Join LWL and Cortlyn Kelly of The Art Idiot for Movie Night: The Sequel! Our November/December book selection is Die, My Love, a 128-page novella first published in Spanish under the title, Matate, amor in 2012, then translated to English in 2017. Now, it's been translated to the screen by director Lynne Ramsay in a feature-length film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson.

ABOUT THE BOOK (via Charco Press)

Man Booker International Prize 2018 Finalist

In a forgotten patch of French countryside, a woman is battling her demons: embracing exclusion yet wanting to belong, craving freedom whilst feeling trapped, yearning for family life but wanting to burn the entire house down. Given surprising leeway by her family for her increasingly erratic behaviour, she nevertheless feels ever more stifled and repressed. Motherhood, womanhood, the banality of love, the terrors of desire, the brutality of ‘another person carrying your heart forever’: Die, My Love faces all this with a raw intensity. It’s not a question of if a breaking point will be reached, but rather when, and how violent a form will it take?

FILM SYNOPSIS (via MUBI)

Grace and her partner Jackson move into an old country house. She pursues her dream of writing, and the couple welcome a baby soon after. However, with Jackson frequently absent, and the pressures of domestic life weighing on her, Grace begins to unravel, leaving a path of destruction in her wake.

MORE FROM LWL FOUNDER, KAYLEN RALPH

Die, My Love encapsulates so many of the threads we've been weaving together this year, from maternal rage (Nightbitch, A Woman is No Man), bodily autonomy (The Vanishing Half, Disappoint Me), and artistic identity (um...all of them? But especially Deep Cuts and Bunny), and how could we forget September's multi-faceted discussions of Gabriële and the importance of linguistic translation, as well as the double entendre of translation). Ending the year with Die, My Love feels like the opportunity to wrap things up in a bow—for now.

MORE FROM THE ART IDIOT FOUNDER, CORTLYN KELLY

Viewing the film adaptation of a book before reading the book is a common habit of mine, and this collaborative programming with Ladies Who Lit creates an opportunity for a collective, deepened engagement with one story delivered in two mediums. Since March, I've had my eye on this pairing -- rarely do we have a novel written by a woman and adapted by a woman director. I cannot wait to discuss and make sense of this matriarchal madness."

About The Art Idiot: An independent, experimental criticism courier that seeks to uphold critical thinking and compassionate minds.
About Cortlyn Kelly: Cortlyn Kelly is a film and culture critic, art appreciator, avid baseball fan, and forever student. Since the first grade, her approach to all endeavors is: “There is so much to learn.”

After our very DIY first attempt at book meets film programming in March (IYKYK!), we are SO excited to offer this elevated experience for clubbers and idiots alike! Thanks to generous support from MUBI, your ticket includes the following:

Ticket to private screening of the film at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Wrigleyville
NA beverages & movie theater snacks
Post-screening guided discussion
The opportunity to win fun, film-themed giveaways from MUBI

Ladies Who Lit & The Art Idiot Present Movie Night with MUBI