Exciting Week of Events Ahead with Oscar Winning Cinematographer Roger Deakins and Wife James Deakins at Athenaeum Feb 25-28

The Oscar winner returns this week! Following an series of sold-out programming this past October, Chicago’s not-for-profit Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture – located at 2936 N. Southport Avenue – proudly welcomes back legendary Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins and his longtime collaborator/wife James Deakins (aka Team Deakins) for three additional events, including a screening of the cult favorite, No Country for Old Men, and a live broadcast recording of their popular “Team Deakins” podcast, this coming week, February 25-28, 2025.  

Team Deakins’ visits to Chicago support the Athenaeum Center’s presentation of the Roger Deakins Photography Exhibition, showcasing a ‘cinematographer’s travelogue’ of still images shot by Deakins throughout his decades-long career.  Encompassing the same construct of light and dark that is a signature of Deakins’ visual storytelling (exemplified by film classics such as Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men, Fargo, and The Man Who Wasn’t There), the Roger Deakins Photography Exhibition is an expansive, curated selection of 43 portraits and landscapes from Deakins’ personal collection. Spanning five decades, 1971 to present, the works are both from Deakins’ first-ever photography monograph – the critically acclaimed BYWAYS (Damiani Books, 2021). Notably, new to the exhibition are two never-before-seen photographs shot in Chicago this past Fall. All prints are available for sale, as are copies of BYWAYS. 

‘Team Deakins’ in Chicago  

Film and photography fans alike are invited to join Roger and James Deakins at the Athenaeum Center for a series of public events in support of the Roger Deakins Photography Exhibition:

• Tuesday, February 25, 6:30-9pm 

Dinner with Roger and James Deakins

Q+A hosted by Lawrence Daufenbach, Athenaeum Center Executive Director

This intimate evening provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at Roger Deakins’ photography mindset. A cocktail reception provides a relaxed opportunity to mingle and enjoy the exhibition, before being seated for a gourmet dinner. Team Deakins will share firsthand stories about their creative process, and a live auction will offer the chance to own a limited-edition photograph shot by Deakins in Chicago to benefit the Athenaeum Center. Tickets: $250.00

• Thursday, February 27, 6:30-9:45pm

Film Screening & Conversation: No Country for Old Men

Pre-screening Q+A with host TBA  

No Country for Old Men, directed by the Coen Brothers, is a tense and atmospheric exploration of fate, morality, and violence in the Texas borderlands. Llewellyn Moss, a hunter who comes across $2 million from a botched drug deal, becomes the target of the ruthless hitman Anton Chigurh, whose actions defy conventional notions of justice. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, struggling to make sense of the escalating violence, reflects on the shifting moral landscape of the modern world. With Deakins’ cinematography, the film uses light, shadow, and the vastness of the landscape to underscore its themes, crafting a restrained yet haunting visual narrative.Tickets: 15.00 ($12.00 for students)

VIP Meet & Greet Experience

In advance of the film screening – Thursday, February 27 from 4:30-6:30pm – is a separately ticketed, unique VIP experience including a meet & greet with Roger and James Deakins, a signed copy of the BYWAYS hardback edition, and ticket for that evening’s screening & conversation. Tickets: $75.00.   

• Friday, February 28, 6:30-8pm

                Team Deakins Podcast – Live Recording

With Special Guest Stefan Nikolov

The Atheneum welcomes audiences for a special live recording of the Team Deakins podcast, an ongoing audio conversation between Roger and James Deakins first launched in 2020. The podcast explores cinematography, the film business, and answers questions from listeners, often leading to unexpected and fascinating conversations. For this live episode, they’ll be joined by Chicago-based location scout Stefan Nikolov, who will share his experience and insights into this lesser-known but crucial aspect of filmmaking, and together with Roger and James, they’ll dive into the challenges and rewards of working in the industry. Tickets:$40.00 ($30.00 for students)

Tickets for all programs are now available by visiting https://athenaeumcenter.org/special-events/team-deakins-february-week/

“We’re honored to welcome back Roger and James Deakins, AKA Team Deakins, to the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, and so appreciate how generous they were with their time in October, sharing personal insights and stories with their innumerable Chicago fans,” said Athenaeum Center Executive Director Lawrence Daufenbach. “Their return provides another opportunity for visitors to view the Roger Deakins Photography Exhibition, which will include two new photographs that were shot here last Fall and offer a glimpse of our own city through Roger’s eyes.”   

Get to Know Roger Deakins

Acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins is one of the foremost artists of our day. He is the recipient of five BAFTA Awards for Best Cinematography, and has had sixteen nominations and two wins for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Blade Runner 2049 and 1917)  His work on films like The Shawshank Redemption, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and Fargo has heavily influenced the landscape of the film industry, and he is a member of the British Society of Cinematographers and the American Society of Cinematographers. He was named Commander of the British Empire in 2013 and knighted in 2022, the first cinematographer to receive these honors. 

Deakins’ work showcases his incredible attention to detail. His mastery of the language of film is almost unparalleled in the field. His films are often regarded as modern classics, particularly because his genius is in part in his ability to invoke centuries’ old artistic traditions in a modern context. Deakins is captivated by the construct of light and dark, for example, and his incorporation of highlight and shadow into his frames falls in the tradition of the illustrious Caravaggio, among others. 

The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, conveniently located in the Lakeview neighborhood at 2936 N. Southport Avenue, is a premier cultural and performing arts venue focused on inviting people into encounters with beauty and revitalizing the great tradition of the arts from our location in one of Chicago’s most unique religious, artistic, and civic buildings. Known for hosting a wide range of events, including concerts, theatrical performances, visual art exhibitions and community gatherings, the Athenaeum Center is dedicated to providing memorable experiences for audiences of all ages.

The Roger Deakins Photography Exhibition is on view through April 30, 2025, at the Athenaeum Center’s Paradiso Gallery, 2936 N. Southport Avenue, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12-4pm, or by appointment HERE.  

For more information on all Athenaeum Center programming, please visit www.athenaeumcenter.org or call 312-820-6250.

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