Video clips from Café y Caribe

Cafe y Caribe at the Shirlington Library on October 18:

November Shirlington Library Events

Sunday, November 2, 2 PM – Family Movie Matinee: Madagascar (2005) Rated PG, 86 minutes.

At New York’s Central Park Zoo, a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a hippo are best friends living a blissful domesticated life in captivity. When one of them turns up missing, the others search for him only to find themselves on a ship headed to the exotic island of Madagascar. When their boat wrecks, these native New Yorkers must take on a much different jungle in this computer-animated comedy.

Monday, November 3, 7 PM – Page to Stage: A conversation with Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director, Michael Baron.

Tuesday, November 4, 7 PM – Shirlington Screens: Politics in Film – Wag the Dog (1998) Rated R; 106 minutes

Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro lead an all-star cast in Barry Levinson’s WAG THE DOG. This comedy focuses on the machination of power as a presidential spin doctor (Robert DeNiro) teams with a celebrated Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to manufacture a fake war. The film also stars Anne Heche, Denis Leary and Willie Nelson. Less than two weeks before election day, a scandal erupts that threatens to cripple the President’s bid for a second term. The ultimate spin doctor, Conrad Brean (Robert DeNiro)has the uncanny ability to manipulate politics, the press and most importantly – the American people.

Wednesday, November 5, 7 PM – Author Talk: Donna Andrews, The Penguin Who Knew Too Much.

Local mystery writer, Donna Andrews joins us to read from and discuss her latest novel, The Penguin Who Knew Too Much. Donna Andrews writes two award-winning mystery series. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (August 2007) is eighth in her series from St. Martin’s, featuring blacksmith Meg Langslow. Delete All Suspects (November 2005), is fourth in her “technocozy” series from Berkley Prime Crime, featuring artificial intelligence personality Turing Hopper.

Book signing follows at Busboys and Poets.

Thursday, November 6, 1 PM – Shirlington Screens: Politics in Film – JFK (1991) Rated R, 188 minutes.

This stunning film, which includes actual news footage from the ‘60s, examines the alleged conspiracy behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. District Attorney Jim Garrison’s (Kevin Costner) investigation into the assassination led to the attempted prosecution of New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw for conspiracy in the murder.

Saturday, November 8, 3 PM – Shirlington Screens: Politics in Film – State of the Union (1948) Not Rated; 122 minutes.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, and also marking the culmination of Frank Capra’s remarkable series of films on American politics and society, State of the Union examines the impact of hard political reality on idealistic industrialist Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy) who is drafted to run for the presidency. As a candidate, he is caught between the ruthless ambition of newspaper owner Kay Thorndyke (Angela Lansbury) who pulls the strings of his campaign and the integrity of his wife (Katherine Hepburn) who believes in the man behind the political facade. Capra presents a memorable menagerie of handshaking, backstabbing Party professionals who turn the election into an elaborate political sideshow. Matthews’ disillusionment crystalizes in a coast to coast radio broadcast which climaxes the campaign.

Sunday, November 9, 3 PM – Shirlington Screens: Political Films – Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) Rated R, 110 minutes.

This film is based on the true story of Charlie Wilson, an alcoholic womanizer and Texas congressman, who persuaded the CIA to train and arm resistance fighters in Afghanistan to fend off the Soviet Union. This effort was a success but the unintended result was an emboldened and empowered Taliban that still impacts the world to this day.

Monday, November 10, 7 PM – Monday Night Musicals: Rent (2005) Rated PG-13, 135 minutes.

Directed by Chris Columbus. Featuring: Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin.

The revolutionary Broadway musical comes to the big screen. A ragtag group of bohemians are struggling with AIDS, poverty, drugs, illness and just trying to pay the rent in the 525,600 minutes that make up a year. As the title song says, they are “measuring their lives in love.”

Wednesday, November 12, 7 PM – Documentary Film: Apocalypse Africa. (2007) Not Rated, 72 minutes.

Originally titled, NSSM: Guns, Greed and Genocide, this groundbreaking documentary about Africa premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to standing room only crowds. The investigative documentary focuses on the Nixon Administration and the CIA’s dealings with post-colonial Africa. The film explores the root causes behind Africa’s collapse and was hailed as “Africa’s Schindler’s List.” Director, Del Walters, who anchored and reported news for two decades at Channel 7/ WJLA and now runs a Loudoun County-based video production firm, 3PE, will participate in Q&A with the audience following the screening.

Saturday, November 15, 1-4 PM – National Gaming Day @ Your Library: Family video games including wii sports and Dance Dance Revolution.

Sunday, November 16, 2 PM – Tween & Teen Screens: Indiana Jones and the Kingdome of the Crystal Skull (2008) Rated PG-13, 122 minutes.

 Directed by Steven Spielberg. Featuring: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen and Cate Blanchett.

Set in 1957, an older and wiser Indiana Jones is pitted against agents of the Soviet Union in pursuit of the mystical Crystal Skull. Indy is joined in the jungles of South America by an upstart named Mutt who reminds him of his younger self in the fourth installment of this incredibly successful series.

Monday, November 17, 7 PM – Author Talk: Kellie Bean, Post Backlash Feminism.

This work scrutinizes the prefix-based language of post-backlash feminism and calls for a reclamation of American feminist terminology. Bean argues that the proliferation of so-called “prefix feminisms” has weakened the feminist movement by narrowing its focus into shallow interpretations of a broad social and political cause. The author assesses anti-feminist media coverage, particularly following the Reagan administration and the Clinton-Lewinski affair, and concludes that efforts to reclaim a pro-woman politic must begin with reclaiming pro-woman language.

Kellie Bean is an associate professor of English at Marshall University. She lives in Huntington, West Virginia.

Book signing follows at Busboys and Poets.

Tuesday, November 18, 7 PM – Shirlington Screens: Politics in Film – Bulworth (1998) Rated R, 108 minutes.

Written and Directed by Warren Beatty. Featuring: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry and Christine Baranski.

A veteran Senate Democrat, Bulworth is losing his bid for re-election to a fiery young opponent. Tired with the state of affairs and politics in general, he then contracts to have himself assassinated within two days’ time. Feeling that he has nothing left to loose, he begins speaking his mind freely at public events. His frank, potentially offensive remarks make him an instant media darling and re-energize his campaign.

Wednesday, November 19, 7 PM – Author Talk: Solveig Eggerz, Seal Woman.

Join author Solveig Eggerz as she reads from and discusses her historical novel, Seal Woman. Set in post WWII Iceland, the book traces the experiences of a German immigrant to rural Iceland.

Solveig Eggerz is a native of Iceland who has lived in Alexandria since 1974. She is a journalist and teacher. Seal Woman is her first novel.

Book signing follows at Busboys and Poets.

Thursday, November 20, 1 PM – Shirlington Screens: Politics in Film – All the President’s Men (1976) Rated PG, 135 minutes.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula. Featuring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman and Jason Robards.

This fascinating motion picture, based on the bestseller by Washington Post, accurately and precisely reenacts all the events, times, places, and people involved in the Watergate cover-up.

Saturday, November 22, 3 PM – Documentary Film: Harvest of Despair. (1985) Not Rated, 55 minutes.

A powerful film, Harvest of Despair provides rare insight into one of this century’s least-known but most vicious genocides. This film documents the Ukrainian terror famine of 1932-33, which caused the deaths of 7,000,000 people. Using interviews with survivors and scholars to supplement rare photographic evidence, it established that the terror famine was deliberately created by the Soviet Government as part of Stalin’s decades-long effort to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry, who resisted the forced collectivization of their lands. Since its original release, it has received many international awards (including an Academy Award nomination).

Post screening discussion with children of survivors of the genocide. The program is presented in partnership with the Arlington County Ivano-Frankivsk Sister City Committee. A candle lighting ceremony commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the event will take place following the program on the plaza outside the library.

Sunday, November 23, 3 PM – Author Talk: Micheale Weissman, God in a Cup: the obsessive quest for the perfect coffee.

Coffee tasting and further discussion will follow the talk and book signing at Busboys and Poets.

In God in a Cup, journalist and late-blooming adventurer Michaele Weissman treks into an exotic and paradoxical realm of specialty coffee where the successful traveler must be part passionate coffee connoisseur, part ambitious entrepreneur, part activist, and part Indiana Jones. Her guides on the journey are the nation’s most heralded coffee business hotshots—Counter Culture’s Peter Giuliano, Intelligentsia’s Geoff Watts, and Stump-town’s Duane Sorenson.

Book signing follows at Busboys and Poets.

Monday, November 24, 6:30 PM – Poetry Workshop, with Guest Artist, Fred Joiner.

 

On-going Programs

Saturday, November 22, 1 PM – ESL Conversation Group.

Tuesday, November 4, 7:30 PM & Thursday, November 6, 11 AM, Book Discussion Group: Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky. December’s selection is Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Computer Classes

Friday, November 7, 2 PM – Intro to Social Software.

 

All Arlington Public Libraries will be closed on Tuesday, November 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day.