From Indiana Jones to Simón Bolívar, Harper Film Series offers cinematic journeys this fall

From globe-trotting adventures and Hitchcockian suspense to stories of political upheaval, family and resilience across Latin America, the Harper College Film Series will bring a wide-ranging lineup of movies to campus this fall.

Presented by Harper’s Mass Communication Department, the series runs Wednesdays, September 9 through November 11, in the college’s Film Lab, Building E, Room E109, on the Palatine campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road. All screenings are free and open to the public.

Each film will be shown twice. A 3 p.m. sensory-friendly screening will feature dim lighting, reduced volume and open captions. Moviegoers seeking the full cinema experience can attend at 6 p.m. with free popcorn included.

This fall’s 10-film lineup includes six selections presented as part of Cine Latino, made possible by Pragda. The subseries features films from Latin America and Spain that explore history, culture, politics and the experiences of those confronting social change.

The season begins September 9 with Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, the 1981 adventure that introduced audiences to archaeologist Indiana Jones as he races Nazi forces to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant.

Cine Latino begins September 16 with The Secret Agent, the Oscar-nominated Brazilian political thriller set during the country’s military dictatorship in 1977. It continues with the dystopian Zafari, the Colombian drama Memories of My Father (El olvido que seremos) and Even the Rain (También la lluvia) starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Closing out Cine Latino’s run are the Simón Bolívar biopic The Liberator (El Libertador) and Chile’s The Illiterate (Las Analfabetas), which focuses on the power of education.

The final three weeks turn toward suspense (Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope), rock ’n’ roll (Almost Famous) and science fiction (The Fifth Element).

Harper College Fall Film Series

• September 9 – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)
• September 16 – The Secret Agent (2025, Kleber Mendonça Filho)
• September 23 – Zafari (2024, Mariana Rondón)
• September 30 – Memories of My Father (El olvido que seremos) (2020, Fernando Trueba)
• October 7 – Even the Rain (También la lluvia) (2010, Icíar Bollaín)
• October 14 – The Liberator (El Libertador) (2013, Alberto Arvelo)
• October 21 – The Illiterate (Las Analfabetas) (2013, Moisés Sepúlveda)
• October 28 – Rope (1948, Alfred Hitchcock)
• November 4 – Almost Famous (2000, Cameron Crowe)
• November 11 – The Fifth Element (1997, Luc Besson)

Screenings include introductions from Harper employees and post-film discussions in the Film Lab, which features 4K laser projection, Dolby 7.1 surround sound and accessible seating. Free, nearby parking is available in lots 9 and 10.