CHER: TEA WITH MUSSOLINI

Cher joins an extraordinary ensemble in this moving story of friendship, resilience, and wartime Italy. CHER: ON FILM Singer. Actress. Academy Award winner. Icon. During the 1980s, Cher surprised audiences and critics alike by reinventing herself as one of Hollywood's most compelling screen performers. This seven-film retrospective showcases the roles that revealed new dimensions of a beloved superstar—funny, vulnerable, resilient, romantic, and unforgettable. As Cher prepares to release Cher: The Memoir, Part Two this fall, we're turning back time to revisit the films that transformed a music legend into a movie star. MONDAYS | 6PM OCT 5 - THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK FILM Q + A: CASTING DIRECTOR WALLIS NICITA MODERATED BY COREY ROSKIN OCT 19 - TEA WITH MUSSOLINI INTRO: DEVIN ORGERON, DESERTED FILMS NOV 2 - MERMAIDS FILM Q + A: CO-PRODUCER WALLIS NICITA MODERATED BY COREY ROSKIN NOV 16 - COME BACK TO THE 5 & DIME JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN INTRO: COREY ROSKIN NOV 30 - BURLESQUE FILM Q + A : "DEAR MOM, LOVE CHER," PRODUCERS EBERSOLE + HUGHES MODERATED BY COREY ROSKIN DEC 14 - MOONSTRUCK FILM Q + : A : TBA DEC 28 - MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN INTRO: TBA TEA WITH MUSSOLINI (1999) Director: Franco Zeffirelli Co-starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Lily Tomlin By the time she appeared in Tea with Mussolini, Cher had already established herself as a major screen presence, allowing her to approach the role of Elsa Morganthal Strauss with remarkable confidence and restraint. Beneath the character's elegance and wit lies a woman shaped by resilience and compassion, qualities Cher reveals with subtlety and grace. Viewed today, the performance stands as one of the most mature and understated of her film career. Devin Orgeron is emeritus professor of film and Media studies at North Carolina State University where he taught and researched for nearly two decades. Along with numerous articles in the field’s leading journals, he is the author of ROAD MOVIES, co-editor of LEARNING WITH THE LIGHTS OFF, and is editor-in-chief of THE MOVING IMAGE: The journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists. Lifelong aficionados and scholars of nontheatrical media (home movies, classroom films, commercials, sponsored films) Devin and his wife Melissa Dollman co-founded Deserted Films in Palm Springs, California in 2022. A nonprofit home movie archive in the Coachella Valley, Deserted Films cares for and makes available films (8mm, Super 8, 16mm and some video) shot in and around the area and edutains the public on this valuable and often neglected media through public home movie events and screenings. CLASSIC COCKTAILS Elevate your movie night and select one of our classic cocktails! We offer a full range of fine wines, craft beers, and premium well drinks. Pre-order on Eventbrite and save $4 on two drinks with our exclusive pre-show drink special. Sip, relax, and enhance your cinematic experience with a touch of sophistication.