Inspiring tales of "the underdog" and film have always gone together like peanut butter and jelly andeven though those PB&Js might not taste as great as they did when you were 6, underdog films never get old. This Saturday, WETA presents two free movies about people at a disadvantage working hard to make a difference. First, we follow the big win of a small town basketball team in Hoosiers (1986) at 9:30pm. Next, learn about rape cover up of the U.S. military and its survivors in Independent Lens: The Invisible War.
The small town of Hickory, Indiana loves basketball, so the pressure is on when a new coach arrives to train the high school team. After failing to impress the community with his unusual style of coaching, Norman Dale hires Shooter, the alcoholic father of one of his players, as his assistant. With the addition of a star player, the team begins a winning streak that leads to the State Championship game. But can this band of misfits win against their rivals of South Bend? Find out Saturday at 9:30pm! Watch a preview!
Hoosiers (1986) airs Saturday, May 18th at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 & HD.
Washington D.C. is often seen as military central for the United States, where training, planning and honors take place on a daily basis. But has a cover up also been developing at our nation’s capital? In the new investigative documentary by Independent Lens, the veil is lifted from one of the biggest scandals within the U.S. military where, according to the Department of Defense, there were an estimated 22,800 violent sex crimes in 2011. The Invisible War presents personal accounts of survivors, like Kori Cioca, who was beaten and raped by her supervisor in the U.S. Coast Guard. For the few who do report abuse, a flawed judicial system awaits, leading to only 8 percent of military sexual assault cases prosecuted. Watch a preview!
Independent Lens: The Invisible Warairs Sunday, May 19th at 1:30am on WETA TV26 & HD.
We all feel desperate from time to time, it’s a versatile feeling that spans the globe as it spans our weekend schedule. This weekend on WETA, we share four movies with characters desperate for something: fame, success, life, and respect. The three documentaries run late into Sunday morning so if you haven’t done it yet, set your DVR to record from Saturday 9:30pm – Sunday 3:30am.
Baby Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) was a vaudeville star, but as an adult, she was overshadowed by her movie star sister, Blanche (Joan Crawford). One night in the 1930s, Blanche was permanently crippled in an accident blamed on Jane. Now in 1962, Jane and Blanche live together in their decaying Los Angeles mansion as Jane plots their showbiz comeback. Blanche desperately tries to get away from Jane but can she succeed to escape her tormenting sister who handicapped her as a young woman and continues to do so in their older age? Watch the trailer.
Watch What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) on WETA TV26 and HD this Saturday at 9:30pm. Also airs Sunday at 11:30am.
When a new opera gets produced, lots of artists and craftspeople from various authorities share a dramatic and musical vision. Skill and cooperation on a grand scale are the only key to success. San Francisco Opera’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, composed by Stewart Wallace with a libretto by novelist Amy Tan, brought together singers, designers and musicians from three continents. Many were learned in the Western operatic tradition, but for others, it was a first introduction to American opera. This documentary focuses on the excitement and challenges of collaboration. Watch the trailer.
Watch Journey of the Bonesetter’s Daughter on WETA TV26 and HD this Sunday at 12:00am. Be sure to set your DVR!
Marcos Hernandez came to the United States from Mexico, after a deadly border crossing through the Sonora Desert in southern Arizona. He is searching for his father, Francisco, also an undocumented border crosser, who disappeared in the Sonora Desert while entering the U.S. Marcos sends money from his home in Chicago to his mother in Mexico City every month so she can buy medicine for his brother, Gustavo, who needs a kidney transplant. The Undocumented is Marcos’s story—as well as the story of countless other migrants. Follow Marcos’s search with the efforts of humanitarians and Border Patrol agents who are fighting to prevent migrant deaths, the medical investigators and Mexican Consulate workers who are trying to identify dead border crossers, and Mexican families who are struggling to accept the loss of a loved one. Watch the trailer.
Watch Independent Lens: The Undocumented on WETA TV26 and HD this Sunday at 1:00am.
More than three decades ago, Vietnamese refugees began to settle in Versailles, a then-isolated community in eastern New Orleans. Although by the early 2000s the community had accomplished material successes, it remained divided between older immigrants and American-born youth. A Village Called Versailles is the story of this little-known community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. When the storm devastated New Orleans in August 2005, Versailles residents rebuilt their neighborhood faster than most other damaged neighborhoods in the city, only to find themselves threatened by a new toxic landfill slated to open just two miles away. Forced out of Vietnam by the war 30 years ago, many residents felt their homes were being taken away from them once again. Watch the story of this community fighting to regain their safety and happiness in New Orleans. Watch the trailer.
Watch Independent Lens: A Village Called Versailles on WETA TV26 and HD this Sunday at 2:30am.
Celebrate Arbor Day this weekend or enjoy a musical experience unlike any you've ever had. Read on for the WETA Around Town Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia event highlights for this weekend, April 26 - 28.
Arbor Day (Arbor is a Latin word meaning tree) is a holiday created in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton, in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. To celebrate these important plants within our community, the Anacostia Community Museum is holding a free event this Friday for all ages. Activities include a series of demonstrations, plantings, workshops, and hands-on activities with experts from Groundwork DC, Smithsonian Gardens and Casey Trees.
Since it opened in 1923, the Avalon Theatre has long since been a landmark for filmgoers andtheater buffs in the Washington, DC area. Not only is the Avalon known for its film festivals, documentaries, and special programs but it also remains to be the oldest operating movie house in the DC area. This Saturday, the theater will host a gala in celebration of the historic theater's 90th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the theater’s awakening as a nonprofit.
A feature screening of actor Keanu Reaves latest production, Tribeca Films’ Side By Side: The Science, Art and Impact of Digital Cinematography and a post-screening discussion led by Washington Post film critic, Ann Hornaday will take place on Saturday. Guest appearances from directors such as James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorsese too! Proceeds from the event will go to the theatre’s conversion to digital cinema projection, which is scheduled to take place in May.
Saturday: Reception starts at 5:00pm / Screening & discussion start at 6:30
Imagine a world without any music. How would you rebuild sound from the ground up, piece by piece, determining music’s most important elements? This Sunday at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, the United States Marine Band turns off the music as it presents an educational and interactive young people’s concert called “Sound Off!”. After kicking off the performance with the familiar “Superman” theme, the music will disappear and the band and audience will rebuild music from the bottom up. Family participation is essential since the band depends on the audience’s spontaneous artwork and improvised skits for its live soundtrack. After the concert, everyone is invited to the lobby for an instrumental “petting zoo.” Though 5-12 year olds are the key demographic, all ages are guaranteed to have a good time!
Grab the popcorn or set your DVRs, because the documentaries featured this Saturday night on WETA TV26 & HD are guaranteed to open your eyes to lands near and far. First we delve into American culture with POV to discover a female role model in comic books and the way modern food is produced. Next, we head overseas with Independent Lens to learn about a city filled with trash and the feuding land of Kashmir. Tune in to WETA TV26 & HD this Saturday for these inspirational movies beginning at 11:30pm.
Meet Wonder Woman, a Superheroine who has been featured in comic books since the 1940s. Learn about the history of super power and the inspiration she’s been for generations of women. Watch the trailer!
POV’s Food, Inc. investigates how mass production of livestock and genetically modified crops are putting independent farmers out of business. Be sure to tune in for this food-film if you believe in the saying, “you are what you eat”. Watch the trailer!
Cairo, the largest city in the Middle East and Africa, has no sanitation service and its trash piles up in outlying towns. Here we meet three teenage boys in Zaballeen, whose lives depend on collecting other people’s waste. Watch the trailer!
Project Kashmir was made by two filmmakers, one Hindu and one Muslim, who snuck their cameras into Kashmir. Join us for a unique look at the land plagued by religious tension and war for over 50 years. Watch the trailer!
At age 22, poet and diarist Hannah Senesh left home to save the lives of Hungary’s Jews during Nazi Europe. Risking her own life, Hannah parachuted into enemy lines, only to quickly find herself captured, tortured, and eventually executed by the Nazis. Independent Lens: Blessed is the Match, narrated by Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, is the first film to present the life story of this modern-day Joan of Arc. Blessed is the Match brings Hannah’s story to life through interviews with survivors who knew her, such as prisoners with Hannah in a Gestapo jail, fellow parachutists, and classmates at a Budapest girls’ school. Additionally, the film uses Hannah’s poetry, diary entries, and correspondence with her mother, along with the Senesh family’s unpublished letters and photos, to look back at this heroine’s talent and complexity. Watch the trailer!
In 2001, world-renowned Tibetan master Geshe Lama Konchog passed away. As a result, the Dalai Lama made the deceased monk’s devoted disciple, Tenzin Zopa, embark on a journey to find the reincarnation of this spiritual leader. The pressure is on Tenzin as thousands of followers await his find. Independent Lens: Unmistaken Child follows Tenzin’s four-year search on foot, mule, and helicopter for the reincarnated leader. Follow Tenzin as he travels through breathtaking landscapes, secluded Tibetan villages, listens to stories about children with special characteristics, and performs rarely seen ritualistic tests created to determine the probability of reincarnation. In the end, Tenzin presents the child he believes to be his reincarnated master to the Dalai Lama, who will make the final decision. Watch the trailer!
Looking for something to do this weekend in DC, Maryland, and Virginia? Check out our selection of the culinary, the classical, and more in your own backyard!
Looking for an experience that will make you feel like
you’re in the comfort of your own home, at the movies and at a restaurant all at once? There’s a solution for your hankering. The Workhouse Arts Center will be hosting Dinner and a Movie Night Friday evening, a special event that blends food and film. Watch the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, REAR WINDOW, and select from a buffet style menu that includes sliced marinated steak, sliced chicken in marsala sauce, mashed Yukon potatoes, mixed green salad, and more.
This Saturday, award-winning guitarist Orlando Roman will be performing the works of Albéniz, Turina, Ponce, Barrios, Mertz, and Brouwer in a concert sponsored by the Washington Conservatory of Music. Come and let this accomplished performer serenade you with the wonders of his classical guitar.
The Asphalt Orchestra is no ordinary marching band. Instead of fight songs, shrill renditions of Sousa, and militaristic uniforms and dance routines, this group’s music and choreography is unpredictable and even jazzy! Join the 12-piece group as they fire up the Alden Theatre with music by Frank Zappa, David Byrne, Björk, and many more. Don’t miss out on this innovative evening!
And if you’re in the mood for a day at the museums, visit Color, Line, Light: French Drawings, Watercolors, and Pastels from Delacroix to Signac at the National Gallery of Art. Check out what our critics have to say about it! Watch the video here!
In this crime drama directed by Derek Cianfrance, a motorcycle stunt driver, played by Ryan Gosling, begins robbing banks to provide for his lover and newborn child.
Cannes comes to Washington with the U.S. open of Italian director Matteo Garrone's drama this weekend. REALITY, starring Aniello Arena, follows a fishmonger who becomes obsessed with appearing on a reality TV show.
This April WETA has taken the liberty of inviting a few guests to your home. But don’t worry, you won’t need to clean up first! Visit with old friends and meet new ones all month long with special programs introducing you to a wide variety of characters, from Hollywood legends to subjects in groundbreaking documentaries.
filmmaker David Sutherland introduces us to Robin Charboneau and her two children who are living on an Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The special co-presentation of Frontline and Independent Lens follows Robin over a three year period as she tries to raise her children and rebuild her life after an abusive marriage.
In 1936 African American sprinter Jesse Owens broke Olympic records and won four gold medals in Berlin, the headquarters of Hitler's Nazi regime. Rather than boycotting the games, he used with athletic ability to defy Hitler and amaze the rest of the world. Join us for this hour episode of American Experience featuring one of our country’s most important athletes.
Meet Michael Mosley, a man determined to live longer, stay younger and loose weight. Will his secret to a healthier life be fasting, exercise or digestion? Join us in this new series as Michael experiments on himself with these techniques to longevity.
This is one man who’s probably graced your TV screen in one form or another already. Prehaps you know him as Rooster Cogburn, Bad Blake or the Dude. Learn all about Jeff Bridges and his unique style that’s landed him some of the most memorable roles in Hollywood.
Sometimes it’s just as important to get together with old friends as it is meet new ones. Don’t forget about your favorite grumpy Doc, Martin, who can be found helping the citizens of the town Portwenn every Saturday at 8pm.
James Stewart is one of the most loved American Actors, using his roles of ordinary men to remind us what’s really important. Follow his rise to fame with this documentary paying tribute to his career.
This is a story about three lives interconnected. After Tibetan master Geshe Lama Konchog passes away, his devoted disciple, Tenzin Zopa is faced with the challenge of finding his mater’s reincarnation in a new body. Will this unmistaken child be found among the millions of children in the world?
Tuesday, April 9th at 8pm and Friday, April 12th at 9pm
Known for her comedy, The Carol Burnett Show, this famous actress’s life hasn’t always been laughs and smiles. Join us for this episode of American Masters as Carol Burnett’s life and career comes into focus.
After starring in films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday and My Fair Lady, Audrey Hepburn has left her mark as one of the most successful and glamorous women in Hollywood. Go behind the scenes of her career with interviews and rare footage in this documentary
The life of this self-made movie mogul is just as interesting as the characters she plays. Discover the story of Joan Crawford and her career that spans from the flapper era of the 1920s to thrillers in the 1960s.
In 1989, five black and Hispanic teenagers were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City. In this new documentary by Ken Burns we hear see from the perspective of those accused and the effects the Central Park Jogger case has had on their lives.
Meet Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, star of the British crime series based on the Peter Robinson novels. After a succession of murders DCI Banks does everything in his power to find the person responsible for these horrible crimes.
This leading man was more than just good looks. He had a charismatic personality that landed him in roles such as To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest. Follow Cary Grant’s rise to fame from the working class, through archival footage, family photos and film clips.
Gregory Peck worked his way up through theater roles to Academy Award winning, Hollywood actor by the end of his career. Learn about the trails and tribulations along the way and his reaction to landing important roles in films such as To Kill a Mockingbird.
The popular Superherione Wonder Woman has been around in comic books since the 1940s, but what has a powerful woman represented to society both past and present? Learn about the history of super power and the inspiration she’s been for generations of women.
Star of one of the most loved films in history, The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland captured hearts at a young age and went on to produce a large body of work. Join us for the story of her life told through her own words and the legacy that she leaves behind.
This is the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man working to ensure the survival of his country and its citizens. As the most low-lying country in the world, a minor rise in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives. Tune in to learn more about this leader the intensifying responsibilities he has to his people.
Set your DVRs and meet Rowan, a young boy diagnosed with autism in Texas. After trying unsuccessfully to help their son, his parents discover he has a deep, calming connection with horses. Determined to heal in whatever way possible, the family embarks on a spiritual journey on horseback through Mongolia in search of a shaman.
Join us this weekend as we retrace our past with three movies that take a look at historical figures and events that have helped changed the world. We start with one of the most well remembered hoaxes to ever see baseball, a Chinese artist who risks his life to fight for his country and the efforts of thousands of South Africans struggling for equality.
Recognized as one of the greatest depictions of the Black Sox scandal, Eight Men Out gives a first-hand look at the drama that unfolded during this event. Director John Sayles portrays the Chicago White Sox owner, Charlie Comiskey as a tough individual with no intent on rewarding his players for their outstanding season. After being offered the opportunity to make some money through gambling, eight members of the team are enticed by this scheme and make the decision to throw the World Series by deliberately playing bad. Rumors of a hoaxed series begin to spread and the eight players soon end up in court facing conspiracy charges.
Watch Eight Men Out on WETA TV26 & WETA HD Saturday at 9:30pm.
Known as one of China’s most famous contemporary artists, Ai WeiWei is most recognized for his artistic expression, political activism and his ability to communicate through social media. Ai is also known for his artistic involvement in the development of the Beijing National Stadium which hosted the 2008 Olympics. In a country built on a strict legal system, criticizing the Chinese government can be like dancing with death. Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry gives viewers an inside look at the dedication and efforts of Ai as he does what most would never dream of doing, express their opinions about the Chinese government. This independent documentary from American filmmaker, Allison Klayman, follows China’s most impressionable figures as he gains attention for his aspiring artwork and dedicated attempts to expose, in his belief, the true government of China.
Tune in this Saturday at 11:30pm for Independent Lens: Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry.
For almost three decades, African Americans fought to end the pain and injustice that was caused by the racist system of Apartheid. This policy of segregation and discrimination ignited a flame that brought black leaders and the African American people together in hopes of putting a stop to the regime. In order to bring down the horrible system that plagued South Africa, African Americans would have to go to battle with one it’s most powerful allies, the United States of America. Developing campaigns, organizing civil rights movements and going against the opposition of President Ronald Reagan were some of the desperate measures that had to be taken in the fight for equality. Can the non-violent activists ultimately succeed in their efforts and for the first time in history, shift the United States foreign policy?
Tune in Sunday at 1:00am for Independent Lens: Have You Heard from Johannesburg: From Selma to Soweto
What to do in this wonderful spring weather?! This weekend in DC, Maryland, and Virginia check out a jazzy birthday bash, a Japanese drum performance, a major environmental film festival, and more! Here's the details on our featured weekend events!
If you could celebrate your birthday anyway you wanted, how would you celebrate it? For Grammy Award-winning drummer Jack DeJohnette, celebrating with class and style is always on the agenda. DeJohnette is most widely recognized for joining Miles Davis’s band and helping to change the face of jazz with their album, Bitches Brew. He is also known for his association with artists such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Herbie Hancock. In celebration of his 70th birthday, DeJohnette wants to do nothing more than jazz things up at the Terrace Theatre. Currently on an international tour with pianist Geogre Colligan, saxophonist Tim Ries and bassist Jerome Harris, the NEA Jazz Master will play a little music with his friends, ranging from cool jazz rhythms to bittersweet memories.
And beats with energy that will make you want to see them again! This Saturday, join Kodo, a traditional Japanese drum troupe, as they take over the DAR Constitution Hall. Kodo uses ancient and modern compositions to achieve physical and musical versatility that surpasses language barriers. Kodo is known for its performers not only playing the drums, but also using their bodies to tell a story. Experience how the power of sound can create emotions ranging from laughter to aggression to even fear. This show will be an unforgettable experience for all of your senses!
Spring is finally in the air! If you don’t see enough green outside, catch it on the big screen. Celebrate the outdoors with the first weekend of the Environmental Film Festival in the nation’s capital, running March 12 through 24 at museums, embassies, universities, libraries and local theaters. The theme of this year’s festival is the role of rivers and watersheds in the global environment. 190 documentary, narrative, animated, archival, experimental and children’s films were selected to highlight this and many other ecological issues. The festival will feature 110 Washington, D.C. area premieres, including this weekend’s Amazon Gold, on Friday at the National Geographic Society, Cinderella Moon, on Saturday and Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, and More Than Honey on Sunday at AFI Silver Theater. Discover the wonders of the world and the perils that endanger them this weekend through next.
This Romanian film directed by Cristian Mungiu follows the friendship of two young women (Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur) who were raised in the same orphanage as children.
India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) becomes infatuated with her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Good) when he comes to live with her and her unstable mother (Nicole Stoker) following the death of her father. This film directed by Chan-wook Park is largely drama with plenty of mystery and thriller in the mix as India learns more and more about her disturbed family.
Sometimes, you just have to go with what feels right. This week’s WETA Saturday Night Movies on WETA TV26 & WETA HD celebrate people who knew they were right, even when everyone else was telling them they were wrong. We begin at 9:30pm with Top Hat, where Jerry Travers peruses a woman who isn’t interested because she thinks he’s someone else. But Jerry doesn’t give up that easily! Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is at 11:00pm, which takes a look at activists during the civil rights era who knew they were working for good, even when the media tried to misrepresent them.
What would you do if your best friend’s spouse fell in love with you? Run away! Or in this case, dance in the opposite direction. Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) makes her distaste of Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) known after he wakes her one night with loud tap dancing from the room above her. In a case of mistaken identity, she believes him to be her friend’s husband and is put off even more by his romantic advances. After she travels to Italy, only to be perused by Jerry, the confusion escalates with a marriage proposal. Can these two figure out who they really are and become the perfect pair? If you missed it in January, find out this Saturday at 9:30pm.
Watch Top Hat on WETA TV26 & WETA HD Saturday at 9:30pm! Also airs Sunday at 11:30am.
After 16mm footage of the civil rights movement was discovered in the cellar of a Swedish broadcasting company, filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson decided to create a documentary about the Black Power movement from 1967 to 1975. Featuring interviews with prominent African American artists, activists, musicians and scholars, as well as input from today's scholars and historians, this film shows a different perspective of the revolution commonly portrayed as a violent protest by United States media of the time. Join us as we continue to celebrate Black History Month through the eyes of Swedish filmmakers, this Saturday at 11:00pm.
Watch Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 on WETA TV26 & WETA HD Saturday at 11:00pm.
style of coaching, Norman Dale hires Shooter, the alcoholic father of one of his players, as his assistant. With the addition of a star player, the team begins a winning streak that leads to the State Championship game. But can this band of misfits win against their rivals of South Bend? Find out Saturday at 9:30pm! 
our nation’s capital? In the new investigative documentary by Independent Lens, the veil is lifted from one of the biggest scandals within the U.S. military where, according to the Department of Defense, there were an estimated 22,800 violent sex crimes in 2011. The Invisible War presents personal accounts of survivors, like Kori Cioca, who was beaten and raped by her supervisor in the U.S. Coast Guard. For the few who do report abuse, a flawed judicial system awaits, leading to only 8 percent of military sexual assault cases prosecuted. 
Blanche was permanently crippled in an accident blamed on Jane. Now in 1962, Jane and Blanche live together in their decaying Los Angeles mansion as Jane plots their showbiz comeback. Blanche desperately tries to get away from Jane but can she succeed to escape her tormenting sister who handicapped her as a young woman and continues to do so in their older age? 
an undocumented border crosser, who disappeared in the Sonora Desert while entering the U.S. Marcos sends money from his home in Chicago to his mother in Mexico City every month so she can buy medicine for his brother, Gustavo, who needs a kidney transplant. The Undocumented is Marcos’s story—as well as the story of countless other migrants. Follow Marcos’s search with the efforts of humanitarians and Border Patrol agents who are fighting to prevent migrant deaths, the medical investigators and Mexican Consulate workers who are trying to identify dead border crossers, and Mexican families who are struggling to accept the loss of a loved one. 
American-born youth. A Village Called Versailles is the story of this little-known community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. When the storm devastated New Orleans in August 2005, Versailles residents rebuilt their neighborhood faster than most other damaged neighborhoods in the city, only to find themselves threatened by a new toxic landfill slated to open just two miles away. Forced out of Vietnam by the war 30 years ago, many residents felt their homes were being taken away from them once again. Watch the story of this community fighting to regain their safety and happiness in New Orleans. 
theater buffs in the Washington, DC area. Not only is the Avalon known for its film festivals, documentaries, and special programs but it also remains to be the oldest operating movie house in the DC area. This Saturday, the theater will host a gala in celebration of the historic theater's 90th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the theater’s awakening as a nonprofit. 
piece by piece, determining music’s most important elements? This Sunday at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, the United States Marine Band turns off the music as it presents an educational and interactive young people’s concert called “Sound Off!”. After kicking off the performance with the familiar “Superman” theme, the music will disappear and the band and audience will rebuild music from the bottom up. Family participation is essential since the band depends on the audience’s spontaneous artwork and improvised skits for its live soundtrack. After the concert, everyone is invited to the lobby for an instrumental “petting zoo.” Though 5-12 year olds are the key demographic, all ages are guaranteed to have a good time! 
find herself captured, tortured, and eventually executed by the Nazis. Independent Lens: Blessed is the Match, narrated by Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, is the first film to present the life story of this modern-day Joan of Arc. Blessed is the Match brings Hannah’s story to life through interviews with survivors who knew her, such as prisoners with Hannah in a Gestapo jail, fellow parachutists, and classmates at a Budapest girls’ school. Additionally, the film uses Hannah’s poetry, diary entries, and correspondence with her mother, along with the Senesh family’s unpublished letters and photos, to look back at this heroine’s talent and complexity. 
to find the reincarnation of this spiritual leader. The pressure is on Tenzin as thousands of followers await his find. Independent Lens: Unmistaken Child follows Tenzin’s four-year search on foot, mule, and helicopter for the reincarnated leader. Follow Tenzin as he travels through breathtaking landscapes, secluded Tibetan villages, listens to stories about children with special characteristics, and performs rarely seen ritualistic tests created to determine the probability of reincarnation. In the end, Tenzin presents the child he believes to be his reincarnated master to the Dalai Lama, who will make the final decision. 
Sousa, and militaristic uniforms and dance routines, this group’s music and choreography is unpredictable and even jazzy! Join the 12-piece group as they fire up the Alden Theatre with music by Frank Zappa, David Byrne, Björk, and many more. Don’t miss out on this innovative evening! 
es a first-hand look at the drama that unfolded during this event. Director John Sayles portrays the Chicago White Sox owner, Charlie Comiskey as a tough individual with no intent on rewarding his players for their outstanding season. After being offered the opportunity to make some money through gambling, eight members of the team are enticed by this scheme and make the decision to throw the World Series by deliberately playing bad. Rumors of a hoaxed series begin to spread and the eight players soon end up in court facing conspiracy charges. 
his artistic expression, political activism and his ability to communicate through social media. Ai is also known for his artistic involvement in the development of the Beijing National Stadium which hosted the 2008 Olympics. In a country built on a strict legal system, criticizing the Chinese government can be like dancing with death. Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry gives viewers an inside look at the dedication and efforts of Ai as he does what most would never dream of doing, express their opinions about the Chinese government. This independent documentary from American filmmaker, Allison Klayman, follows China’s most impressionable figures as he gains attention for his aspiring artwork and dedicated attempts to expose, in his belief, the true government of China.
caused by the racist system of Apartheid. This policy of segregation and discrimination ignited a flame that brought black leaders and the African American people together in hopes of putting a stop to the regime. In order to bring down the horrible system that plagued South Africa, African Americans would have to go to battle with one it’s most powerful allies, the United States of America. Developing campaigns, organizing civil rights movements and going against the opposition of President Ronald Reagan were some of the desperate measures that had to be taken in the fight for equality. Can the non-violent activists ultimately succeed in their efforts and for the first time in history, shift the United States foreign policy?
a traditional Japanese drum troupe, as they take over the DAR Constitution Hall. Kodo uses ancient and modern compositions to achieve physical and musical versatility that surpasses language barriers. Kodo is known for its performers not only playing the drums, but also using their bodies to tell a story. Experience how the power of sound can create emotions ranging from laughter to aggression to even fear. This show will be an unforgettable experience for all of your senses! 
Celebrate the outdoors with the first weekend of the Environmental Film Festival in the nation’s capital, running March 12 through 24 at museums, embassies, universities, libraries and local theaters. The theme of this year’s festival is the role of rivers and watersheds in the global environment. 190 documentary, narrative, animated, archival, experimental and children’s films were selected to highlight this and many other ecological issues. The festival will feature 110 Washington, D.C. area premieres, including this weekend’s Amazon Gold, on Friday at the National Geographic Society, Cinderella Moon, on Saturday and Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, and More Than Honey on Sunday at AFI Silver Theater. Discover the wonders of the world and the perils that endanger them this weekend through next.
