Contact: Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940

May 9, 2001

MEDIA ADVISORY
PUBLIC EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

May 9 - August 2001 (Events subject to change; all phone numbers are 202 area code)
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

***

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

The Library of Congress marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May with a variety of cultural events, lectures and films.

May 9
Wednesday
TREASURE-TALK
The Library has recently acquired the archives of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which was founded in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton. Nan Ernst of the Manuscript Division discusses the Pinkerton agency in today's Treasure-Talk in the "American Treasures" exhibition, Southwest Gallery of the Jefferson Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-9203.

May 9
Wednesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta delivers the keynote lecture for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, with performance by koto master Brian Yamakoshi, in the Coolidge Auditorium, Jefferson Building, from 2 to 3 p.m. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 9
Wednesday
READING
Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz concludes the Library's spring poetry series with readings from his poems as well as from poems by others that have influenced him throughout his life, in the Coolidge Auditorium, Jefferson Building, at 6:45 p.m. No tickets are required. Public contact: 707-5394.

May 10
Thursday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
Jean Pfaelzer, Department of English and American Studies, University of Delaware, gives a presentation on "Driven Out: The Roundups and Expulsion of Chinese People in Rural Towns in California in the 1880s," Dining Room A, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 10
Thursday
BOOKS & BEYOND
In the first of four literary programs this month, Nathaniel Philbrick, winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction for In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, discusses "The Writing Life." The event is sponsored by the Center for the Book and the National Book Foundation and takes place in the Montpelier Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. Public contact: 707-5221.

May 10
Thursday
FILM
"The Chess Players" (Chitra Productions, 1977), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 4 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before showtime, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. All programs are free, but seating is limited to 64 seats.

May 11
Friday
FILM
"Starstruck" (Palm Beach Pictures, 1982), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 11
Friday
CONCERT
American composer Irving Fine is honored this evening in a program of his works performed by violinist Ida Kavafian, the Zphyros Wind Quintet, and a chamber choir directed by Norman Scribner, Coolidge Auditorium, at 8 p.m. All Library of Congress concerts are free, but tickets are required (maximum of two tickets per person). Free tickets are distributed by TicketMaster at (301) 808-6900 or (202) 432-SEAT for a nominal service charge of $2 per ticket, with additional charges for phone orders and handling. You may also visit any of their outlets. Tickets for popular events are claimed quickly, but there are often empty seats at concert time. Interested patrons are encouraged to try for standby seats by appearing at the will-call desk in the Jefferson Building by 6:30 p.m. on concert evenings. Public contact: 707-5502.

May 15
Tuesday
POETRY AT NOON
Andrea Gill, Jean Johnson and Nan Fry offer "Poems About Animals" in the last Poetry at Noon program for this season, with readings in the Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-1308.

May 15
Tuesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
Author Han Ong reads from his novel Fixer Chao in the West Dining Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 15
Tuesday
LECTURE
Lee Piepho discusses his discovery at the Folger Shakespeare Library of the only extant book owned by Edmund Spenser in a talk titled "What Edmund Spenser Read: Renaissance Humanism in Early Modern England." Sponsored by the Humanities and Social Sciences Division, the program will be held in the Woodrow Wilson Room of the Thomas Jefferson Building, LJ 113, at noon. Public contact: 707-0950.

May 15
Tuesday
FILM
"Bob Le Flambeur" (O.G.C./Studios Jenner, 1956), in French with English subtitles. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 16
Wednesday
TREASURE-TALK
Mary Bucknum, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, talks about the collection of John Peter and his interviews with renowned architects in the "American Treasures" exhibition, Southwest Gallery, Jefferson Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-9203.

May 16
Wednesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
"The Evolution of Asian America" is the topic of a presentation by Franklin Odo, director of the Smithsonian Program for Asian Pacific American Studies, Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 16
Wednesday
BOOKS & BEYOND
Andrew Carroll, Cokie Roberts, Christopher Buckley and Senator Daniel Inouye read excerpts from Mr. Carroll's new book, War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, in the Montpelier Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. Public contact: 707- 5221.

May 17
Thursday
FILM
"Cesar et Rosalie" (Fildebroc, 1972), in French with English subtitles. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677. May 18 Friday FILM "Happy Together" (Jet Tone, 1997), in Chinese with English subtitles; and "Irma Vep" (Zeitgeist, 1996), in French and English with English subtitles. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 19
Saturday
CONCERT
Frederick Fennell, founder of the renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble, conducts a matinee performance of music written for winds and brass in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Jefferson Building, at 2 p.m. See May 11 entry for ticket information. Public contact: 707-5502.

May 22
Tuesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
The Thai Cultural Group of Washington performs Thai dances, with Chinese Erhu music lecture and performance by Yu-Chin Lee, in the West Dining Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673. May 22 Tuesday FILM "Tsar Ivan the Terrible" (Sharez, 1915), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 23
Wednesday
TREASURE-TALK
James Madison and his contributions to the Federalist Papers are the topic of today's talk by Gerard Gawalt, Manuscript Division. Madison's handwritten notes on the daily events of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, currently featured in the "American Treasures" exhibition, are the best source for information on what transpired that hot summer in Philadelphia. Southwest Gallery of the Jefferson Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-9203.

May 23
Wednesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
The film "First Person Plural" (2000), chronicling the filmmaker's efforts to reconcile her life as the adopted daughter of an American family with her previously unknown life in Korea, is screened from 11 a.m. to noon in the Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 23
Wednesday
LECTURE
The European Division and the Royal Norwegian Embassy host a lecture by Finn Benestad and William H. Halverson about their book, Edvard Grieg: Diaries, Articles, Speeches. Grieg (1843- 1907) remains Norway's best-known composer to this day. The two authors have been knighted by King Harald of Norway for their work on Grieg and Norwegian music, of which this volume is only the latest example. The program is in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. Public contact: 707-8498.

May 23
Wednesday
CONCERT
The Marine Chamber Ensembles of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band perform works by Eugne Ysae, Samuel Barber, Bohuslav Martin and Ernest Chausson in this evening's concert in the Coolidge Auditorium, at 8 p.m. No tickets are required. Public contact: 433-4011.

May 24
Thursday
BOOKS & BEYOND
Author and historian William MacLeish discusses Uphill with Archie, his new book about his father, Archibald MacLeish, Librarian of Congress from 1939 to 1944, in a program sponsored by the Center for the Book and the Humanities and Social Sciences Division, LJ 119, first floor of the Jefferson Building, at 1 p.m. This event was postponed from March 8. Public contact: 707-5221.

May 24
Thursday
FILM
"What's Opera, Doc?" (Warner Bros., 1957) and "Parsifal" (Edison, 1904), presented by Paul Fryer, Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 25
Friday
FILM PROGRAM
The Library of Congress and the Society for Cinema Studies Archives Committee this evening host an eclectic program of rare, seldom-seen archival films. Film scholars who serve on the committee curate separate portions of the program, which highlights short works and excerpts from features in the Library's collections, including animated works, Asian films, early cinema, exploitation pictures, obscure Hollywood titles and other orphan films. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 26
Saturday
CONCERT
The San Francisco Contemporary Players directed by Jean-Louis LeRoux perform the world premiere of "Chicago Bells," a McKim Fund commission by Andrew Imbrie, as well as works by Kui Dong, Steven Mackey and George Edwards. The concert is in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Jefferson Building, at 8 p.m. See May 11 entry for ticket information. Public contact: 707- 5502.

May 29
Tuesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
The Northern Virginia Rondalla, a string orchestra, performs a Filipino Rondalla in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 29
Tuesday
FILM
"The Bible" (20th Century Fox, 1966), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

May 30
Wednesday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
"Troubled Paradise," a film that explores the cultural heritage as well as the social, political and environmental problems of Hawaii's big island, is shown in the Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 30
Wednesday
TREASURE-TALK
Marvin Kranz of the Manuscript Division talks about the Harriman expedition of 1899 to Alaska in the "American Treasures" exhibition, Southwest Gallery, Jefferson Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-9203.

May 30
Wednesday
BOOKS & BEYOND
Louis Menand discusses his new book, The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America, in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. Public contact: 707-5221.

May 31
Thursday
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
The final event in the Library's celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is the presentation of a Japanese Tea Ceremony by Katherine Lyons and Austin Babcock, tea masters of the Urasenke Tradition of Chado Washington Branch, in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 12:30 p.m. Public contact: 707-5673.

May 31
Thursday
FILM
"ABBA: the Movie" (Warner Bros., 1977), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See May 10 entry for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 1
Friday
FILM
"This Is the Army" (Warner Bros., 1943), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 4 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before showtime, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. All programs are free, but seating is limited to 64 seats.

June 5
Tuesday
LECTURE
Sylvester James Gates Jr., John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, discusses "Superstrings: Einstein's Dream at the New Millennium" in a program sponsored by the Science, Technology and Business Division, West Dining Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5664.

June 5
Tuesday
FILM
"Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man" (Fiction Cinematografica, 1982). In Italian with English subtitles. After a series of international co-productions, Bernardo Bertolucci returned to his native language and birthplace, Parma, for this comedy-drama. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building. See entry for June 1 for information on reservations. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 6
Wednesday
TREASURE-TALK
Join a Library of Congress curator each Wednesday at noon in the "American Treasures" exhibition to learn more about some of the individual items drawn from every corner of the Library's collections - the story behind what makes them especially interesting and significant. Southwest Gallery of the Jefferson Building. Public contact: 707-9203.

June 6
Wednesday
CONCERT
Steven Blier and the New York Festival of Song perform music by Eubie Blake, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Margaret Bonds and Howard Swanson, with song lyrics drawn from the poetry of Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and others who led the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s; in the Coolidge Auditorium, at 8 p.m. Tickets are required (maximum of two tickets per person). Free tickets are distributed by TicketMaster at (301) 808-6900 or (202) 432-SEAT for a nominal service charge of $2 per ticket, with additional charges for phone orders and handling. Tickets for popular events are claimed quickly, but there are often empty seats at concert time. Interested patrons are encouraged to try for standby seats by appearing at the will- call desk in the Jefferson Building by 6:30 p.m. on concert evenings. Public contact: 707-5502.

June 7
Thursday
EXHIBITION OPENS
"World Treasures: In the Beginnings," a new exhibition that draws upon the Library's foreign collections to explore a series of universal themes, opens today in the Northwest Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building. A permanent, but rotating, exhibition dedicated to the Library's international collections, "World Treasures" features materials from various corners of the globe and is on view Monday-Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first thematic presentation, "In the Beginnings," explores accounts and depictions of the creation or beginning of the world; explanations of the earth and the heavens; myths and legends concerning the founding of civilizations and societies; and examples of early writings. Among the items on display are examples of the earliest known movable type, from Korea (predating Gutenberg by 200 years); an Albrecht Drer etching depicting Adam and Eve; African book art incorporating key beliefs of Ghanaian folk culture; the first printed geography book, Ptolemy's Geographica (1480s); a 14th century miniature illuminated manuscript of the Magna Carta; the first book printed in the Americas; and a cuneiform tablet from 2500 B.C. The exhibition is made possible by a grant from the Xerox Foundation. Public contact: 707-4604.

June 7
Thursday
BOOKS & BEYOND
Veteran newsman and broadcaster Daniel Schorr discusses his new book, Staying Tuned: A Life in Journalism, in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at 12:30 p.m. Public contact: 707-5221.

June 7
Thursday
FILM
"Diary of a Lost Girl" (Pabst Film, 1929), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 8
Friday
FILM
"My Name Is Joe" (Channel Four, 1998). The subject of addiction becomes the departure point for Ken Loach's exploration of other themes, such as unemployment, alcoholism, and personal relationships in this intimate portrayal of working-class family life in the city of Glasgow. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 11
Monday
LECTURE
James A. Duke, ethnobotanist and author, gives a slide lecture about medicinal plants and herbals in "A Tale of Two Gardens," as part of the occasional noontime lecture series sponsored by the Library's Science, Technology and Business Division, in the West Dining Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building, at noon. Public contact: 707-5664.

June 12
Tuesday
FILM
"Tokyo Raiders" (Golden Harvest, 2000). In Chinese with English subtitles. A groom disappears before his wedding. Was it cold feet or something more sinister? Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 14
Thursday
FILM
"Railroad Station for Two" (Mosfilm, 1982). In Russian with English subtitles. A comedy with a good dose of social criticism as well, Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 15
Friday
FILM
"Underground" (CiBy 2000, 1995). In Serbian and German with English subtitles. Set in Belgrade during World War II, "Underground" opens with a look at the manufacture of weapons in the Balkans and gradually evolves into a series of surreal situations as a black marketeer who smuggles arms to the partisans forgets to mention to the factory workers that the war is finally over. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 19
Tuesday
FILM
"Leningrad Cowboys Go America" (Villealfa, 1989). In English and Finnish with English subtitles, Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 20
Wednesday
CONCERT
For the second appearance of the New York Festival of Song in the Library's Coolidge Auditorium this month, Steven Blier and vocalists Sylvia McNair and Hal Cazalet explore the lyric antics of comic novelist P.G. Wodehouse, penned in collaboration with such Broadway songwriters as the Gershwins, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. The performance begins at 8 p.m. See June 6 entry for ticket information. Public contact: 707-5502.

June 21
Thursday
FILM
"The Triple Cross" (Cineurop, 1967). What makes this film worthy of attention is that, by inadvertence, it is a spoof of all spy movies. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 22
Friday
FILM
"The Promoter" (Rank, 1952) and "Captain's Paradise" (British Lion, 1953). In tribute to the late Sir Alec Guinness, two of his less seen comedies from the 1950s are screened, Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 26
Tuesday
FILM
Three films by director Satyajit Ray are on tonight's program: "Rabindranath Tagore" (Govt. of India, 1961); "Two" (New Mark International, 1964); and "Samapti" (Ray Prod., 1961), Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 28
Thursday
EXHIBITION OPENS
"A Petal from the Rose: Illustrations by Elizabeth Shippen Green" opens in the Swann Gallery and will remain on view through September 29. Elizabeth Green and colleagues Jessie Willcox Smith and Violet Oakley made up the artistic triumvirate known as "The Red Rose Girls," who led the way for women illustrators in America in the early 20th century. The 15 to 20 original drawings, illustrated periodicals and rare books featuring Ms. Green's work included in the exhibition are selected from the more than 140 drawings donated to the Library by the artist in 1933. Hours for the exhibition are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Public contact: 707- 4604.

June 28
Thursday
FILM
"Borsalino" (Adel/Marianne/Mars, 1970). In French with English subtitles. Two small-time crooks become fast friends and after a series of fist fights, shootouts and car chases are crowned kings of the Marseilles underworld. When it was released in 1970, the film became France's biggest box-office hit ever. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

June 29
Friday
FILM
"WR-the Mysteries of the Organism" (Neoplanta Film, 1971). In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. An avant-garde film inspired by a book called Dialectical Materialism and Psychoanalysis might not sound like a fun night out, but throw in Dusan Makavejev's insatiable joie de vivre and you have one of the most entertaining movies ever to come out of the Eastern Bloc. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for June 1 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 6
Friday
FILM
"Providence" (France 3, 1977). A tour de force for all involved, but especially for Alain Resnais and the late Sir John Gielgud, who called "Providence" the "most exciting" film of his career. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 4 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before showtime, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. All programs are free, but seating is limited to 64 seats.

July 10
Tuesday
FILM
"The Outside Man" (Cite/Mondial, 1972). After assassinating a Mafia boss in Los Angeles, a Frenchman becomes himself the target of a mysterious killer. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 12
Thursday
FILM
"Lonely Woman Seeks Lifetime Companion" (Kiev Film Studio, 1987), in Russian with English subtitles. Irina Kupchenko received the Best Actress Award at the Montreal International Festival for her portrayal of Klavdia Petronova in this "sad comedy." Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 13
Friday
FILM
"The Passerby" (Almi, 1982). In French with English subtitles. Romy Schneider's last film before her death at age 43. In it, she plays dual roles: Lina, the wife of Max Baumstein, a noble leader of an organization similar to Amnesty International and Elsa, the wife of Michel, a German Jew. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 17
Tuesday
FILM
"Supercar: Phantom Piper" (1961); "Fireball XL-5: The Doomed Planet" (1962); and "Thunderbirds Are GO" (Century 21, 1966). Gerry Anderson was one of the most innovative and influential figures in science fiction television during the 1960s and 1970s. Tonight and on July 24 we will examine Anderson's talent, with one evening devoted to episodes of the supermarionation series and the wide-screen movie "Thunderbirds Are GO," and a second evening examining the shift from supermarionation to live-action series. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 19
Thursday
FILM
"Burnt by the Sun" (Studio Trite/Camera One, 1994), in Russian with English subtitles. A harrowing film, as Stalinist realities invade an idyllic country existence during the 1930s purge trials. The film won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1994, and shared the Grand Jury Prize for best film at Cannes. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 20
Friday
FILM
"Descendant of the Sun" (Shaw Brothers 1982), in Chinese with English subtitles; and "Zu, Warriors from Magic Mountain," in Cantonese with English subtitles. Welcome to the magical, fast-paced world of the Hong Kong supernatural. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 24
Tuesday
FILM
"Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: Lunarville 7" (1966); "UFO: Identified" (1970); and "The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity" (1976). More from Gerry Anderson. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 26
Thursday
FILM
"That's the Way I Like It" (Chinarunn, 1998), in English and Hokkien with English subtitles. Ah Hock's life looks pretty grim: he has a dull, dead-end job, his parents favor his studious brother, and he can't afford the motorcycle he daydreams about. The world becomes a brighter place when a new hit movie opens and Ah Hock decides to emulate the film's white-clad, disco- dancing star. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 27
Friday
FILM
"Black Cat White Cat" In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. East European Gypsy culture provides the backdrop for this humorous tale of a small time hustler from the Danube who attempts to repay his failed business debts by arranging a marriage between his 17-year-old son and the sister of a wealthy and successful gangster. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

July 31
Tuesday
FILM
"Conquest: The Ladder of Life" (CBS, 1960) and "A Brief History of Time" (Triton, 1992). Documentarian Errol Morris tackles physicist Stephen Hawking's improbable best seller on the creation of the universe and examines Hawking's struggle with Lou Gehrig's Disease along the way. It is preceded by an episode of the CBS science series "Conquest" which explores evolution. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for July 6 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 2
Thursday
FILM
"Waiting for Gavrilov" (Mosfilm, 1981), in Russian with English subtitles. A big hit in Russia. A 38 year old woman decides to try again and remarry and is apparently jilted by her fiancee, Gavrilov. The film follows her on her adventures as she wanders around Odessa on the day she was to be married. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. Reservations may be made by phone, beginning one week before any given show. Call 707-5677 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 4 pm). Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 minutes before showtime, after which standbys will be admitted to unclaimed seats. All programs are free, but seating is limited to 64 seats.

August 3
Friday
FILM
"Come and See" (Mosfilm, 1985), in Russian with English subtitles. An intensely harrowing, visceral and disturbing account of the Nazi invasion of Byelorussia and its effect on a young boy. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 6:30 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 7
Tuesday
FILM
"A Dangerous Play" (Nordisk Films Kompagni, 1912); "The Vampire Dancer" (Nordisk Films Kompagni, 1911); and "Homeless" (Fotorama, 1911). Nordisk Films Kompagni of Denmark (known as Great Northern in the United States) was a tremendously successful producer of films both at home in Denmark and abroad from its founding in 1906 until World War I. The films were known for a naturalistic style of acting and for their sensational plots. Several of these early films were deposited for copyright as Paper Prints at the Library of Congress shortly after their production in an effort to prevent illegal copying of the films, and this circumstance has aided in their preservation. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 9
Thursday
FILM
"Woman in the Dunes" (Toho, 1964), in Japanese with English subtitles. An entomologist gets trapped in a sandpit. Adapted from his novel, screenwriter Kobo Abe fashioned a haunting, existential allegory reminiscent of Kafka, Beckett and "The Twilight Zone." Like Sisyphus, the main character is forced to endlessly labor at a hopeless task, but in doing so gains more than he loses. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 10
Friday
FILM
"The Sicilian Clan" (Fox, 1968), dubbed. A Sicilian crime family plans to steal several million dollars' worth of jewelry from an exhibition in Venice. Adapted from a novel by Auguste Le Breton, this moody crime thriller stars three of France's male superstars. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 14
Tuesday
FILM
"Love and Friendship" (Nordisk Films Kompagni, 1911); "Desdemona" (Nordisk Films Kompagni, 1911); and "The Daughter of the Railway" (Nordisk Films Kompagni, 1911). The mini-series of early Danish films continues this evening. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 16
Thursday
FILM
"Casque D'Or" (Paris Film, 1951), in French with English subtitles. Jacques Becker (1906-1960) was a major French filmmaker who never quite got his due. Considered to be his masterwork, "Casque D'Or" is a tragic romance set in the underworld of 1890s Paris. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 17
Friday
FILM
"Carmen" (Piedra, 1983), in Spanish with English subtitles. Although Prosper Mrime's novella has been filmed many times since the silent era, Carlos Saura's steamy, invigorating version makes the tale seem brand new. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 21
Tuesday
FILM
"The Crook" (Films Ariane, 1970), dubbed. "Simon the Swiss," a lawyer turned criminal, kidnaps the son of a bank clerk with a plan to demand a ransom from the father's employer. Labeled as a "divertissement policier" by French critics, "The Crook," which features all the hallmarks of a Claude Lelouch movie (mobile camera, fractured time structure, impressive color palette, lush Francis Lai score), has become one of the director's most enduring and popular works. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 23
Thursday
FILM
"Chronicles of the Grey House" (UFA, 1925). The bleak moors and a wasted castle provide the setting for a grim tale of forbidden love, fratricide and expiation. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

August 24
Friday
FILM
"Knife in the Water" (ZRF, 1962). In Polish with English subtitles. Two men, one woman, and a boat. Who will survive? Co-written by Jerzy Skolimowski, "Knife in the Water" was Roman Polanski's first feature-length film and introduces themes he would return to time and again: infidelity, violence, and the psychological thrills and spills that take us there. Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building, at 7 p.m. See entry for August 2 for reservation information. Public contact: 707-5677.

 

The Library of Congress occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill. The Thomas Jefferson Building is the original Library of Congress building; it is located at 10 First St. S.E. across First Street from the U.S. Capitol. The John Adams Building is directly behind the Jefferson Building to the east on Second St. S.E.; and the James Madison Memorial Building, at 101 Independence Ave. S.E., is just south of the Jefferson Building.

Persons attending events at the Library should allow extra time in order to pass through Library security.

Request ADA accommodations five days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

CONCERTS: Tickets are required for all Library of Congress concerts. They are available five weeks ahead of the event for a nominal charge of $2 per ticket (maximum of two tickets per person), with additional charges for phone orders and handling, from TicketMaster by calling (301) 808-6900, (202) 432-SEAT or by visiting TicketMaster outlets. Tickets for popular events are claimed quickly, but there are often empty seats at concert time. Interested patrons are encouraged to try for standby seats by appearing at the will-call desk by 6:30 p.m. on concert evenings. All concerts will be held in the Coolidge Auditorium, located on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., at 8 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

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PR 01-075
5-9-01
ISSN 0731-3527

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