Sara Batkie, Author at Tone Madison

A screenshot of "No Fear, No Die" shows the Black character, Jocelyn, standing before a diverse audience of cockfighting spectators surrounding him. Jocelyn holds a white rooster, Toni, over his shoulder in a dominant, flaunting pose.

It’s a thin line between men and their cocks in “No Fear, No Die”

By Sara Batkie

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Film

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September 17, 2025

Claire Denis' knife-sharp portrait of masculinity from 1990 screens in a new restoration at the Chazen on September 21.

A still image from the film "The Phoenician Scheme" shows three figures aboard a small aircraft in the cramped cockpit. A man in his 50s wears a business suit, sitting at the left with a broken arm; but he's flying the plane nonetheless. To his immediate right and behind him, a younger woman crouches and stares ahead with a concerned expression. She is dressed in a white habit as a novice nun. And to her right is a slightly older man dressed in a tan corduroy suit with a vest and bowtie. He stares out the lefthand window of the plane. All their expressions reflect concern or alarm.

Crises of faith and fortune in “The Phoenician Scheme”

By David Boffa & Sara Batkie

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Film

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June 28, 2025

David Boffa and Sara Batkie contemplate the spiritual and reflexive dimensions of Wes Anderson's latest deadpan adventure.

A sepia-colored still image from the 1966 French film "A Man A Woman" shows the titular man and woman sitting at a restaurant booth at a close-up. The man, on the left, holds an object up in his left hand to show the woman seated beside him. They're both wearing semi-formal clothing and smiling.

“A Man And A Woman” and the poetic glow of the everyday

By Sara Batkie

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Film

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June 23, 2025

Claude Lelouch's undersung, dizzying romantic drama screens in a new restoration at the UW Cinematheque on June 26.

At a medium shot, three people sit in a conference room in a triangular-like formation at a large tan table. Two of them, sitting at the left and center, are turned towards the host, who sits at the right. They all have paper notes in front of them. The table consumes the entire foreground of the frame.

Video: Talking 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival with Josiah Wampfler

By Grant Phipps & Sara Batkie

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Film

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April 29, 2025

A collaborative episode with OCA Media after recovering from festival fatigue in the wake of the 27th annual event, which was held from April 3 through 10.

An aging man in slightly weathered 18th century clothing sits in a chair in an asylum hallway. He raises both his arms up in a pleading gesture and facial expression.

“Amadeus” understands the artist’s allure better than a traditional biopic

By Sara Batkie

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Film

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April 14, 2025

Miloš Forman's fantastical 1984 period drama screens on 35mm at UW Cinematheque on April 18.

Five people sit at an elongated table in a moviehouse lobby. Two are seated on the right side, closer to or in the foreground, while the three on the left sit further away in the middle ground. All of them carefully pore over printed materials on the table. Other attendees mill about in the background.

The sights and shape(s) of the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival

By Grant Phipps, Lewis Peterson, Jason Fuhrman, Edwanike Harbour, Sara Batkie, Hanna Kohn & David Boffa

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Film

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March 9, 2025

Seven writers size up the programming patterns in the eight-day celebration of movies, which runs April 3 through 10 across UW–Madison campus and beyond.