The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

ART
Where Cigarette Machines Go to Die

We've all been to the Chambers Hotel and gawked at the fabulous (or at least fabulously expensive) art lining its halls. But Ralph Burnet's chic lodgings have another amenity that makes fine art a bit more accessible (or maybe that's acquirable): the Art-o-Mat, described as "the world's smallest self-contained art gallery." Invented by Clark Whittington, these converted cigarette machines dispense original works of art for a five-dollar token. After a couple of $12 Bombay To Tokyos at the Chambers' bar, that kind of investment is a no-brainer. Tonight, join Whittington and local artists as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of this clever machine -- and find out how you, too, can become part of the Art-o-Mat stable. --Julia Caniglia

5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Chambers Hotel, 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-767-6900.

FILM
Groundbreaking Film Exposes Mexican Maquiladoras

If you don't yet know what a maquiladora is, it's time to educate yourself. And if you do, well then, this is your opportunity to further that knowledge. This evening, the Labor & Community Film Series presents the acclaimed documentary Maquilápolis, a film about Tijuana's maquiladoras, multinationally-owned factories attracted by Mexico's cheap labor and tax incentives. In an intimate and empowering new style, filmmakers Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre bring together Tijuana factory workers and community organizers "to tell the story of globalization through the eyes and voices of the workers themselves -- overwhelmingly women -- who have borne the costs but reaped few of the benefits." We're not just talking on-camera testimonials and the usual talking heads. I said "new" -- and what I refer to here is the current trend of putting cameras into the hands of the subjects. This is the video logging era, folks, and filmmakers world-round are adapting to this in all sorts of manners. Covering a very real and provocative topic, Funari and De La Torre did some very smart edgy thinking to overcome one of the biggest obstacles in any kind of cultural or anthropological discourse -- the scientist, the recorder -- in this case, the person behind the camera. Two of the women actually created their own video diaries, chronicling their struggles. And the result is a ground-breaking film that embraces subjectivity rather than trying to deny it.

7 p.m., Waite House Community Center, 2529 13th Ave. S., Minneapolis; free.

Massive Misinterpretations

Does the Bible really condemn homosexuality? Is homosexuality wrong? Have you still not really made up your mind on this subject? Then you, my friend, are one of the "moveable middle" -- the audience that producer/director Daniel Karslake has said he hopes to reach with his new documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So. The thesis of this flick is simple: that the conservative Christian community's anti-gay sentiments are based on a massive misinterpretation of scripture. Tonight the Lagoon Cinema will host an HRC-sponsored panel discussion after their 7:30 screening. "Moveable"? Come and be swayed one way or the other. Mind made up already? Take part in the (certainly heated) debate. --Danielle Kurtzleben

7:30, Lagoon Cinema, 1320 Lagoon Ave., Minneapolis; 612-825-6006; $8.25.

Cinema Lounge

For those of us who have already started having family holiday-induced panic attacks, why is it that Halloween proves nothing more than a sweet distraction from our impending emotional crises? Seek preemptive relief at IFP's Cinema Lounge, where a trio of devilish shorts and an indie trailer will ease the onset of your Turkey Day flashbacks with werewolves, giant pumpkins, and a docu-style rehash of the infamous pirates vs. zombies pubcrawl dance-off of 2006. The films are free, so pony up for another round of Octoberfest to really savor the moment. There are scant days left till the commercial world unleashes their red and green assault. Revel in the fake blood and rotting flesh while you still can. --Danielle Cabot

7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; free.

BOOKS & AUTHORS
A Portrait of Segregation

Join best-selling author Edward P. Jones this afternoon as he discusses his latest collection of short stories, All Aunt Hagar's Children. Bringing back some of the characters from his previous collection, Lost in The City, Jones paints a diverse and detailed portrait of Washington D.C.'s segregated neighborhoods through present day. "Through his stories we meet people struggling with the complex legacy of slavery, the challenges and disappointments of the urban promise, and the inter-racial class prejudice in the black community." And we're not just talking your typical fare; the cast of characters includes government workers, churchgoers, dishwashers, doctors, murderers, and even whores.

2 p.m., University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-626-0559; free.