In celebration of cinema’s wonderful history of freedom of expression, we’re offering this free screening of Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 masterpiece, THE GREAT DICTATOR.

Chaplin’s first all-talkie picture was a scathing critique of Adolf Hitler. Released before the United States entered World War II, the film clearly and bluntly exposed the Nazis’ horrifying anti-Semitic agenda and, in a famous monologue, called for everyday people to stand up for liberty. Both hilarious and profound, THE GREAT DICTATOR is a lasting example of how film may be used to shine a light on injustice and how comedy in particular has always been an outlet for important political speech.

The importance of a filmmaker’s freedom of expression is a lesson that bears repeating in light of recent events. Last month, theaters planning to exhibit THE INTERVIEW were met with threats in response to the film’s depiction of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. Film Streams stood in support of our independent colleagues who volunteered to show the THE INTERVIEW and is proud to mark this moment in film history with this special screening of Chaplin’s classic.