The Grand Illusion

In this genre-bending political allegory, the inhabitants of a bucolic village become the targets of a group of corporate mercenaries bent on their displacement. A fierce confrontation takes place when the townspeople turn the tables on the villainous outsiders, banding together by any means necessary to protect and maintain their remote community. The mercenaries just may have met their match in the fed-up, resourceful denizens of little Bacurau. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the film was released in March 2020 and barely saw in-person screenings.

In English and Portuguese with English subtitles.

Casa del Xolo is a Latine/a/o-led mutual aid org and cultural center located in Fremont. The property that houses CDX and its sister business, Lazy Cow Bakery, was sold to developers in 2022—shortly after they opened. Thanks to the generosity of Kino Lorber, the film’s distributor, most of the proceeds from this screening will go towards Lazy Cow Cafe to fight demolition.

“[A] boldly inventive political fantasy… The light touches of science fiction evoke present-day depravities, and the vision of local unity offers a thrillingly imaginative playbook for resistance.” Richard Brody, The New Yorker

“Bacurau never wastes a chance to leave a mark on its audience.” Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com