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Mel Gibson's much-anticipated biblical drama The Passion of the Christ arrives in theaters. The film's release, on Ash Wednesday, follows months of controversy over its depiction of the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to New York Times entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell about this year's nominees for the American Spirit Awards, which showcase independent films. This year's nominees include House of Sand and Fog, In America, The Fog of War and Pieces of April. Mitchell says the American Spirit Awards have a long track record of celebrating exceptional films overlooked by the major studios.

In Washington, D.C., a film depicting the struggles of Afghan women under Taliban rule has picked up some heavy endorsements -- from President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Golden Globe-winning Osama has become the can't-miss film among government workers in the nation's capital. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

Last year, Donald Rumsfeld's pronouncements from Pentagon briefings and media interviews were arranged into poems. Now those poems have been set to music. No, the defense secretary doesn't sing. That job falls to a soprano. Hear selections from The Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld and read the lyrics.

The new documentary Imelda examines the life of Imelda Marcos, the ousted first lady of the Philippines. Filmmaker Ramona Diaz says Imelda Marcos' life and 20-year rule with her husband, the late Ferdinand Marcos, reflect their country's dramatic political history. Diaz talks with NPR's Bob Edwards.

Alan Cheuse reviews Loving Che by Ana Menendez, a novel about paternity, citizenship, and identity told from the perspective of a young Cuban-American woman seeking to learn the truth behind her family history.

The Library of Congress unites the legendary folklorist's recordings of world cultures with the documentaries he and his father made of the American South. NPR's Felix Contreras reports.

The 2003 film Shattered Glass explores the story of Stephen Glass, a journalist caught fabricating stories for The New Republic. Director Billy Ray drew inspiration from another cinematic exploration of journalism ethics: All the President's Men. It's the latest story in Intersections, a series on artists and their inspirations. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

Director Wolfgang Becker's Goodbye, Lenin, follows the efforts of a young man who transforms his family's apartment into a time capsule on doctor's orders. The transformation is meant to shield his socialist mother, recently recovered from a coma, from traumatic events -- like realizing the Berlin Wall has fallen. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review; NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Becker.

Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ features two languages that haven't been used in common speech for centuries -- Latin and the even less familiar Aramaic. NPR's Renee Montagne talks to Joseph Amar, a professor of Semitic languages at the University of Notre Dame, about the ancient Middle Eastern language. Hear the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic.