The Terrorist

A bloody battle rages in a setting of extraordinary beauty. A hardened, tight-knit guerrilla unit—almost entirely made up of teenagers—executes one of its own for informing. Children earnestly learn to use automatic weapons, and talk of laying down their lives for “the struggle.” A luminous young woman—an assassin—straps a belt of plastic explosives under her beautiful white gown, as if she were the bride of death. This isn’t the Middle East, however—it’s Sri Lanka, where a Civil War raged for almost 40 years.

The Terrorist, a shattering film from Indian director Santosh Sivan, screening tonight (Thursday) through Saturday at Time & Space Limited, probably never would have made it to these shores if it weren’t for John Malkovich. In November 1998, he presided over the jury at the Cairo International Film Festival, and thus discovered the film. Malkovich found it mesmerizing: “. . . a small masterpiece of economy, grace, and precision,” he wrote in The New York Times. Coming off a series of particularly miserable experiences with the Hollywood filmmaking machine, Malkovich found the film’s visual beauty and dramatic power refreshing—especially since it was filmed in just 16 days, with no lighting, by a skeleton crew led by Sivan (who served as his own cinematographer). Malkovich then lent both his name and financial backing to secure an American release for the film.

Using nonactors, Sivan obtained extraordinary performances from the entire cast, including the lead. As the would-be suicide bomber, Ayesha Dhakar gives what Malkovich aptly describes as “an absolutely hypnotic performance.”

The Terrorist will be shown tonight (Thursday, Sept. 26) through Saturday (Sept. 28) at Time & Space Limited (434 Columbia St., Hudson); showtime is 7 PM. $7, $5 members. Call 822-8448 for details, or visit www.timeandspace.org.

From the Top

Want to be horrified that your kids haven’t lived up to their potential? Or, if you haven’t produced offspring, would you like to be reminded of your own youthful lack of achievement? Then, by all means get yourself over to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall tomorrow night (Friday) for From the Top. This public radio program showcases some of the most gifted and hardworking young classical musicians in America. If you’ve heard the program—and if you haven’t, you should listen to WMHT-FM (89.1) every Saturday at 2 PM or Sunday at 3 PM—you are already familiar with these enormously talented youngsters. These kids play Mendelssohn and Brahms as if they had already made it through decades of practice, when, in reality, many have barely reached puberty.

From the Top is hosted, 52 weeks a year, by Christopher O’Riley. An accomplished concert pianist in his own right, O’Reilly has a gift for communicating with these prodigies, who range in age from 9 to 18. He cajoles them into talking entertainingly about their musical (and nonmusical) pursuits—though, it must be said, some of the more precocious youngsters don’t require much prompting.

From the Top will be presented tomorrow night (Friday, Sept. 27) at 8 PM, at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (State and Second streets, Troy). $27, $24. Call 273-0038 for reservations and information.

SHOW OFF: Directors Select From Their Museum Collections

Museums and galleries often boast about their collections. Starting Monday, the Albany International Airport Gallery will have earned the right to boast about other museums’ collections. SHOW OFF: Directors Select From Their Museum Collections will feature pieces from 55 area museums, historical societies and historical sites, selected by their directors to “give visitors to the Albany International Airport an enticing glimpse of museum collections through a wide range of objects, artworks, ephemera and oddities, reminiscent of the Smithsonian Institute’s eclectic exhibitions,” according to the Rev. Michael A. Farano, Chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority. Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery co-curator Charles Stainbeck says, “Museums by definition are about their collections—those objects and artifacts that most often define their mission. Most museums contain hundreds of objects that for any number of reasons are rarely, if ever seen.” The Albany International Airport Gallery is looking to change that with this exhibit.

SHOW OFF follows two Airport gallery exhibitions that featured intriguing amateur collections from residents of the Capital Region; now the museum and gallery professionals have their chance to show off. Among the objects in the exhibit will be “Study for Black Sun” (pictured), a sculpture by Isamu Noguchi, provided by the Empire State Plaza Art Collection; a Revolutionary War canteen from Fort Ticonderoga; a photographic and sound installation based on Christina Kubisch’s Clocktower Project from MASS MoCA; and an engraved walking stick given by Andrew Jackson to Martin Van Buren, from the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. Some of the other establishments represented are the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, the 1932 & 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, the World Awareness Children’s Museum, the Iroquois Indian Museum and the New York State Museum.

SHOW OFF: Directors Select From Their Museum Collections opens on Monday (Sept. 30) at the Albany International Airport Museum (737 Albany Shaker Road, Colonie) and runs through Feb. 16. There will be a reception on Oct. 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. For more information, call 242-2241 or visit www.albanyairport.com.