Arts & Events

In the ten years since Bend it Like Beckham first lit up the screen, a major soccer movie has managed to make it to US theaters about once every three years. In 2005, it was Goal: The Dream Begins. In 2009, it was Rudo y Cursi (with Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna). And now, soccer-loving cineastes can look forward to Hermano, a fast-paced, dust-kicking box-office hit from Venezuela, directed by Marcel Rasquin.

Hermano (originally released in 2010) won numerous international film awards (including the Moscow, Naples and Havana Film Festivals) on its way to an Academy Awards nomination as Best Foreign Film for 2011.

The story line of Hermano parallels the tale in Rudo y Cursi — two competitive brothers vie for commercial stardom on a national team and encounter challenges, disappointments and gang violence along the way. But where Rudo y Cursi had comic moments and musical interludes (when one brother tries to use his soccer stardom as a springboard for a musical career), Hermano has the kind of grit associated with a documentary. It's got the rivalry, it's got the gangs, and it's got more soccer battles than a Jackie Chan movie has kung fu fights. -more-

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I'm quite certain that most of you are well aware that the month of August is commonly referred to as "dog days." Romans referred to dog days as "dies caniculares"; the name coming from the ancient belief that Sirus, also called the "Dog Star", was responsible for the hot, sultry period of summer stagnation. Happily, we in the bay area are blessed with delightfully cool weather. O.k, enough of my lecture—let's get down to the interesting, entertaining and FREE performances lined up this month. -more-

"You're dumping me for the ERA and your wife?" -more-