July 2011

Cantonese

The Beast Stalker
(Ching yan)
Directed by Dante Lam
(Hong Kong, 2008, 109 min.)
A straight-arrow cop seeking redemption pursues a vicious killer who is slowly losing his sight, while a determined prosecutor seeks vengeance on the man who stole her daughters.
Freer Gallery of Art
Fri., July 29, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 31, 2 p.m.

Bodyguards and Assassins
(Shi yue wei cheng)
Directed by Teddy Chan
(China/Hong Kong, 2009, 139 min.)
In 1905 Hong Kong, where the Qing dynasty will do anything to hold on to its power as a revolutionary movement spreads throughout China, Sun Yat-Sen prepares for a historic meeting that will shape the future of the country while a motley crew is entrusted to protect him from the deadly assassins determined to kill him.
Freer Gallery of Art
Fri., July 8, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 10, 2 p.m.

Fire of Conscience
(For lung)
Directed by Dante Lam
(Hong Kong, 2010, 106 min.)
Captain Manfred must solve a brutal murder to prove his partner's innocence and expose the truth behind Hong Kong's police force.
Freer Gallery of Art
Fri., July 15, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 17, 2 p.m.

Overheard
(Sit yan fung wan)
Directed by Felix Chong and Alan Mak
(Hong Kong/Singapore/China, 2009, 100 min.)
Two cops stumble upon a juicy bit of insider trading information during a surveillance job and see no harm in trying to make a quick (but illegal) killing on the stock market, but their personal and professional lives begin to unravel when the plan backfires.
Freer Gallery of Art
Fri., July 22, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 24, 2 p.m. 

English

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Directed by Terry Gilliam
(U.K./W. Germany, 1989, 126 min.)
Somewhere in the middle of Europe, circa 1740, an eccentric old man interrupts a performance of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" in the town square, claiming to be the real Baron Munchausen, the inveterate teller of tall tales and tide-turner of the Turkish invasion — and to prove it, he tells the story himself.
AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., July 29, 9:35 p.m.

Beginners
Directed by Mike Mills
(U.S., 2010, 104 min.)
A new love floods a man with memories of his father who — following 44 years of marriage — came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life.
AFI Silver Theatre
Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Landmark's E Street Cinema

A Better Life
Directed by Chris Weitz
(U.S., 2011, 97 min.)
A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had. (English and Spanish)
Theater TBA
Opens Fri., July 15

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Directed by Blake Edwards
(U.S., 1961, 115 min.)
A quirky New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building. (English and Portuguese)
AFI Silver Theatre
July 15 to 20

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Directed by Craig McCall
(U.K., 2010, 86 min.)
"Cameraman" illuminates a unique figure in British and international cinema: Jack Cardiff, a man whose life and career are inextricably interwoven with the history of cinema spanning nine decades and some of the industry's greatest icons, from Audrey Hepburn to Humphrey Bogart.
West End Cinema
Opens Fri., July 8

The Hunger
Directed by Tony Scott
(U.K., 1983, 97 min.)
Tony Scott's arty, edgy vampire saga opens in bravura fashion, with bloodsucking bohemians Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie prowling for victims at a Manhattan goth discotheque, but Bowie is succumbing to age after all those centuries, so the two seek out research scientist Susan Sarandon for her experiments with age reversal.
AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., July 9, 9:30 p.m.,
Sun., July 10, 9:45 p.m.

Just Like Us
Directed by Ahmed Ahmed
(U.S., 2010, 72 min.)
This documentary features Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed, in his directorial debut, along with a host of acclaimed stand-up comedians as they perform in Dubai, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to sold-out crowds totaling more than 20,000 people.
Landmark's E Street Cinema

Little Women
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
(U.S., 1949, 122 min.)
In 1860s Concord, Mass., with their father fighting in the civil war, four sisters grow up and find love while being raised their very outspoken mother.
AFI Silver Theatre
Tue., July 19, 4:30 p.m.,
Thu., July 21, 4:30 p.m.,
Fri., July 22, 4:30 p.m.

The Man Who Fell to Earth
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
(U.K., 1976, 139 min.)
In this uncut 35th anniversary release, space oddity David Bowie lands on 20th-century Earth seeking water for his drought-stricken planet but instead uses his highly advanced technology to become a wealthy industrialist who succumbs to American decadence in the form of TV, booze, sex and stock issues.
Landmark's E Street Cinema
Opens Fri., July 5

The Man Who Knew Too Much
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
(U.S., 1956, 120 min.)
A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble onto an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering. (English, French and Arabic)
AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., July 23, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 24, 5:05 p.m.,
Thu., July 28, 7 p.m.

Midnight in Paris
Directed by Woody Allen
(Spain/U.S., 2011, 94 min.)
Traveling to the French capital for business with their family, a young engaged couple is forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
Landmark's E Street Cinema

Monte Carlo
Directed by Thomas Bezucha
(U.S./Hungary, 2011, 108 min.)
Three young women vacationing in Paris find themselves whisked away to Monte Carlo after one of the girls is mistaken for a British
heiress.
Theater TBA
Opens Fri., July 1

No Country for Old Men
Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen
(U.S., 2007, 122 min.)
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. (English and Spanish)
AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., July 8, 9:15 p.m.,
Sun., July 10, 2:45 p.m.,
Thu., July 14, 9:20 p.m.

Page One: Inside the New York Times
Directed by Andrew Rossi
(U.S., 2011, 87 min.)
In the tradition of great fly-on-the-wall documentaries, "Page One" deftly gains unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom and the inner workings of its media desk at a time of sweeping industry change.
Landmark's E Street Cinema
Opens Fri., July 1

The Pink Panther
Directed by Blake Edwards
(U.S., 1963, 115 min.)
Bumbling and conceited French police inspector Clouseau tries to catch The Phantom, a daring jewel thief whose identity and features are unknown - and is acting right under his nose. (English and Italian)
AFI Silver Theatre
July 22 to 28

A Place in the Sun
Directed by George Stevens
(U.S., 1951, 122 min.)
Young up-and-comer George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) is thrust into the blue-collar life of a rich uncle's family business, becoming involved with a simple, trusting girl on the assembly line and falling in love with a gorgeous, high-society woman (Elizabeth Taylor).
AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., July 2, 9:15 p.m.
Tue., July 5, 2 p.m.,
Wed., July 6, 4 p.m.

A Shot in the Dark
Directed by Blake Edwards
(U.K./U.S., 1964, 102 min.)
As murder follows murder, beautiful Maria is the obvious suspect, but bumbling Inspector Clouseau drives his boss mad by seeing her as plainly innocent.
AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., July 29, 5:20 p.m.,
Sun., July 31, 12:30 p.m.

Submarine
Directed by Richard Ayoade
(U.K./U.S., 2010, 97 min.)
Oliver Tate, 15, has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage via carefully plotted intervention in their love life, and to lose his virginity before his next birthday.
Landmark's E Street Cinema

The Tree of Life
Directed by Terrence Malick
(U.S., 2011, 138 min.)
This impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father.
AFI Silver Theatre
Opens Fri., July 1

The Trip
Directed by Michael Winterbottom
(U.K., 2010, 107 min.)
When a man is asked to tour the country's finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his beautiful girlfriend, but when she backs out, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation.
Landmark's E Street Cinema

Tron
Directed by Steven Lisberger
(U.S., 1982, 96 min.)
A hacker is literally abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.
AFI Silver Theatre
July 1 to 4

Vertigo
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
(U.S., 1958, 129 min.)
A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., July 30, 7 p.m.,
Sun., July 31, 5:15 p.m.

French

Viva Riva!
Directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga
(Democratic Republic of Congo/France/Belgium, 2010, 96 min.)
Riva is a small-time operator who just returned to his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo, after a decade away with a major score — a fortune in hijacked gasoline — and finds himself embroiled with a beautiful nightclub denizen and an Angolan crime lord relentlessly pursuing his stolen shipment of gas. (French and Lingala)
Landmark's E Street Cinema

German

Hell on Wheels
(Höllentour)
Directed by Pepe Danquart and Werner Schweizer
(Germany, 2004, 120 min.)
This documentary looks at one of the world's biggest sports events, the Tour de France, showcasing its history, fanatic crowds and the men on the bikes in all their torture and glory.
Goethe-Institut
Tue., July 5, 6:30 p.m.

Home Game
(Heimspiel)
Directed by Pepe Danquart
(Germany, 1999/2000, 95 min.)
This beautifully shot film follows the Die Eisbären ("Polar Bears"), an ice hockey team from East Berlin, over a season 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, providing a moving portrait of the East German sense of identity in transition.
Goethe-Institut
Mon., July 11, 6:30 p.m.

Vincent Wants to Sea
(Vincent will Meer)
Directed by Ralf Huettner
(Germany, 2010, 96 min.)
A young man suffering from Tourette syndrome absconds from an institution with two other inhabitants to travel to Italy to fulfill his mother's last wish.
Landmark's E Street Cinema
Opens Fri., July 8

Mandarin

 City of Life and Death
(Nanjing! Nanjing!)
Directed by Lu Chuan
(China/Hong Kong, 2009, 132 min.)
The Imperial Japanese Army siege of the Chinese capital of Nanking, in which as many as 300,000 citizens were killed, is recreated through the eyes of both victims and occupiers. (Mandarin and English)
Landmark's E Street Cinema
 

Norwegian

TrollHunter
(Trolljegeren)
Directed by André Øvredal
(Norway, 2010, 103 min.)
The government says it's just a problem with bears making trouble in the mountains and forests of Norway, but local hunters don't believe it, and neither do a trio of college students — who soon find themselves documenting an unlikely hero, the Troll Hunter, and risking their lives to uncover creatures only thought to exist in fairytales.
Landmark's E Street Cinema
Opens Fri., July 1
 

Silent

Bonheur Conjugal!
Directed by Robert Saidreau
(France, 1922, 64 min.)
A debt-ridden playboy bored with his time-to-settle-down marriage to a wealthy bourgeoise runs off to follow his actress first love on tour in the south of France, but only after mortal consequences. (Screens with "Mots Croisés")
National Gallery of Art
Sun., July 17, 4:30 p.m.

Mots Croisés
Directed by Michel Linsky and Pierre Colombier
(France, 1926, 61 min.)
A New York bank employee, off to France with his fiancée after winning a crossword-puzzle championship, encounters a couple en route to Nice who've got ménage a quatre on their minds — with hilarious results. (Screens with "Bonheur Conjugal!")
National Gallery of Art
Sun., July 17, 4:30 p.m.

Son Premier Film
Directed by Jean Kemm
(France, 1926, 99 min.)
In Paris to get an inheritance, provincial actor Céleste Noménoé becomes famous overnight after his surprise film debut, although now he is known only as "Grock." (Silent with live piano accompaniment)
National Gallery of Art
Sun., July 10, 4:30 p.m.

EVENT CATEGORIES

ART

 July 7 to Aug. 28
Possible Worlds: Mexican Photography and Fiction in Contemporary Art
The artists of "Possible Worlds" are part of a new generation of photographers who break away from traditional photojournalism and offer imaginative, alternative ways of documenting the natural world, influenced by film, literature, fantasy, science fiction and electronic music.
Organization of American States
Art Museum of the Americas

July 12 to 16,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Indonesian Batik: World Heritage
This exhibition showcases the rich heritage of Indonesian batik fabrics with its beautiful colors and patterns from many parts of the Indonesian archipelago, including workshops on how to make batiks — part of the American Batik Design Competition, hosted by the Indonesian Embassy, a challenge to U.S. citizens to craft batik designs with a distinct American style. For information, call (202) 775-5242 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Embassy of Indonesia

Through July 15
Luxembourg by Hot Air Balloon
Floating over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by hot air balloon, Rob Keiffer produced picturesque aerial photographs of the tiny country's fascinating scenery and settings.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Opening July 16
Ancient Iranian Ceramics
Some 3,000 years ago, in the area south of the Caspian Sea in what is now modern Iran, craftsmen developed a distinctive type of pottery. This small installation features some of the outstanding treasures in the Sackler Gallery's collection of ancient Iranian ceramics, celebrating the talents of these ancient potters.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through July 17
The Orchid in Chinese Painting
Coinciding with the National Museum of Natural History's annual orchid show, the Sackler presents 20 works related to orchids in Chinese painting, ranging in date from the 15th to the 19th century.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through July 22
Contemporary Jamaican Artists
A selection of contemporary Jamaican artists were invited by the World Bank to exhibit their work in the Caribbean segment of "About Change," the hemispheric art survey organized by the World Bank Art Program in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, and the Caribbean Community Secretariat.
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

Through July 23
Preston Sampson: Common Threads
Preston Sampson's mixed media and pulp paintings feature the common working man with an very uncommon burst of life and expression.
International Visions Gallery

Through July 24
Gabriel Metsu 1629–1667
One of the most important Dutch genre painters of the mid-17th century, Gabriel Metsu captured ordinary moments of life with a freshness and spontaneity that was matched by his ability to depict materials with an unerring truth to nature.
National Gallery of Art

Through July 24
Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Community through Language
Lorenzo Dow Turner's foundational work in the 1930s established that people of African heritage, despite slavery, had retained and passed on their cultural identity through words, music and story wherever they landed. Features of the exhibition include rare audio recordings, photographs and artifacts from Turner's linguistic explorations into the African Diaspora.
Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum

Through July 29
Art Deck-O: Playing Card Originals
This past winter, more than 50 of Washingto's finest artists came together to produce wildly creative designs that form a playing card deck unique to our area, with the culmination of these efforts published in a deck of fully functional playing cards with traditional suites of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs.
Touchstone Gallery

Through July 20
Yaroslav Koporolin: Cryostasis
Growing up in Moscow in the post-Soviet era, Yar Koporulin witnessed the dramatic rebirth of Russian society and culture, interpreting these transformations through metaphorical characters in his art, which also portrays the world surrounding us as a contorted tangle of string.
Hillyer Art Space

Through July 30
Tom Wesselmann Draws
This marks the most comprehensive exhibition of drawings by Tom Wesselmann, a brilliant colorist and innovator who in the 1960s was one of the key leaders in the pop art movement alongside Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
The Kreeger Museum

July 30 to Nov. 6
Perspectives: Hale Tiger
Multimedia artist Hale Tenger, born in Izmir, Turkey, creates videos and installations that examine the tangible and intangible traces of events, filming the façade of the St. George Hotel in Beirut — the site of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, former prime minister of Lebanon — while it was being renovated from 2005 to 2007.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through July 31
Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan
Majestic sixth-century Chinese Buddhist sculpture is combined with 3D imaging technology in this exploration of one of the most important groups of Buddhist devotional sites in early medieval China: the Buddhist cave temples of Xiangtangshan carved into the mountains of northern China — home to a magnificent array of sculptures, from monumental Buddhas and divine attendant figures to crouching monsters framed by floral motifs.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through Aug. 12
Stefan Zweig – An Austrian from Europe
In 1992, the city of Salzburg honored well-known writer and political observer Stefan Zweig with an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death — a retrospective that now comes to Washington with more than 120 photographs and numerous reproductions and other documents on his life. Admission is free but registration is required and can be made at www.acfdc.org/events-registration.
Embassy of Austria

Through Aug. 13
The Last Full Measure: Civil War Photos from the Liljenquist Family Collection
Portrait photographs of the young men who fought and died in the American Civil War serve as a memorial to those who gave their lives during the devastating conflict, displaying the faces of 360 Union soldiers — one for every 1,000 who died — and 52 Confederate soldiers, one for every 5,000.
Library of Congress
Thomas Jefferson Building

Through Aug. 14
E • CO
River degradation. Torrential rains in Brazil. The consequences of nuclear power in Eastern Europe. Environmental issues are captured by professional photographers from across Latin America and Europe in a body of work first shown in Spain to highlight professional photographers' challenges in the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.
American University Katzen Arts Center

Through Aug. 14
Registro 02
Is a work of art defined by the artist's intent and methods, or do the people viewing it help define the work through their perceptions of it? Encompassing the works of four individual artists and one collective, this exhibit sets out to show that both the artistic process and the audience's perception help inform art's meaning.
American University Katzen Arts Center

Through Aug. 14
Washington Color and Light
Artists associated with the Washington Color School and their contemporaries were united by an exploration of the language of abstraction, a desire to experiment with materials, and a love of color. This exhibition reveals the artistic innovations and individual approaches that shaped new directions in abstract painting and sculpture from the 1950s to the late 1970s.
Corcoran Gallery of Art

Through Aug. 21
Race to the End of the Earth
A century ago, two teams led by Britain's Robert F. Scott and Norway's Roald Amundsen braved starvation and Antarctica's frozen environment in a race to be first to the South Pole. An array of breathtaking photographs, historic artifacts and interactive exhibits recount this true-life adventure tale while examining classic and modern methods of polar travel, science and technology — as well as the human instinct to explore our world.
National Geographic Society

Through Aug. 28
Fragments in Time and Space
Fragments in Time and Space draws primarily on the Hirshhorn's collection to present works by artists such as Tacita Dean, Thomas Eakins, Douglas Gordon, Ed Ruscha and Hiroshi Sugimoto, encouraging viewers to reconsider the way they perceive and experience the world — from a single moment in time to an idea of the infinite.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through Sept. 3
gute aussichten: young German photography 2010/2011
Works by eight winners of gute aussichten, the seventh annual German competition for graduate photography students, come to Washington on the exhibition's worldwide tour.
The Goethe-Institut

Through Sept. 4
Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence: Painting with White Border
After a visit to his native Moscow, Vasily Kandinsky recorded his "extremely powerful impressions" in his 1913 masterpiece, "Painting with White Border," which, for this exhibition, is reunited with more than 12 preparatory studies from international collections, including the Phillips's oil sketch, and compared with other closely related works.
The Phillips Collection

Through Sept. 4
Stella Sounds: The Scarlatti K Series
For the first time in a museum exhibition, the Phillips Collection presents recent works from Frank Stella's "K "series inspired by the 18th-century composer Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas.
The Phillips Collection

Through Sept. 5
The Capitoline Venus
The "Capitoline Venus" — on loan to the United States for the first time — is one of the best-preserved and most famous masterpieces from Roman antiquity.
National Gallery of Art

Through Sept. 30
Democratic Principles
This exhibit of 22 portraits by Elizabeth McClancy represent contemporary progressive political leaders in ways that reveal the magnitude of the challenges they face and the leadership they must assume. A special panel discussion on June 8 at 7 p.m. features Howard Dean and will discuss the next of the arts in democratic development. For information, visit www.democraticwoman.org.
The Woman's National Democratic Club

Through Oct. 2
The Guerrilla Girls Talk Back
The Guerrilla Girls, a group of anonymous artist-activists, critique the sexism and racism pervading contemporary culture through their populist art production, which includes posters, books and live performances in which they wear gorilla masks.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Oct. 2
Pressing Ideas: Fifty Years of Women's Lithographs from Tamarind
Featuring 75 works by 42 artists including Elaine de Kooning, Louise Nevelson, Margo Humphrey, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith and Kiki Smith, "Pressing Ideas" explores the breadth of experimentation in lithography and women's contributions to a workshop that stretches creative boundaries.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Oct. 2
In the Tower: Nam June Paik
A new exhibition featuring 20 works by groundbreaking contemporary artist Nam June Paik (1923–2006) is the third in a series of shows installed in the Tower Gallery that centers on developments in art since the midcentury.
National Gallery of Art

Through Oct. 9
NASA / ART: 50 Years of Exploration
More than 70 pieces of art — from the illustrative to the abstract — offer a look at the works commissioned by the NASA Art Program, which was established soon after the inception of the U.S. space program in 1958 as a way to communicate the accomplishments, setbacks and sheer excitement of space exploration over the past five decades to the public.
National Air and Space Museum

Through Oct. 22
Mexico Through the Lens of National Geographic
With more than 150 articles, no country has seen more coverage in National Geographic magazine than Mexico, generating a stunning archive of visual imagery documenting the country's culture, history and physical beauty — a slice of which can be seen in this selection of 132 photographs drawn from the National Geographic's archives.
Mexican Cultural Institute

Through Nov. 27
Italian Master Drawings from the Wolfgang Ratjen Collection: 1525–1835
The splendors of Italian draftsmanship from the late Renaissance to the height of the neoclassical movement are showcased in an exhibition of 65 superb drawings assembled by the European private collector Wolfgang Ratjen.
National Gallery of Art

Through Dec. 4
Artists in Dialogue 2: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira
The second in a series of exhibitions in which two artists are invited to create new works — each inspired by, and in response to the other — this installment features Sandile Zulu, who lives in Johannesburg, and Henrique Oliveira, who lives in Sao Paolo, and their site-specific works composed of unlikely materials such as weathered wood and fire.
National Museum of African Art

Through December 2011
African Mosaic
A towering, striking sculpture of Haitian leader Toussaint Louverture by contemporary Senegalese artist Ousmane Sow is the centerpiece of this exhibition of important acquisitions over the last decade, including more than 100 traditional and contemporary works, some never before on display.
National Museum of African Art

Through Jan. 1
Wedding Belles: Bridal Fashions from the Marjorie Merriweather Post Family, 1874-1958
Sumptuous bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses belonging to heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her family, along with a royal veil and stunning Cartier bag carried by Post's daughter —actress Dina Merrill — tell the story of 20th-century wedding styles through the lens of one of America's most notable and fashionable families.
Hillwood Estate and Museum

Through Jan. 16
Family Matters: Portraits from the Qing Court
Lavish portraits — almost evenly divided between images of men and women, some nearly life-size — show Qing dynasty royal family members dressed in the elaborate formal robes required for attendance at court or more casual attire in moments of leisure, offering a fascinating look at imperial family life in the later half of China's Qing dynasty.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

DANCE

Fri., July 8,
Sat., July 9,
'Frida' and 'Homenaje a David Alfaro Siqueiros'
This evening of Latino, modern and Indian dance presented by GALA Hispanic Theatre and the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company combines colorful visual design and projections with explosive movements that fuse traditional Bharatanatyam and modern dance. Tickets are $15 to $25.
GALA Hispanic Theatre

Fri., July 15, 8 p.m.,
Sat., July 16, 8 p.m.
Caracalla Dance Theatre: Zayed and the Dream
Caracalla Dance Theatre's "Zayed and the Dream" follows the journey of seven horsemen as they travel through the sands of time in search of the "destined one" who will engrave his vision on the deserts of Arabia in a spectacular dance musical that features the participation of 100 artists and guest dance performers from China, Spain, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. Tickets are $45 to $125.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

DISCUSSIONS

Mon., July 11, 7 p.m.
A Life with Whales
Go on a stunning visual and narrative adventure to the underwater realm of whales with Charles "Flip" Nicklin, one of the world's leading cetacean photographers and National Geographic's premier whale photographer and marine mammal specialist. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

Tue., July 12, 12 p.m.
Capital Portraits: Treasures from Washington Private Collections
The National Portrait Gallery's exhibition "Capital Portraits: Treasures from Washington Private Collections" (through Sept. 5) showcases 60 portraits from private collections in the Washington area. In this illustrated lecture, curators Carolyn Kinder Carr and Ellen Miles discuss how each portrait tells a unique and surprising story, whether it is a family heirloom or a work collected for its aesthetic merit. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
National Portrait Gallery

Wed., July 13, 6:45 p.m.
Spy vs. Spy: Civil War Espionage
Clayton Laurie, a historian for the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence, discusses how the Civil War became a battle of wits as well as one of strength and military superiority, how both sides used intelligence-gathering, and how this influenced the outcome of key battles. Tickets are $35; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

Wed., July 13, 7 p.m.
Le Studio: Wine Tasting 101
Every month, Le Studio focuses on a different wine region of France with some of its most famous vintners. This time around though, a blind tasting will test participants' knowledge from the previous sessions — with a chance to win a trip to Paris. Tickets are $65.
La Maison Française

Wed., July 20, 6:45 p.m.
Indigo: The Color that Seduced the World
Blue gold," "the devil's dye," even "the path to the infinite" — indigo has been called all of these. Author Catherine McKinley tells its story and the pigment's varied uses, from religious and court purposes to cosmetics, tattooing, and of course the glorious textiles. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
Location on ticket

Wed., July 27, 6:45 p.m.
Skin Deep: The History and Art of Indigenous Tattooing
Lars Krutak — whose almost 1,000 razor-and knife-cut scars testify to his quest for understanding this ancient art form — discusses how tattooing reflects worldviews, ancient myths and ancestral traditions, from the earliest known tattoos of 7,000 years ago in Chile and Peru to the many current cultures around the world who use the art form today. Tickets are $40; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

FESTIVALS

July 7 to 24
The Capital Fringe Festival
The fifth annual Capital Fringe Festival brings downtown D.C. alive with hundreds of performances by adventurous and innovative performing artists at more than 20 traditional and non-traditional venues, featuring a range of work from theater, dance and puppetry to the unclassifiable. For information, visit www.capfringe.org.
Various locations

Sat., July 9, 2 to 8 p.m.
Indonesia Festival
This festival showcases Indonesian culture and entertainment, including Indonesian music, jazz, Brazilian drums, traditional dances, cultural exhibits and native cuisine. A highlight will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest angklung ensemble, a traditional Indonesian bamboo instrument, which starts at 5 p.m. For information, visit www.embassyofindonesia.org/indonesianfestival or register by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Washington Monument Grounds

July 10 to 12
Fancy Food Show
Argan oil from Morocco, twice-roasted seaweed from Korea, chunky papaya jam from Senegal and gluten-free pasta from Italy will be among the 180,000 foods from 80 countries and regions around the world on display at the Summer Fancy Food Show, the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages in North America. For information, visit www.specialtyfood.com.
Washington Convention Center

Sat., July 16, 7 p.m.
Bastille Day at the Embassy of France
La Maison Française and Comité Tricolore host a special Bastille Day fundraiser at the French Embassy featuring chefs from the most prestigious restaurants offering a wide-ranging buffet while you enjoy live performances, cocktails from the open bar and a luxury-item silent auction. Tickets start at $90.
La Maison Française

Sat., July 16, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
French Festival and After Party
The Alliance Française de Washington teams up with Hillwood Museum, Estate and Gardens to bring you a Bastille celebration that starts at Hillwood — with events for children and performances from Opera Lafayette and New York Baroque Dance Company — and continues at Alliance Française, where guests can enjoy crepes, cheese, champagne, a silent auction, live music and DJ mixing traditional French music with today's hits. Tickets are $18 for the daytime festival and $49 for the after party, or $69 for both.
Hillwood Estate (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Alliance Française (7:30 to 10 p.m.)

Through July 17
FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011
This year, the Women's Soccer World Cup is being hosted by Germany for the first time, with the motto "The Beautiful Side of 20Eleven!" _The Goethe-Institut will be screening most of the games where Germany or the United States are represented.
Goethe-Institut

MUSIC

Through July 24
Castleton Festival
The Castleton Festival in Virginia was founded in 2009 by Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel and has quickly become a magnet for superb young vocal and instrumental artists. About 200 musicians and theater professionals come to Castleton Farms, the Maazels' farm in rural Rappahannock County, Va., each summer to live and work together under the guidance of Maestro Maazel, one of the world's preeminent conductors. The summer 2011 performances include a new production of Puccini's "La Bohème," Ravel's "L'enfant et les sortilèges," and Kurt Weill's "Seven Deadly Sins" in addition to a variety of concerts. For information, visit www.castletonfestival.org.
Castleton Farms

THEATER

Through July 3
Don Quixote
Synetic Theater once again merges its unique physical theater style with text in its season closer, "Don Quixote," as the iconic character abandons his home and reality to become a wandering knight, lost in the mystical world of his books. Tickets are $40 to $50.
Synetic Theater at Chrystal City, Va.

Through July 3
The Glass Menagerie
In a tenement apartment in 1930s St. Louis, the Wingfield family struggles to hang on to their dreams for the future in this fresh re-envisioning of Tennessee Williams's legendary masterpiece, his most autobiographical play, presented as part of Georgetown's Tennessee Williams Centennial Festival. Tickets start at $35.
Arena Stage

Through July 3
The History of Kisses
A writer sequesters himself in an oceanfront motel to finish a collection of tales of seaside romance, only to find himself drawn into the romantic and sexual goings-on around him. Tickets are $44 to $65.
The Studio Theatre

Through July 3
Old Times
Memory and reality collide in British playwright Harold Pinter's "Old Times," as three friends recall their relationship from 20 years prior in a highly charged exploration of whether we can truly ever know another person, or even ourselves. Tickets start at $37.
The Shakespeare Theatre

Through July 3
Purge
Set in western Estonia in 1992, "Purge" by Sofi Oksanen, an award-winning author and playwright of Estonian-Finnish descent, is the story of two generations of women challenged by a male-dominated political structure a year after the Soviet Union's collapse and haunted by the memories of Soviet occupation in the 1950s. Tickets are $16 to $40. For information, visit www.scenatheater.org.
H Street Playhouse

Through July 3
Reduced Shakespeare Company: Completely Hollywood (abridged)
America's "Bad Boys of Abridgement" are back, taking on 186 movies in 100 minutes with hilarious results. Tickets are $39 to $49.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

July 8 to Oct. 2
Oklamhoma!
The best-selling show in Arena Stage's 60-year history is back for 12 weeks. Inspired by the toughness of the prairie, Artistic Director Molly Smith sets her production in the robust world of territory life filled with a cast as rich and complex as the great tapestry of America itself, set against the backdrop of Rodgers and Hammerstein's timeless music. Please call for ticket details.
Arena Stage

Through July 9
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Keegan Theatre presents this Tony Award-winning musical that tells the story of five eccentric kids vying for first prize, bragging rights, and most importantly, a trip to the National Spelling Bee Competition. Tickets are $40.
Church Street Theater

Through July 10
Next to Normal
Three-time Tony winner "Next to Normal," starring Alice Ripley, is a story of family members torn between caring for themselves and each other — set against a thrilling rock score. Tickets are $35 to $120.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Through July 10
Venus in Fur
David Ives's crackling exploration of desire and control pits actress against playwright in a seductive game of cat and mouse. Tickets are $44 to $65.
The Studio Theatre

Through July 24
The Merchant of Venice
Whether contemplating the contents of gilded chests or the darkest corners of human nature, "The Merchant of Venice" — which features some of Shakespeare's most complex and memorable characters — challenges audiences to look beyond misleading appearances to find the true measure of things Tickets are $20 to $98.
Shakespeare Theatre Harman Hall

July 26 to 31
The Omnivore's Dilemma
This ensemble-based stage adaptation of Michael Pollan's best-selling book moves from the corn fields of Iowa, to a small organic farm in Virginia, to America's dinner tables, grocery stores and fast-food emporiums — asking the question: What should we have for dinner? Tickets are $15 or $18.
Georgetown University
Davis Performing Arts Center

Through Aug. 21
Wicked
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz — one is smart, fiery and green, literally, while the other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for what the New York Times calls "the defining musical of the decade." Tickets are $37 to $250.
Kennedy Center Opera House