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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.

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.

Legendary actor Omar Sharif is returning to prominence after years of relative obscurity. The 72-year-old Egyptian actor has two new movies out, Monsieur Ibrahim and Hidalgo. He says he almost retired after years of being offered caricatured roles of Arabs. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and Sharif.

The Passion of the Christ opens Wednesday in 2,800 theaters. Mel Gibson's interpretation of the final 12 hours of Jesus' life has already generated much talk, anticipation and controversy. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

The notorious Rio de Janeiro slum known as "The City of God," is a place most self-respecting Brazilians would prefer to avoid. But it is now the subject of a film that focuses on drug-dealing. It has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including best director. For the film, co-director Katia Lund recruited a number of young men from the slum and trained them as actors. NPR's Martin Kaste reports.

Nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, Balseros chronicles the tale of Cubans who tried to escape to the United States on rafts in 1994. Filmed over the course of a decade, the movie uses Cuban TV footage to help tell the stories of seven balseros who made it to the United States -- and of their families in Cuba. David D'Arcy reports.

In the 1970s, John Gardner was at the center of American literature, shaping the debate on what a novel should be. Gardner also had several best sellers, including Grendel, The Sunlight Dialogues and a book of literary criticism, On Moral Fiction. Barry Silesky has written John Gardner: The Life and Death of a Literary Outlaw the first full biography of the iconoclastic writer. Tom Vitale reports.

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.

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.

An ambitious 11-part requiem dedicated to the memory of Mr. Rogers has its premiere in Pittsburgh, where Fred Rogers lived for many years. The 21-year-old composer Luke Mayernik created the piece to honor Rogers, who died one year ago. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Mayernik.