Chicago Comedy 2019: Olympians

Chicago Comedy Film Festival

Olympians takes a satirical look at Greek gods as if they decided to live as immigrants in America under the current administration.

Meghan Sunder and Mel Brooks in Olympians
Meghan Sunder and Mel Brooks in Olympians.

The premise here is that Zeus (Mel Brooks), Aphrodite (Meghan Sunder), and Ares (Samuel Hunt) have immigrated to America.  They are basically locked up in a beautiful house because they’re illegal immigrants.  Suddenly, Aphrodite  finds herself arrested and thrown in jail.  The cops essentially treat her like a Mexican immigrant especially with the accents that they decide to use.

“This is not the American Dream,” Zeus says.”  This isn’t what I signed up for!  What happened to opportunity, freedom, liberty?

Nobody could really blame him for having such a thought.  Wouldn’t you feel the same way with being locked up in your own home?  Yet this is the reality for many immigrants across the country.  All they want is a better life for themselves!  Is showing compassion really so hard for people?  Personally, I like to think that this isn’t the case.  I really do.

It’s a surprise that a film like Olympians hasn’t happened sooner.  The immigration debate is certainly a timely subject.  To show Greek gods as if they were Mexican immigrants is ripe for comedy.

DIRECTORS:  Amit Gupta, Meghan Sunder
SCREENWRITER:  Meghan Sunder
CAST:  Meghan Sunder, Mel Brooks, Samuel Hunt, Andrew Pifko, Joe Coffey, Tamara Camacho

Olympians is an official selection of the 2019 Chicago Comedy Film Festival.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.