Microcinema: Films by Khwaja Hamzah Saif, Paul Bishow, and Jeff Krulik, with selected shorts from various sources / music by Sad Veiled Bride

Film program at Rhizome DC on Thursday, July 2, 2026, presents a curated selection of films by Khwaja Hamzah Saif, Paul Bishow, and Jeff Krulik, along with archival shorts from various sources, accompanied by live protest songs from Sad Veiled Bride between films. The evening opens with vintage footage of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, moves through a Civil Rights era demonstration film from the National Archives, and continues with Hamzah Saif's personal documentary about Lorton Reformatory's legacy, Paul Bishow's short experimental work, and Jeff Krulik's feature-length story of a Jewish American GI who brought home Hitler's hat after the liberation of Dachau.

When: Thursday, July 2, 2026.

Showtimes: Screening begins at 7:00 PM and runs until 10:00 PM, with Sad Veiled Bride performing protest songs between films.

Tickets: $10–20; available at the door or online via the Rhizome DC ticket link.

Lineup: "Treasure Island on San Francisco Bay 1939" (10 minutes) – archival footage of the Golden Gate International Exposition held at Treasure Island in 1939. "Civil Rights Demonstration for Fair Employment and Housing Legislation" (12 minutes) – unedited film from the National Archives showing a Congress of Racial Equality demonstration in Washington, DC, two days after the assassination of Medgar Evers. "Guess Where You're Going" by Khwaja Hamzah Saif (14 minutes 56 seconds) – a collage of archival and original footage following muralist Herberth Romero, who wins a solo exhibition at the Workhouse Arts Center, formerly the Lorton Reformatory where his father began a life sentence; the film explores the discomforts of preserving memory. "The House That Dripped Blood" by Paul Bishow (5 minutes) – a short experimental film. "Hitler's Hat" by Jeff Krulik (47 minutes) – the story of Jewish American GI Richard Marowitz of the 42nd Rainbow Division, who participated in the liberation of Dachau on April 29, 1945; the next day he found Adolf Hitler's ceremonial top hat in a Munich apartment, stomped on it, and brought it home as a war souvenir, where it remained buried in his Albany, NY basement for 50 years until he brought it to a Rainbow Division reunion.

Run time: Total film duration approximately 88 minutes, with additional time for intermissions and the musical performance.

Ages: Not specified; likely all ages, but parental discretion advised due to historical content.

Venue: Rhizome DC.

Note: Special guest Sad Veiled Bride, the musical project of Bev Stanton, performs protest songs between the films. Stanton has won over a dozen Washington Area Music Awards in the Electronica category, and her music has appeared on Discovery Channel, VH1, MTV, and other cable networks. Filmmaker Khwaja Hamzah Saif is a filmmaker finding humor on both sides of empire. Paul Bishow is an experimental and documentary filmmaker, co-founder of the I AM EYE Film Forum, and a motion picture projectionist who worked at the Biograph theater and the Smithsonian's IMAX Theater; his credits include "Punk the Capital" and numerous short films. Jeff Krulik is a Washington DC-based director/producer whose work has screened at MoMA, Lincoln Center, AFI, and PBS; he is known for "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," the Emmy Award-winning "Eatin' Crabs," and many other documentaries.