Both in person and virtually, the Smithsonian is celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity with the Mother Tongue Film Festival. Now in its tenth iteration, the festival is highlighting the crucial role languages play in our daily lives with 10 days of programming.
The feature-length film screenings and short film screenings run in person in D.C. Feb. 20-23 and virtually from Feb. 25 through March 1.
Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.
“One thing we try to do with Mother Tongue is dissolve those borders and talk more about traditions and cultures and respect the diversity that exists in within different nation states,” said Amalia Cordova, supervisor and museum curator of world cultures at the Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage.
One of the films featured this year is “Dahomey,” which is about 26 royal treasures that were exhibited in Paris and later returned to Benin.
With this film, which released in 2024, it’s about “complex ethical issues about how museums address legacies of colonialism through restitution,” said Joshua Bell, curator of globalization and chair of the anthropology department at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
The festival started small, first envisioned by Bell and launched in 2016, with the mission to create a non-genre-specific film festival that celebrated diverse storytelling — and also “to recognize our shared humanity and just the power of language.”
Now, with the ability to showcase the films virtually, Cordova said it allows international audiences to join in on the experience that in the early years was inaccessible to those not located within the D.C. area.
Find the 2025 program and a venue map on the Smithsonian’s website.
Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area.
DC
“Stand By for Failure”
Rhizome D.C. in Takoma is screening a documentary about Negativland, an experimental music band, that became pioneers of art in the electronic age. Following the documentary is a virtual Q&A with the director. Tickets for the event on Friday, Jan. 24 cost at least $10.
Gimme Gimme Disco
Love all things ABBA? On Saturday, Jan. 25, the 9:30 Club is hosting a DJ-based dance party with your favorite ABBA tracks and other hits from the ’70s and ’80s. The event costs $35.
“The Hungry Ghost Bread Book” discussion
Enjoy a discussion on baking bread with author Jonathan Stevens and Jonathan Bethony, owner of D.C.-based bakery Seylou. Tickets to the event at Bold Fork Books cost $30, which includes a signed copy of Stevens’ book, “The Hungry Ghost Bread Book.” The event is on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Maryland
“Love Is Blind” S7 Ladies Night
This pajama-and-piano party at Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar features four of the ladies from season seven of the TV show, “Love is Blind.” Tickets to this event in National Harbor, Maryland, include a meet and greet, photo opportunities and a Q&A session. Tickets for the event on Thursday, Jan. 23 cost $20.
D.C. Transit Day
The National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Maryland, is commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the last day of citywide streetcar service in the nation’s capital on Saturday, Jan. 25. The event includes displays by D.C. Streetcar, Metro and the Maryland Purple Line, plus videos and rides on D.C. Transit 1101. Tickets for adults cost approximately $13, while children and seniors can sign up for approximately $11.
Stokley
On Saturday, Jan. 25, Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Stokley is coming to Bethesda Theater in Bethesda, Maryland. He has worked with celebrities including Prince, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, and is best known for his work as the lead singer of R&B group Mint Condition. Tickets to this event cost approximately $89.
Virginia
“Native Gardens” performance
The Next Stop Theatre Company in Herndon, Virginia, is presenting a new comedy show by Karen Zacarias called “Native Gardens.” The story focuses on a couple who hope to fulfill their homeownership dreams before undergoing an “all-out war of entitlement and generational division.” The performance runs from Jan. 23 through Feb. 16, with tickets that cost approximately $45.
“Perfume in Exile” exhibition opening
In Arlington, Virginia, this new group art exhibition at Friends Artspace showcases nine artists and design studios from Southwest Asia and North Africa. The mediums range from ceramic, glass, textile and plaster with a focus throughout that considers “the residues of place — both real and imagined — that persist through objects.” The exhibition runs from Jan. 25 through April 26.
Lunar New Year Celebration
The ALX Community atrium building in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is hosting a free, public Lunar New Year celebration with lion dances and other cultural performances, plus a market, community exhibit and other family-friendly activities. The event is on Saturday, Jan. 25.
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