Schedule of Events

United States, 2002

Gay Romance

Beginning in the LA of 1973 and wrapping up in the Mexico of 1984, The Trip tells the story of Alan and Tommy, whose lives mirror the political and social developments of the era. When they meet, Alan is a schizy Republican journalist, and Tommy is the head of a gay civil-rights group; they begin a journey through life together, across the decades and national borders. (Lido Theater, 8:30 p.m.)

TUESDAY, APRIL 8

Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig

United States, 2001

Documentary

For those lucky few who saw and truly responded to John Cameron Mitchell's electrifying film version of his glam-rock stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, this (genital) warts-and-all documentary is purest gold. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 11 a.m.)

New Guy

United States, 2002

Southern California Premiere

Comedy/Drama

Gregg endures a nightmarish first day on the job, and as day turns to night, it seems he can't ever seem to leave the building. And then there's the matter of those ominous Post-It messages left behind by his predecessor, Frank. Sure, it's a depressed job market, and those who are actually employed are happy to be working at all . . . but is a steady paycheck worth all of this? (Edwards Island Cinemas, 11 a.m.)

Her Name Is Zelda

United States, 2002

Documentary

The film takes us behind the public persona of Zelda, an 85-year-old, wildly made-up, loudly attired woman who has inspired artists, bikers, club kids and nearly everybody else she has ever come in contact with. We're shown varying sides of her personality, as well as her legions of followers. (Lido Theater, 11:30 a.m.)

Did Someone Say Shorts?

A collection of shorts (featuring the tax-time satire Audit) with no clearly unifying theme and a very puzzling, presumably rhetorical question for a title. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 12:30 p.m.)

Liberty, Maine

United States, 2001

Romance

A man journeys back to his boyhood home and is forced to confront his father, an emotionally abusive freako who runs a house for wayward boys and has been known to stomp around the house in medieval garb. The son's on-again, off-again fiancée tries to stand by her man and help him sort out his shit, as the women-folk so often do. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 1 p.m.)

Une Hisondelle a Fait le Printemps(The Girl From Paris)

France, 2001

Drama

Sandrine buys a farm in southern France, but part of the deal is that the crusty, original owner, Adrien, will stay on the property for a year and a half until he retires. Sandrine is young and has yet to find a soul mate, while Adrien's wife has passed on, leaving him alone and embittered. Across the chasm of the decades, their mutual loneliness draws these two together. (Lido Theater, 1 p.m.)

Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election

United States, 2002

Documentary

While it's tempting to track down every Ralph Nader voter and pop them a good one in the eye for putting Bush Jr. in office ("no appreciable difference between the two parties," my black ass!), the fact is that Gore would have strolled off with the election if not for some shady dealings so insidiously Republican in nature that they probably would have given Nixon pause. This documentary spells out the whole sorry mess in horrifying detail. See it, then go home and take enough pills to hopefully put yourself in a coma until November 2004. (Orange County Museum of Art, 2 p.m.)

West Bank Brooklyn

United States, 2002

Southern California Premiere

Drama

Ali Sahid is torn between his yearning to be a typical, "all-American" New York guy and his desire to please his father, a starchly traditional Muslim who disowned Ali's brother for rejecting an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Ali's best friend, Saddam (ouch), is an Arab who denies his background and calls himself "Tito the Puerto Rican" in hopes of not getting the snot beaten out of his head every 10 minutes. Based on a true story, West Bank Brooklyn is a rare look at young, New York Arab-Americans struggling with the concepts on both sides of that hyphen. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 3 p.m.)

The Seventh Man

United States, 2002

Docudrama

The Seventh Man chronicles two years in a small central Texas community where football is taken very, very seriously, to the point that fans will travel hundreds of miles to keep up with the doings of the town's six-man team. Inspirational or deeply, profoundly depressing? You decide. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 3 p.m.) 9 Dead Gay Guys

United Kingdom, 2000

Comedy

A none-too-P.C. comic take on the gay underworld, in which two straight guys journey to London and earn their living via some dubious doings at the local gay bar; when their clients unexpectedly begin turning up dead, the boys turn from hustling to gumshoe-ing in hopes of tracking down some cash one of the victims allegedly left behind. (Lido Theater, 3:30 p.m.)

Arisman: Facing the Audience

United States, 2002

Documentary

Portrait of painter Marshall Arisman, whom travel author Paul Theroux has hailed as "a shaman, an enchanter." (Orange County Museum of Art, 3:30 p.m.)

No Sleep 'til Madison

United States, 2002

Comedy/Drama

This year, Owen Fenby faces a variety of obstacles on his annual pilgrimage to the Wisconsin High School Hockey Tournament: the objections of his girlfriend, discord and gout among his fellow teammates, troubles at work . . . and a mysterious black pickup that follows behind on his journey. (Edwards Island Cinemas, 4:30 p.m.)

Janela da Alma(Window of the Soul)