WATCH THE MOVIE ‘SOLD’ The movie Sold, directed by Jeffrey D. Brown, has been lauded at film festivals around the globe as a searing look into the widespread practice of sexual slavery of young girls. Based on Patricia McCormick’s 2006 novel, “Sold,” the film traces the story of Lakshmi, a 13-year-old girl from Nepal. After a monsoon devastates her house, she decides she will help her family by going to work as a maid for a wealthy woman in the city. Lakshmi instead finds herself sold to a brothel, named the“Happiness House. The Berkeley Anti-Trafficking Coalition and the Institute for South Asian Studies at UC Berkeley will be showing the film Friday at 6 p.m. in Room 2040 of the Valley Life Sciences building. It stars Niyar, Gillian Anderson, and David Arquette. Brown, who plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign to distribute the film in theaters, will do a Q&A session after the screening. Suggested donation is $5.
CELEBRATE PERSIAN NEW YEAR Celebrate the Persian New Year by watching a free performance by the first American theater company to focus on the Middle East. The Golden Thread Fairytale Players will perform “21 Days that Change the Year,” a multicultural event that includes music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and audience participation. The production “frames an ancient tale from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh within contemporary adventures of Dara & Sara, a sister and brother eagerly awaiting the coming of Nowruz.” The event is Saturday, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. in the third floor Community Meeting Room, Central Library at 2090 Kittredge St. The performance is 30 minutes long and is appropriate for children 5 to 15 year old. To further celebrate the Persian New Year, you can jump over a bonfire for “Chahr-Shanbeh Souri” on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the Persian Center, 2029 Durant Ave.in Berkeley from 6 p.m. to 10 p. m. Shake off the darkness of winter and welcome the lightness of spring.
HOUSE CONCERTS There are always amazing concerts and performances in Berkeley. Take for example, the concert the guitarist Claude Bourbon will play Friday at the Art House Gallery on Shattuck Avenue. But how about hearing a professional musician in the comfort of a living room? You can do that Saturday, March 14 at 8 p.m. at the home of Linda Oliver and Tom Montgomery, the producers of Berkeley House Concerts. For the past nine years they have invited folk/acoustic singer/songwriters or jazz musicians to perform for an intimate crowd of 40 in the living room or garden of their North Berkeley home. Each performance is preceded by nibbles, wine and beer and interesting conversation. All the donations (suggested at $15 to $20) go to the musicians. “We aren’t running a business, but providing a place for musicians to play for our friends,” said Oliver. This Saturday, Maurice Tani, will bring what the San Francisco Chronicle called his “twangy modern country sound.” On April 4, Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen will perform. To sign up, email Linda at linda@berkeleyhouseconcerts.org or call Tom at 510-697-4097.
BERKELEY BALKAN BACCHANAL The Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal is held on the second Friday of each month at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. Each time, local Balkan bands are featured. On Friday March 13, the series welcomes Fanfare Zambaleta (pictured right) and the Disciples of Markos. Doors open at 8:00pm. Show starts at 9:00pm. The Starry Plough is at 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. Admission $8-12 sliding scale
PHOTO SHOW OPENING The public is invited to a reception for the artists of a new show called “Triple Point: Ice, Water and Vapor” at the Photolab Gallery on Sunday March 15, 2-4 p.m. The theme of the exhibition is water in all its glorious phases: solid, liquid and gas. Images of ice, snow, rivers, ocean, fog and mist… there will be amazing photos from the Berkeley Fine Art Photographers group, many of which are for sale. Meet the photographers, learn more about why the show is called “Triple Point,” and enjoy light refreshments. Photolab Gallery is at 2235 Fifth St. Regular hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Triple Point exhibit will be on display through April 30.
Don’t miss these other events already featured on Berkeleyside:
Stephanie Crawford: Making herself a masterpiece
“Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles”
For more events in and around Berkeley, check out Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. And submit your own events there — the calendar is free and self-serve.
