7:00 p.m.	In Heaven There Is No Beer? Les Blank with Maureen Gosling (U.S., 1984)

From the first polka festival in Connecticut to a polka mass in Chicago, In Heaven There Is No Beer? is a joyful, energetic glimpse of Polish American music, dancing, and food. Polka’s folk roots are traced back to Europe, but today it is largely an American phenomenon; one enthusiast describes it as music to keep us happy, with no side effects except the craving for more.

• Assisted by Chris Simon, Cris Feringer. (50 mins, Color, 16mm, From Flower Films)

Followed by:
Chulas Fronteras
Les Blank, Chris Strachwitz (U.S., 1976)

In Chulas Fronteras, Flaco Jiménez’s accordion belts out Tex-Mex rhythms, alongside other acclaimed Norteño musicians. Through lively dance tunes, social protest songs, and interviews, this spirited and moving film reveals both the hardships and
pleasures of everyday life on both sides of the “beautiful border.”

• (58 mins, In Spanish and English with Spanish subtitles, Color, 16mm, From Flower Films)

Total running time: 108 mins