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Arts scene goes international

Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday April 05, 2000

Entertainment will take on a distinctively international flavor on the UC Berkeley campus this week, and appropriately enough, the International House will be the host for the festivities. 

The ALLNATIONS Dance Company of New York, a professional folk dance ensemble that began over 32 years ago in New York, will perform on Thursday and Friday. Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m. 

The ALLNATIONS dancers will present, “Joy in Every Land,” a program that takes the audience on a narrated tour around the world. 

ALLNATIONS Dance Company has performed in over 50 countries around the globe – from Romania and Australia to Israel and China. The dancers are highly trained in the dances of their culture. The Company is dedicated to fostering friendship and understanding among all people. 

On Saturday, acclaimed director, writer and actor Lane Nishikawa will premiere his new film, “When We Were Warriors,” at 7:30 p.m. 

The film begins during the last days of World War II. The Japanese-American 442nd U.S. artillery unit liberates Jewish prisoners at Dachau, Germany, while their own families languish in internment camps back in the States. Following this powerful encounter between two cultures, the film dramatizes the friendship between one of the Japanese-American veterans and a concentration camp survivor now living in the United States – a friendship that endures through 40 years of family crises and social prejudices. 

“When We Were Warriors” is based on the stageplay, “The Gate of Heaven,” also by Nishikawa. The live production has toured the United States, and made a special appearance at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., where it received critical acclaim from the Washington Post. 

International House is a self-supporting, nonprofit organization at UC Berkeley. Its mission is to foster understanding and friendship among peoples of all nations and races. With 600 residents from more than 70 countries and 30 U.S. states, it is one of the largest multinational residential and community cultural centers in the world. This year International House, Berkeley is celebrating its 70th anniversary. 

I-House is located at 2299 Piedmont Avenue at the top of Bancroft Way in Berkeley. Admission for both programs is free, but space is limited. Pick up tickets in the Program Office during business hours (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.n. and 2-5 p.m.) or from the Front Desk after hours (24 hours, 7 days a week). For more information, call 510-642-9460.