MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
WATCH: The AFI Silver Cultural Theatre’s annual European Union Film Showcase gives viewers a glimpse into the multifaceted world of European filmmaking. The festival runs until Dec. 20. and features more than 50 films from each of the 28 European Union member states. Tonight, watch a special presentation of the Oscar-nominated Danish drama, A War. Most American movies about the war in Afghanistan focus on the trials and tribulations of our own troops, a big reason why this film, about a Danish commander who makes a grave, life-altering decision while under enemy fire that impacts his troops and family back home, is especially gripping. $12-$14, 7 PM.
DRINK: Head over to ChurchKey for the bar’s annual Holiday Total Tap Takeover, which gets into the giving spirit of the season by also acting as a canned food drive for Martha’s Table, the 14th street mainstay that’s been providing food and clothing to DC’s low-income families for more than 30 years. Bring in a canned good or make a cash donation to receive a free, four-ounce taster of one of the holiday beers on draft or cask. There will be 35 different beers from all over the world to try, ranging from winter ales to “cold-weather craft rarities sourced from Canada, Norway, France, Belgium, England, Germany and Denmark.” 4PM.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15
EAT: Given the current climate of the world, Ankara Restaurant’s annual Mediterranean Holiday Night, a benefit for Refugees International, is arguably even more important and relevant than ever before. Enjoy an open buffet of the restaurant’s traditional Mediterranean cuisine plus one complimentary drink, enter a raffle to win wines from Turkey, Italy and Macedonia, and feel good about the fact that all proceeds from the night will benefit the organization’s refugee relief efforts. $25, 6:30 PM.
CAROLING: District Karaoke’s Caroling Pub Crawl gives you the chance put all those holiday songs you’ve memorized to good use while making the 14th street corridor bars a little more merry. The night starts at Policy but ends south at Black Jack, with caroling for a little bit outside each of the bars and then properly toasting the holiday season inside. 7 PM.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16
DISCUSSION: Many of America’s worst habits were left behind (or were on their way to being left behind) in the 19th century. The fact that former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, vice president to Thomas Jefferson, could actually engage in a duel that would kill one of America’s Founding Fathers certainly highlights this fact. Learn more about one of the country’s earliest beefs at the Smithsonian Institute’s discussion, “Hamilton and Burr: The Duel That Stunned the Nation“ in the National Museum of Natural History Baird Auditorium. Author John Sedgwick will discuss his book War of Two, delving into Burr and Hamilton’s well-established rivalry and pinpoint the final straw that led the men to a duel which would subsequently ruin both of their lives. $35, 6:45.
MUSIC: At its inception, San Fermin was a way for composer and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone to work on what he studied at Yale University. Four years, two albums, sold out shows and seven other bandmates later, the theatrical, impassioned and incredibly skilled sound of the baroque pop band has exceeded Ludwig-Leone’s expectations. Catch them at the 9:30 Club tonight. $20, 7 PM.
