DIY Together

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 10, 2008 2:30PM

These days it's exceedingly easy to feel overwhelmed by political coverage. (We really don't have to elaborate on that, do we?) But candidates, delegates and elections are all macropolitical. Mass Romantic, a new indie film, attempts a fictional exploration of "everyday" politics. The kind you deal with when you wake up in the morning and find yourself wondering where you're supposed to fit in. The action revolves around an activist theater company which is about to stage an adaptation of a book of political short stories. Its author, PJ, tries to avoid his writer's block by hanging out at Olsen's vegan cafe, whose patrons have their own struggles. The black & white movie was shot in Chicago in just 11 days, with a large ensemble cast improvising around director Richard Paro's scene suggestions. The result is a living, breathing example of what it takes to get along. Isn't that what politics should be?

Mass Romantic has its premiere at the Landmark Century, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. After the screening the cast and crew are heading across the street to Mickey's for a Q &A; your ticket stub gets you a free drink. View the trailer or buy a ticket in advance.