FRIDAY, JULY 20 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

International Working Class Film Festival with “The Scavengers” and “Central Bakery O, Dridi” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

Get a Clue at Your Library with musician Gary Lapow at 10:30 a.m. at South Branch, Berkeley Public Library, 1901 Russell St. 981-6260.  

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation $5. 528-4253.  

SATURDAY, JULY 21 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meet at 9:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St., Geneva Bldg. Rm. 206 (2nd Fl) Mariebowman@pacbell.net  

Trails Challenge in the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen and sturdy walking shoes for this 4.5 mile excursion with steep ups and downs. For meeting place call 525-2233. 

Fresh Tracks in Point Pinole on a easy-paced 1.5 mile walk along the shoreline park preserved by dynamite. Walks begin at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For information and meeting place call 525-2233. 

Trees are Treasures Learn about the diverse species of trees in Tilden Park on a 2 mile walk. Meet at 2:30 p.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Chapel of the Chimes Historical and Botanical Tour of this Julia Morgan landmark and its maze of gardens, alcoves, chapels and more, from 10 a.m. to noon at 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. RSVP to 228-3207. 

Art Deco Tour of Uptown Oakland Meet at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Oakland Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, for atour of Oakland’s Deco buildings including the Floral Depot, Fox Theater, I Magnin, Breuners and more. 415-982-3326. www.artdecosociety.org 

Walking Tour of Historic Oakland Churches and Temples Meet at 10 a.m. at the front of the First Presbyterian Church at 2619 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. For reservations call 238-3234.  

Introduction to Alameda County Bioregional Ecology A workshop in the Sausal Creek Restoration Area discussing interrelationships, and practicing hands-on learning techniques and restoration. Meet at Sausal Creek restoration area in Dimond Park at 8:30 a.m. Bring a bag lunch, good walking or hiking shoes, and work gloves. Cost is $35-$50, limited scholarships and work exchanges available. To register call 415-285-6556. www.planetdrum.org 

Standing Together for Accountable Neighborhood Development with author Jane Powell on the “Smart Growth” agenda and true green alternatives to enhance respect for neighborhood character, at 1 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church, 430 49th St. at Webster, Oakland. Free, donations accepted. 655-3841.  

“Animals, Sea Creatures and Animation” Paintings, sculpture, digital and fiber art and more, in a benefit for Hopalong Animal Rescue. Meet the artists, and join in art projects from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2053 Ashby Ave. 644-4930.  

SolarCity Informational Meeting Find out if your home or business is a good candidate for solar power, at 10 a.m. at Live Oak Park Rec Center in North Berkeley. 888-765-2489. www.solarcity.com 

Kite-Making in conjunction with the summer reading of “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 3rd floor community room, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6275. 

El Cerrito Historical Society meets at noon in Huber Park, 7711 Sea View Drive, El Cerrito. Please bring a salad, a main dish, or a dessert. 526-7507. 

Weeding Work Party on Cerrito Creek to remove thornless blackberries and cape ivy on the south bank. Meet at 10 a.m. at Adams St., one block west of San Pablo, on the Albany/El Cerrito border, just north of Carlson. 848-9358.  

California Historical Radio Society Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the old KRE radio Station Building, foot of Ashby. Best access is via 67th St. in Emeryville. 524-6798. 

Report on Health Care in Cuba with KPFA’s Emiliano Echeverria, at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Nutrition Education and Food Demonstration on how to prepare simple, quick and nutritious family meals from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at San Pablo Liquor & Grocery, 2363 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. Free. 444-7144. 

Fast Pitch Softball for Adults at noon on Saturdays in Oakland. For information call 204-9500. 

Preschool Storytime for 3 to 5-year-olds at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext. 17. 

Free Lawn Bowling Lessons Wed. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club, Acton St. at Bancroft Way. 841-2174. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732.  

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, JULY 22 

“Open Garden” Join the Little Farm gardener for composting, planting, watering and reaping the rewards of our work, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Family Birdwalk Learn birding basics during a 3 mile walk through a variety of habitats in Point Pinole, from 10 a.m. to noon. For information and meeting place call 525-2233. www.ebparks.org 

Dog Park Behavior Training from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Ohlone Dog Park, Grant St. and Hearst Ave. Second class July 29. Cost is $25 for both sessions. Registration required. 845-4213. www.ohlonedogpark.org 

Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening for the whole family from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. www.ebparks.org 

Progressive Democrats of the East Bay Annual Potluck Picnic & Politics from noon to 4 p.m. at Codornices Park, Euclid & Eunice, across from the Rose Garden. All welcome.  

Local Medicinal Herbs and Your Health Learn the benefits of herbs and their use in western herbal medicine from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St. Bring small pots and hand shovels and leave with an easy to grow medicinal herb. Cost is $15 sliding scale, no one refused for lack of funds. 548-2220, ext. 242. 

How to Inspect a House A workshop for homeowners, prospective buyers and property sellers to learn how to get the most out of a home inspection from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $85. To register call 525-7610.  

Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to repair a flat, from 10 to 11 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring you rbike and tools. 527-4140. 

Tour of the Berkeley City Club, Julia Morgan’s “little castle” at 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. Free, donations welcome. 883-9710. 

Social Action Forum on international environmental concerns at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302. 

Lime, Peach and Pear Tasting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kensington Farmers’ Market, 303 Arlington, behind ACE Hardware, Kensington.  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732.  

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712.  

Tibetan Buddhism with Sandra Guimares and Roselene Costa on “Beyond Psychotherapy” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, JULY 23  

Preserving California’s Japantowns Community meeting on the Historic Japantowns of Berkeley and Oakland at noon at Berkeley Methodist United Church, 1710 Carleton St. Community members are invited to bring historic photos and stories that document community life. 277-2164.  

Peace Corps 50+ An information session and volunteer panel at 6 p.m. at Rockridge Public Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. RSVP to 452-8444, nbosustow@peacecorps.gov 

LGBT Family Picnic from noon to 3 p.m. at Lake Temescal, Park View Picnic Area, 6500 Broadway Terrace, Oakland. Bring your own picnic food and blankets. 415-981-1960. stephanie@ourfamily.org 

FOCUS Economy and Environment Forums Join a planning effort that encourages Bay Area urban growth near transit and in existing communities. The economy forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, and the environment forum from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium, Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 101 8th St., across from Lake Merritt BART, Oakland. Sposored by the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 464-7926. FOCUS@abag.ca.gov, www.bayareavision.org/focusthree-e.html 

“Zero Waste and Climate Protection: Making the Connection” at the Zero Waste Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-7081. 

Family Sing-a-long at 6:45 p.m. at the Fourth Flr. Children’s Library, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223.  

Sing-a-long Circles in the Oak Grove from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the threatened Oak Grove in front of Memorial Stadium, Piedmont Ave., just north of Bancroft. 658-9178. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Dragonboating Year round classes at the Berkeley Marina, Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 a.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

TUESDAY, JULY 24 

Southwest Berkeley Community Library Needs Assessment Community Meeting at 7 p.m. at LifeLong Medical Care, 3260 Sacramento St. at Alcatraz. 981-6195. 

Bus Rapid Transit: Focus on Southside Berkeley Community Workshop at the Transit Subcommittee of the Transportation Commission at 6:30 p.m. at 2362 Bancroft Way. 981-7010.  

Public Meeting on Bay Area Transportation Planning The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration are reviewing the Bay Area's transportation planning process carried out by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The public in invited to comment at 5 p.m. at the Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 Eighth St., across from Lake Merritt BART, Oakland. 817-5757. www.mtc.ca.gov 

East Bay Vivarium’s Traveling Reptile Show at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave, Albany. 526-3720 ext 17. 

“Looking Outside the Big Box for Local Economic Growth” with Jeff Milchen, co-founder of the American Independent Business Alliance at 7 p.m. at The Home of Truth, 1300 Grand St., between Encinal and Central, Alameda. Sponsored by Action Alameda and California Healthy Communities Network, a project of non-profit Tides Center. 522-2208. www.calhcn.org  

Educator’s Academy on Natural History for pre-school to 3rd grade teachers to learn easy ways to liven up lessons on natural history. From 9:30 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. Fee is $45-$51, registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

“Mobility Matters for Older Drivers” a video presentation at 1 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Free Diabetes Screening Come find out if you might have diabetes with our free screening test and make sure not to eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand, from 8:45 to 1:30 a.m. at the Downtown Oakland Senior Center, 200 Grand Ave. 981-5332. 

Tuesday Documentaries at 7 p.m. at the Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Donation of $5 benefits the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. 665-0305. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St. MelDancing@aol.com 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

Community Sing-a-Long every Tues, at 2 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 1247 Marin Ave. 524-9122.  

Family Storytime for preschoolers and up at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll learn about butterflies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Walking Tour of Oakland Chinatown Meet at 10 a.m. at the courtyard fountain in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza at 388 Ninth St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

“The Political Scene: State and County Priorities” with Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson at the Berkeley Gray Panthers meeting at 1:30 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 548-9696. 

South Berkeley Library Move with Noll & Tam Architects who have been hired to investigate possible spaces for the library at the Ed Roberts Campus, at Board of Library Trustees meeting at 5 p.m. at South Branch Library, 1901 Russell Street at MLK, Jr., Way. 981-6107. 

“Climate Protection and Berkeley’s Built Environment” at the Planning Commission meeting at 6 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-7081. 

Prevent Scams, Fraud and Identity Theft A presentation to help seniors at 7 p.m. at the Persian Center, 2029 Durant Ave. RSVP to 848-0264. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, JULY 26 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll learn about butterflies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Tilden Explorers A nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds. We’ll learn about butterflies from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Starry Night Skies with Celeste Burrows from the Chabot Space and Science Center followed by a 3 mile hike to Wildcat Peak to watch the sunset, search for constellations and observe the moon. At 6:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

FOCUS Equity Forum Join a planning effort that encourages Bay Area urban growth near transit and in existing communities, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium, Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 101 8th St., across from Lake Merritt BART, Oakland. Sposored by the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 464-7926.  

“The Truth About Darfur and the Struggle for African Liberation” A teach-in and fundraiser at 7 p.m. at Interplay, 2273 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. 625-1106. www.solidarityforafrica.org 

Kibale Community Fuel Project A report on how innovative stoves are being used in Uganda, at 6:30 p.m. in the Marian Zimmer Auditorium, Oakland Zoo. 632-9525, ext. 122. 

“Staying Human in the Computer Age” A conference on the the challenges of and opportunities for human identity in the computer age. Thurs.-Sun. at International House, Piendmont Ave. at Bancroft. For information call 415-567-5115. www.binarybeing.org 

Compressed Natural Gas Station Grand Opening at 10 a.m. at 205 Brush St., West Oakland. Includes a display of alternative fuel vehicles. 238-2966. 

Easy Does It Board of Directors’ Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1636 University Ave. 845-5513.  

Cope with Creativity Workshop on “Art to Express Grief” at 6:30 p.m. at 4401 Howe St., Oakland. To register call 888-755-7855, ext. 4241. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Zero Waste Commission Mon., July 23, at 7 p.m., at 1201 Second St. 981-6368.  

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., July 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., July 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5434.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., July 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 26 , at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410.  

Mental Health Commission meets Thurs. July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213. 

FRIDAY, JULY 20 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “All in the Timing” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through Aug. 11. Tickets are $12. 525-1620. www.aeofberkeley.org  

Altarena Playhouse “Oh My Godmother” Fri and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 11. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “Bosoms and Neglect” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., SUn. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 22. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

California Shakespeare Theater “Man and Superman” by George Bernard Shaw at the Bruns Ampitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda, through July 29. Tickets are $15-$60. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Central Works “Bird in the Hand” Thurs-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through July 29. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Meet Me in St. Louis” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. in July at 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito, through Aug. 4. 524-9132. 

Impact Theatre “Impact Briefs 8: Sinfully Delicious” Thurs.-Sat. through July 21 at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Woodminster Summer Musicals “West Side Story” at 8 p.m. through July 22 at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd., Oakland. Tickets are $23-$36. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

FILM 

International Working Class Film Fest “The Scavengers” and “Central Bakery” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net  

Movies About Movies “Hearts of Darkeness” at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6139. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music that Cooks Steve Taylor-Ramírez, neo-folk, blues and Latin-hillbilly roots, in a benefit concert to feed the homeless at 7:30 p.m. at College Ave. Presbyterian Church, 5951 College Ave., Oakland. Donation $5-$10.  

The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of S.F. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Jeff Stein Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Rachel Efron & Her Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

Broun Fellinis, The Funkanauts, Winstrong & The 7th Street Sound and others at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15, or $12 with donation of a canned good. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jessie Turner at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Blame Sally at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Two Headed Spy, Paris King, Sorry Mom and Dad at 10 p.m. at the Sotrok Club, 2330 Telelgraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5. 

Brothers Goldman, funk, blues at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Elizabeth August and friends at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Push to Talk, The Attachments, The Makes Nice, Poor Bailey at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Phobia, Intronaut, Book of Black Earth at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Jayson Bales at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Sugar Shack at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Mose Allison Trio at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$22. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

Berkeley’s “Other” Revolution: Celebrating 35 Years of Independent Living, Disability Access, and Disability Rights. Photographs by Ken Stein on display in the windows of Rasputin Music, 2401 Telegraph Ave., between Channing Way and Haste. 525-2325. 

“Burdened Dreams” Paintings and sculpture by Marty McCorkle and Victoria Skirpa. Artist reception at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcott Place, Unit #116, Oakland. 535-1702. 

Art in the Garden featuring Richmond and East Bay artists Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. at Annie’s Annuals, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. 215-1326. 

FILM 

Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema “Ray” with screenwriter James L. White at dusk at Ninth St., between Braodway and Washington. 238-4734. www.filmoakland.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jane Powell on the “Smart Growth” agenda and true green alternatives to enhance respect for neighborhood character, at 1 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church, 430 49th St. at Webster, Oakland. Free, donations accepted. 655-3841. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Aïda” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $15-$40. 925-798-1300. 

Many Faiths, Many Forms: A Sacred Dance Concert at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church in the Sanctuary, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $8.50-$15 adults. 849-0788. www.sacreddanceguild.org 

Meidoko “Unearth” Japanese drumming with electronic instrumentation at 8 p.m. at Capoeira Arts Cafe, 2026 Addison St. Cost is $10.  

Robin Gregory & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

Kalbass, Haitian at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Jon Roniger and Jacob Wolkenhauer at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Sugar Shack at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Carol McComb & Kathy Larisch at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Max Chanowitz Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. 

Nicole McRory at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Buxter Hoot’n, Loretta Lynch at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Kasey Knudsen Sextet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

SUNDAY, JULY 22 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Making a Killing” at 2 p.m. at Mosswood Park, MacArthur and Broadway, Oakland. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Second Bay Area Baby Beats with Sterling Bunnell, Marsha Campbell, Joie Cook, Deirdre Evans and Chris Trian, H.D.Moe and Mark Schwartz reading from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-3402. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Midsummer Mozart, Program I featuring pianist Janina Fialkowska at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church. Tickets are $30-$60. 415-627-9145. www.midsummermozart.org 

Negro Spirituals Heritage Day at 3:30 p.m. at West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St., Oakland. 869-4359.  

Summer Jazz with Robert Stewards at 3 p.m., The History of Jazz with Randy Moore at 4:30 p.m. at Open Jam Session at 5 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Golden Gate Branch, 5606 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 597-5023. 

“Stars and Pipes Concert” at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland. 444-3555. 

“Dietrich & Piaf, The Intimate Song” with Ellen Brooks and Shannon Nicholson at 7 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda. Tickets are $18-$20. Reservations recommended. 523-1553.  

Terrance Kelly at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Rahmil & Barley at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Americana Unplugged: Redwing Bluegrass Band at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Joe Young/Hamir Atwal Group at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Barbara Dane at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

MONDAY, JULY 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Color & Light” Photographic art by Bill Hannapple opens at The LightRoom Gallery, 2263 Fifth St., through Aug. 24. 649-8111. www.lightroom.com 

“Shaped by Water” Abstract landscape paintings by Jane Norling opens at the EBMUD Gallery, 375 11th St., Oakland. 287-0138. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Marc Freedman describes “Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Richard Denner and David Mansfield Bromige at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express open mic theme night on “folktales” at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Musica Ha Disconnesso traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

John McCutcheon at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761  

Anthony Blea y su Charanga “A Night in La Havana” at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, JULY 24 

EXHIBITIONS 

“At the Med ... Were You There?” Thirty years of sketches from Telegraph Ave.’s Mediterranean Coffee House by Doyl Haley on display at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761.  

Robin Meredith introduces “The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It Means for All of Us” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Flauti Diversi, solo sonatas and suites for recorder, harpsichord and violoncello at 8 p.m. at St. Albert’s Priory, 5890 Birch Ct. off College Ave., Oakland. Tickets at the door are $10-$15. 528-1725. 

Swamp Coolers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/Western Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Matt Morrish at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Ravi Coltrane at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 

FILM 

+---3 with response by entomologist Vincent Resh at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Noisy People” A documentary on sound artists and musicians from the San Francisco improvisational music community at 7:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. Cost is $10. 843-8724. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Introduction to Jazz Improvisation for Recorders” A workshop with Eddie Marshall, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Aulos Room, St. Albert’s Priory, 5890 Birch Ct. off College Ave., Oakland. Cost is $20. 528-1725. 

Michael Eric Dyson will discuss his book “Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-Hop” at noon at Barnes & Noble at 6050 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito. 524-0087. 

Michael Tucker indroduces his memoir “Living in a Foreign language” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“Writing Teachers Write” Teacher/student readings from the Bay Area Writing Project at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Aïda” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$40. 925-798-1300. 

Terry Disley Experience at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Orquestra Bakan at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Buxter Hoot’n at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Adrian Gormley Ensemble at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

A Global Threat, Monster Squad, The Wednesday Night Heroes at 6 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $7. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Wake the Dead at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ravi Coltrane at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 26 

CHILDREN 

Zoomobile Come meet unusual animals at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Montclair Branch, 1687 Mountain Blvd. 482-7810. 

FILM 

International Latino Film Society “Soledad is Gone Forever” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5-$6. 849-2568.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Deep Listening for Recorder Players” A workshop with Tom Bickley and Nancy Beckman at 7 p.m. at St. Albert’s Priory, 5890 Birch Ct. off College Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5. 528-1725. 

Poetry Flash with Susanne Dyckman and Laura Walker at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476. 

Oakland Out Loud Poetry Reading with poets from PEN Oakland, followed by open mic, at 6 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, 125 14th St. 238-3134. 

Robin Romm reads from her collection of stories “The Mother Garden” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“Taste Matters” with Benjamin Wurgaft on Jewish food in the eyes of American and European food writers, at 6:30 p.m. at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950. 

Michelle Redmond reads from her novel “The Year of Fog” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kaz George Quartet at noon at the downtown Berkeley BART station. info@downtownberkeley.org 

Polyhymnia “Never and Always” A concert of chamber works for musicians, actors, photographers, and laptops, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Cost is $10. 548-9050. 

“Voices in the Virtual World” James Minton, Chris Runde and Gene Baker at 8 p.m. at Oaktown Creativity Center, 447 25th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5-$10. 568-6920. 

Eric McFadden Trio/Satisfied Allstars, featuring Bobby Vega, Jessica Lurie, Dave Watts, Chris Rossback at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Rory Block at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Mack Rucks Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ.  

Jack Gates Trio, Latin jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Willard Grant Conspiracy, Chris Jones at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Fred O’Dell at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

A Christian McBride Situation at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200.  

These days, when the news is usually bad and often horrific, even resolute humanists may be reconsidering misanthropy. Before succumbing to cynicism, check out “Painting to Live,” the moving exhibit at UC Berkeley’s Institute of East Asian Studies. 

The show features paintings, drawings and Christmas cards produced by four artists from Okinawa between 1948 and 1950, along with paintings by one of their students and others by an American doctor, Stanley Steinberg. 

As curator Jane Dulay says in her notes to the show, the exhibit is a testament to “the resilience of the human spirit” and “a celebration of art and life out [of] a period of war and anguish.” 

In 1948 Steinberg was in Okinawa as part of the American military occupation that followed World War II. One day he and three other young American military physicians happened upon a small artist colony near the ruins of Shuri Castle. In a land devastated by war, the artists were trying to recreate their lives. They called themselves the Nishimui Artist Society.  

Steinberg writes of this first meeting: “I was absolutely delighted. Something of Okinawa’s civilization had survived in this absolutely flattened, unfortunate country.” Invited into a studio for a private showing, he asked to buy some of their paintings, which, he says, “were startling good” and also to take painting lessons. His request, which he recalls as “quite bold,” was granted. 

On the one side, the artists “needed an appropriate audience,” as well as a living; they sold their work to Steinberg and other physicians in exchange for cartons of Lucky Strike cigarettes, at the time one of the local currencies. On the other side, the young Americans were seeking out culture and community in a ravaged foreign place. “For the next two years,” Steinberg writes, “our weekends were spent together.” 

In 1950 Steinberg returned to the United States, left the military and began practicing psychiatry in San Francisco. He cherished the memory of his encounter with the Okinawan artists and hung their landscape paintings on the walls of his office. And there they might have remained, out of the public eye, if not for another happenstance.  

In 1992, Steinberg was supervising Jane Dulay, then a resident in psychiatry. When Dulay walked into Steinberg’s office at the California Pacific Medical Center for the first time and saw the paintings, she told him that they reminded her of the place where she grew up. He asked her where that was.  

Her answer: Okinawa. “It is Okinawa,” he said. That exchange was the beginning of a connection that grew beyond professional collegiality into a deep friendship. It also sparked Dulay’s desire to put on an exhibit of Steinberg’s collection of paintings and photographs of the Okinawan artists. The show, she told me, “was mainly a gift to Stanley. I did it for him.” 

But she did it for herself, too, as a way of “giving back” to the Okinawan people. The daughter of Fillipino immigrants, Dulay grew up on Okinawa because her father was stationed there as a member of the American military. “I’m ashamed of how we as military people treated the Okinawans,” she says. When she was growing up, “There weren’t a lot of models like Stanley Steinberg who mingled with the local community.” She hopes the exhibit will help people realize that “there’s a culture there,” and to increase interest in and respect for Okinawa.  

The members of the Nishimui Artist Society—Masayoshi Adaniya, Kanemasa Ashimine, Itoku Gushiken, Seikichi Tamanaha and Chosho Ashitomi—are now credited with founding Okinawa’s modernist artist movement. But this is the first time that their paintings—landscapes and portraits—have been shown in the United States. Drawn from Steinberg’s and others’ private collections, the exhibit also includes photographs of the artists and the American soldiers who befriended them, all taken between 1948 and 1950.  

Thanks to the show their work is winning new recognition. An Okinawan filmmaker is doing a documentary on “Painting to Live” that will screen in Okinawa in November and that may be shown at the Oakland Museum. And since Dulay issued an internet call for work of the Nishimui artists, the market value of their work has risen substantially.  

“Painting to Live” will be at the Institute of East Asian Studies through Sept. 7. The IEAS Gallery is at 2223 Fulton St. on the 6th floor, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 642-2809. 

Image: untitled landscape, 1949, oil on masonite by Kanemasa Ashimine, 1916-1993.

Actors Ensemble—in their 50th year, Berkeley’s senior theater company—turns its attention to David Ives’ All in the Timing, short comedies that are like more developed sketch material, to show another facet of what a community theater can do very well, indeed, at Live Oak Theatre.  

Ives’ six short plays, selected from a bigger repertoire, are somewhat conceptualized, even gimmicky, versions for the stage of the kind of thing once practiced on TV by Sid Caesar and Ernie Kovacs, then, later, Monty Python and the Saturday Night Live troupe. As directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe, ensemble members (Sam Craig, Nick Crandall, Lia Fischer and Stanley Spenger) try on chosen material that fits them very well. 

The men lift off as “Mere Mortals,” high steel construction workers, chewing the rag at lunch. And the rag yields the taste of past riches, as Charlie (Stanley Spenger) reveals he’s not just the blue-collar fellow he seems. With “Words, Words, Words,” Nick Crandall, Sam Craig and Lia Fischer get under the skin of the simians set up to randomly type out copy that must, statistically, shape up as Hamlet—eventually. There’s a little rage, some spirited swinging, ape-like cynicism—and Fischer’s tantalizing toe-picking at the keyboard. 

With “Variations on the Death of Trotsky,” the material really gets into that special area between parody and burlesque—and the cast is more than up to it. “The Universal Language” takes a refreshing step back into the sort of routine a Red Skelton could—and would—pull off. 

When Fischer shows up to learn Unamunda, the new universal language, Spenger, its sanguine creator, leads her through grammar and diction—all puns and malapropisms that soon has the audience co-dependent on the declensions of Harvard or Howard Hughes to arrive at something in-between that means “How are you!” 

“English Made Simple” makes up the difference between the previous two plays, as an Announcer (Sam Craig) moderates Jack and Jill (Crandall and Fischer) through the various commonplaces and responses of partygoers meeting for the first time. 

It’s a quick, fun evening, lighter even than Actors Ensemble’s full-length comedy fare. It goes to show that there are more arrows in the quiver—or is it strings to the bow?—of community theater than usually conceived. 

All in the Timing 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley 

Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m. 

Like Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. 

through Aug. 11, Tickets $12 

525-1620, www.aeofberkeley.org

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first and largest of its kind, is now in its 27 year. “Independent Jewish cinema is an expanding, vibrant and surprising field, and our 54 films reflect that,” says Peter Stein, the festival’s executive director.  

The festival begins July 19 at the Castro Theater and continues July 28-Aug. 4 at the Roda Theater in downtown Berkeley. 

In addition to the usual wide range of comedies and dramas, short subjects and features, this year’s program focuses on two particular themes: Jewish boxers, and new documentaries from Israel.  

Between 1901 and 1939 there were 27 Jewish world-champion boxers. More Jews participated in boxing than in any other professional sport. The festival will delve into this history with screenings at the Roda of Orthodox Stance, Jason Hutt’s documentary about Dmitriy Salita (6:30 p.m. Monday, July 30); Edgar G. Ulmer’s 1943 My Son, The Hero (2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1), coupled with Avida Livny’s short mockumentary Max Baer’s Last Right Hook, a fictional tale of the great heavyweight’s experience in 1942 Palestine; and Robert Rossen’s 1947 classic Body and Soul (4:15 p.m. Monday July 23), starring John Garfield.  

The boxing theme continues with a special screening at the Castro Theater of His People (7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21), a rarely seen 1925 silent film, co-presented with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and featuring a live jazz score by New York composer Paul Shapiro and his sextet. 

Documentaries from Israel showing at the Roda include Nurit Kedar’s Wasted, an examination of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon; The Cemetery Club (4:15 Tuesday, July 31), Tali Shemesh’s portrait of the Holocaust generation; Hot House (4:15 Sunday, July 29), Shimon Dotan’s film about Palestinians in Israeli prisons.  

Another festival highlight is sure to be Making Trouble: Three Generations of Funny Jewish Women, a documentary about six great comediennes: Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Wendy Wasserstein and Gilda Radner. The film screens at the Roda at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 28. 

SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 

For a complete schedule see www.sfjff.org. Tickets can be purchased through the website or by calling (925) 275-9490 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  

Image: Scene from The Cemetery Club, a new documentary showing at the Jewish Film Festival.

As newlyweds working their way through college while living in the Elmwood in the late 1960s, my parents had little money to spare. The only forms of entertainment they could afford were the occasional game of Video Pong at Dream Fluff Donuts and a monthly visit to the Elmwood Theater. At the time it was an arthouse theater, and the eclectic programming opened up a whole new world of cinema to two young folks raised on Hollywood fare.  

Ten years ago or more, my father recalled to me the pleasures of the Elmwood Theater in those days, and rattled off a list of great films that played there. But the most moving film he saw was one whose title he had long forgotten. All he could remember was that it was a simple and endearing story about the friendship between an old man and a young boy.  

Last week, about halfway through Claude Berri’s debut film The Two of Us (1967), newly released on DVD by Criterion, I realized that this was the film I had heard about all those years before, and that it more than lives up to my father’s fond memory. 

The story takes place during World War II, when a young Jewish boy in Nazi-occupied Paris is sent by his parents to the countryside to live with a family friend’s parents—a Catholic and wholly anti-Semitic elderly couple. The boy is instructed by his parents to conceal his true identity and pass himself off as Catholic, adopting a new name, learning the Lord’s Prayer, and by all means concealing any sign of tell-tale surgical procedures.  

The boy’s new “Grampa” is strident in his opinions about the war that is tearing his country apart, railing against the Communists, the Freemasons, the Brits and the Jews, his ire fueled by the ranting editorials of Philippe Henriot, “the French Goebbels,” to whose Radio Paris broadcasts the old man listens with rapt attention. Against all odds, the old man and the boy, Claude, become inseparable companions, the boy patiently listening to the man’s bigoted speeches and at times playfully debunking them.  

The film begins with sadness and uncertainty as the parents put their boy on a train, unsure whether they’ll ever see him again, but quickly gives way to bucolic depictions of a pastoral summer spent tending rabbits and chasing chickens amid the joy and companionship of a blossoming friendship. Berri’s direction, aided by a wonderful score by Georges Delerue, paints a lyrical portrait of childhood, both in the form of Claude and in the second wind his presence gives to the old man, whose heart has grown weary amid warfare and old age. 

Berri visited Paris schools in search of a boy to play the role and found Alain Cohen, who delivers one of the great child performances. For the old man he cast Michel Simon, a beloved French actor who had fallen on hard times, his career essentially washed up. The Two of Us was a comeback of sorts for him, giving him one of his most memorable roles late in life. Simon’s sensitive portrayal of Grampa delves far deeper than the usual depictions of racists and bigots, revealing the old man as a gentle soul, a kind, generous man whose only real fault is ignorance. When Alain Cohen’s mother showed him a picture of the man he would be acting with and asked the boy if he was nervous about the meeting, Cohen couldn’t understand her meaning. How could anyone be afraid of this big “chocolate cake of a man,” an adorable teddy bear who looked like Santa Claus? 

Much of the film’s power is in its subtlety, for once the action shifts to the farm, the war and all its attendant horrors are barely mentioned. Aside from the old man’s radio, the global context for the tale is merely suggested. But the subtext is nevertheless clear in every scene, providing a quiet undercurrent of solemnity.  

Claude Berri based the movie on his own experience. As a young boy he spent the last six months of the war in hiding on a farm in the countryside with an elderly couple, and The Two of Us is his attempt to capture that magical period of his life. And his choice of Cohen was fortuitous, as the boy, despite his youth, was well aware of the tragedies of the war, his grandparents having perished at Auschwitz.  

French New Wave director Francois Truffaut hailed The Two of Us upon its release. For 20 years, he said, he had been waiting for “the REAL film” about World War II France—not a story not about those who collaborated with their Nazi occupiers, nor about the Resistance, but about the vast majority who simply waited out the war, those “who did nothing, either good or bad.” 

Criterion’s new disc features a beautiful transfer and plenty of extra features, including a new interview with Alain Cohen, 1967 interviews with Claude Berri and Michel Simon, a 1975 television show featuring Berri and the woman who secured his family’s safety during the war, and essays by Truffaut and critic David Sterritt.  

But the best addition to the release is his Le poulet (*The Chicken), Berri’s Oscar-winning 1962 short film, in which the roots of his style are evident. It’s a charming little story of a boy who seeks to save the life of his beloved pet rooster by sneaking out each night to place an egg in its nest in hopes of persuading his parents that it’s a hen. Berri’s affection for the conceits of childhood and his talent for bringing them to the screen are clearly on display here, and he would master the method in his debut feature.  

THE TWO OF US (1967) 

Written and directed by Claude Berri. Starring Michel Simon and Alain Cohen. Music by Georges Delerue. 

$39.95. 87 minutes. In French with English subtitles.  

www.criterion.com.