The Bermuda National Gallery Film Series deals with the controversial and taboo practice of female genital mutilation with a screening of Warrior Marks , next week at Hamilton City Hall gallery.

The film -- praised as "powerful; affecting; poetic and political'' -- was later chronicled in the book "Warrior Marks'', by Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar and published by Harcourt Bruce & Company of New York. The book tells of Ms Parmar and Walker's experiences in making the 1993 groundbreaking work.

Alice Walker is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of "The Color Purple'', and "Possessing the Secret of Joy''.

Pratibha Parmar is an award-winning independent filmmaker whose body of work includes the acclaimed "A Place of Rage'', and "Sari Red''.

Female mutilation affects 100 million of the world's women and this remarkable documentary unlocks some of the cultural and political complexities surrounding this issue, including interviews with women from Senegal, Gambia, Burkino Faso, the US and England.

The screening is sponsored by Amnesty International and will be introduced with a lecture by LeYoni Junos, director of the local branch of Amnesty International.

Next Tuesday's screening will get underway at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6.15 p.m.

Tickets are $4 for Bermuda National Gallery members and $6 for non-members.

295-9428.

*** The Ministry of Cultural and Community Affairs and the Bermuda Academy of Music join forces this week to present a Bermuda Festival Fringe Concert -- Elca in Concert .

Soprano, Elca Maranzana will be accompanied by Graham Garton and Gaynor Gallant will perform on the oboe.

Friday's free performance will take place at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hamilton at 7 p.m.

*** The Salvation Army, White Hill Home League invite all to a Tea Party and Fashion Show this weekend.

Saturday's show will take place at the St. James Church hall from 3 to 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and are available from members or contact Lieutenants Kellman at 234-0623.

*** The new Burnaby Gallery will launch an exhibition featuring artist Henry Ward this week.

The exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday and will be on display until February 19.

The gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 292-8614.

*** The Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard kicks off its Drawings exhibition this weekend.

The show will feature life drawings, still life, seascape landscape and abstract drawings in charcoal, crayon, pencil, pen, pastel, ink and tread.

The exhibition runs from January 23 to March 3.

Collaboration: Alice Walker (top left) and Pratibha Parmar broke the silence on female genital mutilation with the film "Warrior Marks''. The National Gallery's film series screens the 1993 film next week.