AT THE MOVIES. At first glance, directors Karin Albou and Melvin Van Peebles might seem to have little in common, but both auteurs share a French connection and both have films playing in New York over the coming days (which is, frankly, the only reason I am matching them up in a single blog entry).

Today at 3:00 and 8:30 pm Albou's La Petite Jérusalem debuts as part of the 2006 NY Jewish Film Festival at the Walter Reade Theater. The movie examines a family of Orthodox Jews living modestly in the eponymous community situated on the outskirts of Paris. The mother is a superstitious immigrant from a North African background; one daughter is floundering in a troubled marriage; the other daughter is seemingly possessed by her attraction to a secular world of Kantian philosophy and interethnic romance. Overall I was fascinated by Albou's handling of the story elements, which reminded me of Isaac Bashevis Singer tales. A third screening will take place on Saturday, January 21 at 7:00 pm.

While the Jewish Film Festival runs at Lincoln Center, the Film Forum plays host to a kind of Melvin Van Peebles festival. Van Peebles, a provocative pioneer of (in-your-face) African-American filmmaking, is best known for his still-unsettling outlaw drama Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), but what made me an admirer was the recent revival of his Broadway musical Ain't Gonna Die a Natural Death as well as his son Mario's docudrama Baadasssss! (2003).

The Film Forum's schedule for the week-long festival is unusual, pairing a new documentary about Van Peebles How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) with Sweet Sweetback Friday through Saturday, Baadasssss! on Monday, Watermelon Man (1970) on Tuesday, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967) on Wednesday, and Bellyful/Le Conte du ventre plein (2000) on Thursday. A series highlight should be the Friday 7:30 pm appearances of Van Peebles with filmmaker Joe Angio and producer Michael Solomon, for which I'd suggest ordering tickets in advance.

The current Village Voice includes a Van Peebles profile and a review of the documentary.