Give Me Liberty
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: USA | 2019 | DCP | 111 min.
Director: Kiril Mikhanovsky
Cast: Lauren ‘Lolo’ Spencer, Chris Galust, Maxsim Stoyanov
Give Me Liberty is a raw, funny, and moving day-in-the-life story of two outsiders who find each other, filmed entirely in Milwaukee. Russian American Vic (Galust) is a mini-bus driver for the disabled whose newest client is Tracy (Spencer), an African American woman with ALS. Their odyssey takes them in unexpected directions when Vic tries to help elderly members of his family attend a funeral and a demonstration on the streets turns into a dangerous riot. “Vic’s seemingly straightforward routine, as he speeds his van through Milwaukee’s narrow streets, becomes a vehicle for exploring the city’s complex immigrant communities, racial tensions, and working-class frustrations. It’s a lot to take in, but Mikhanovsky doesn’t hesitate to keep barreling forward” (Eric Kohn, Indiewire).