Perhaps you're a frequent user of the drop-down menu on the New York Times' World news page, and read up on tiny countries on the other side of the world every morning. More likely, you skim the headlines to see what the current crises happen to be. It's hard to keep on top of what's going on in our own huge and hyperkinetic country, much less Cameroon, Montserrat, Brunei...then again, maybe Americans have just earned their reputation as geopolitically ignoramuses, fair and square. Sure, we're isolationists to some degree; but I've always suspected that the problem is that geopolitics can be and overwhelming subject without a dialog.
For more than three years, Belas Artes Multicultural Center and Art Gallery (located at 1854 Russell, between Soulard and Lafayette Square), has made a mission out of helping people talk and think about other cultures. This weekend, they're presenting a really impressive collection of documentaries and features on African culture, including The Three Kings of Belize, Salah, An African Toubab?, Darfur: Between the Lines and Massacre at Murambi. The film festival, which takes place on Saturday from 1 to 8, is sponsored by UM-St. Louis' Center for International Studies as well as their department of Theater, Dance and Communications. A lot of these documentaries are pretty heavy, so Belas Artes has wisely scheduled Champaign's Grupo Cordao de Ouro to perform after the films. --Stefene Russell
