Arts & Events

Sweet Dreams Rwanda: Drums and Ice Cream in the Cone of Africa
Opens December 6 at the Shattuck Theaters

By Gar Smith
Friday December 06, 2013 - 11:48:00 AM

Sweet Dreams is a truly delicious film—a triple-decker trifecta of a cinema treat that serves up an improbable mix of three of the most disparate elements imaginable: the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an insurgent team of feminist drummers and Central Africa's first ice cream shop. The work of two accomplished Berkeley filmmakers, siblings Lisa and Rob Fruchtman, Sweet Dreams already has racked up nine prestigious film awards. It has been screened and celebrated at film festivals in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

Note: Local filmmakers Rob & Lisa Fruchtman will be joined by Kiki Katese, founder of Ingoma Nshya for the 7:10 Saturday, December 7 showing of Sweet Dreams at Berkeley's Landmark cinema. In addition to a Q&A, there will also be a special live drumming performance by members of Rwanda's Ingoma Nshya drummers: Ingabire Rose, Mujawayezu Therese, Uwintiji Clementine, Uwamariya Clementine. -more-


Plonsey and Schott to Present Three Night Extravaganza: Dec. 11, 12, 14 [date corrected]

By Dan Plonsey
Friday December 06, 2013 - 12:49:00 PM

I'm convinced that live music has enormous transformative power, and acting from that belief, my good friend John Schott and I have been preparing for three consecutive days of music at the Berkeley Arts Festival, the latest of many outposts erected by Bonnie Hughes to reclaim and redeem abandoned spaces.

For three consecutive nights – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ,Saturday, December 11, 12, and 13 14— John and I will present contrasting sets of music at the Berkeley Arts storefront, 2133 University Avenue (by the Ace Hardware, between Shattuck and Walnut). John will perform solo acoustic versions of a wide variety of American music: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Clarence Ashley, Geeshie Wiley, Frank Hutchison, and more. In the second set, I will present selections of the music of El Cerrito: -more-