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The Apprentice is a modern-day gothic fairy tale that unfolds across Chicago,

the river, and its bascule bridges.

Adapted from the final story of the same title in Dybek’s 1979 collection Childhood and Other Neighborhoods, Livoni’s film carries forward Dybek’s legacy of portraying Chicago as both mythic and deeply human.

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“Dybek’s stories have been touchstones for me as a Chicago artist,” says Mary Livoni. “With this film, I wanted to honor the power of his prose while exploring how cinema could amplify its atmosphere of memory, dream, and transformation.”