January 18, 2019. Surrounded by cheering classmates on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, 17-year-old Nick Sandmann instantly and unwittingly became a global headline as he appeared to confront Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, at that year’s heated March for Life rally. Overnight, clips of the interaction went viral, Sandmann and his classmates hit with a tidal wave of worldwide outrage and the entire Cov Cath community suddenly at the center of uncomfortable conversation. A graduate of that elite institution, filmmaker Jonathan Schroder watched it all unfold with keen interest. Seeking to better understand the scene on the steps, the people involved in it and its larger ramifications for the community, the media and our democracy as a whole, The Boys in the Red Hats deftly explores the media’s obsession with immediacy over accuracy, the danger in prioritizing intent over impact and what it’s going to take if we ever hope to bridge the deep divides in our communities—and our country.
Music Box Theatre screens films of all genres and from every era of cinema, both new releases and repertory. These films may sometimes contain upsetting, outdated, or offensive material. While we aim to introduce many of our screenings, we do not always provide warnings about potentially triggering content within the films we screen. We encourage our patrons to research the film before they attend using trailers, reviews, or content information found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com.
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NOIR CITY: Chicago 2026
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The Chicago Film Society Presents