arts

The University of Panama’s Cine Universitario is presenting a series of anti-racist American films at the end of April and beginning of May.

The first movie, which will have come and gone by the time that you read this, was Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled,” a dramatic comedy about a TV producer who designs an offensively racist program as an educational spoof, which turns out to be a big hit among people who take it seriously. The film features Damon Wayans, Jada Pinkett, Savion Glover, Tommy Davidson, Matthew Modine, Mira Sorvino and Coati Mundi.

Showing April 26, 27 and 28 is “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” a multiple Emmy-winning made-for-television movie about the prejudice that black actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge faced in Hollywood during the 40s and 50s. It’s directed by Halle Berry and features Halle Berry, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Brent Spiner, Loretta Devine, William Atherton, Cynda Williams and Tamara Taylor.

On April 30 and May 1 they’re showing “Alamo Bay,” an historical drama about the problems that Vietnamese refugee shrimpers faced with a Texas faction of the Ku Klux Klan. The 1985 film is directed by Louis Malle and features Ho Nguyen, Truyer V. Hart, Amy Madigan, Ed Harris, Donald Moffat and Rudy Young.

The series closes out of May 2, 3 and 4 with “American History X,” a 1998 drama about a young neo-Nazi skinhead leader’s desire to leave both prison and the racist movement behind. It’s directed by Tony Kaye and stars Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Elliott Gould, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Avery Brooks, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee and Fairuza Balk.

All of these films show at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. at the Cine Universitario on the University of Panama’s main campus and are open to the general public. Admission is $2, or $1 for students with ID.

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