The acclaimed new documentary from directors Jon Siskel (nephew of Gene) and Greg Jacobs, “The Road Up,” will begin its premiere theatrical run at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., tonight, October 8th at 6pm CT.  The film follows four participants in Cara, a Chicago job-training program, as they search for stable employment and a pathway out of poverty. Throughout, they are guided, goaded, and challenged by their impassioned mentor, Mr. Jesse, whose own complicated past compels him to help others find hope in the face of addiction, homelessness, and the aftereffects of incarceration. 

“The Road Up” creates a powerful mosaic of the struggles that millions of Americans face every day in a precarious and unforgiving economy—the daunting and often interconnected barriers that prevent so many from joining the economic mainstream. Because when everything behind you is wreckage, and everything in front is an obstacle, how do you find the road up? In her three-and-a-half star review published today, RogerEbert.com Assistant Editor Nell Minow wrote, “This film will nourish the glimmer of hope in all who watch it, hope for Mr. Jesse and his students but also the little glimmers we sometimes overlook in ourselves.”

Siskel and Jacobs will be in attendance for post-screening Q&As throughout the film’s run at the Siskel Center (you can purchase tickets and find the full list of showtimes here). Proof of COVID vaccination (or 72-hour negative test) will be required for entry, and masks will be mandatory for all patrons and theater staff. The theater will be limited to 80% capacity, and additional safety protocols will be in place.