An evening presentation and discussion of Hamrah’s work, followed by a short film screening and audience Q&A.

Come spend an evening with cinema the old-fashioned way: in a room with other people, paying attention. Film critic and author A. S. Hamrah will give an author talk about contemporary cinema, criticism, and what it means to keep writing (and watching) against the flattening forces of algorithms, hype cycles, and “content.” Kris Abplanalp will serve as interlocutor for a live conversation that’s sharp, funny, and tuned to the pleasures of serious cinephilia.

The program also includes a short screening of an experimental film by Raúl Ruiz, the Chilean-French director famed for his playful, surreal, mind-bending approach to narrative—where dreams, philosophy, and misdirection become the method. After the talk and screening, Carmichael’s Bookstore will have Hamrah’s three books available for purchase on-site, so you can leave with something tangible: criticism you can hold, mark up, and return to.

Raúl Ruiz was a Chilean-French filmmaker, novelist, and critic known for his intellectually playful, surreal, and often labyrinthine films that blend philosophy, literature, and dream logic. Exiled from Chile after the 1973 coup, he became a major figure in European art cinema, directing more than 100 films—including Time Regained and Mysteries of Lisbon—that challenge conventional narrative structure and explore the instability of memory and identity.