special guest to help us celebrate the most wonderful (and miserable) time of the year: Bleak Week.

Running from June 21-27 at the Oriental Theatre, Bleak Week is an international phenomenon featuring some of the greatest, saddest and most soul-crushing films from around the world. This year, the series delves into the theme of work, exploring how our jobs and labor can be a primary source of bleakness in our daily lives.

Milwaukee Film programming director Kerstin Larson is back in the studio as we dive into the Bleak Week lineup, starting with a special Father’s Day screening of Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse. We also discuss the high-stakes tension of Sorcerer, the psychological paranoia of the anime classic Perfect Blue and the minimum-wage struggles depicted in American Job, which includes a live Q&A with local lead actor Randy Russell.

Whether it’s the gritty detective work of Se7en or the poignant social commentary of Black Girl, there's a flavor of misery for every cinephile to enjoy together in the beautiful, air-conditioned gloom of the theater. After all, misery loves company.

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Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Doors.