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Mel Gibson's film The Passion of The Christ -- which seeks to portray the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life -- has prompted awkward Vatican denials that Pope John Paul II warmly endorsed the movie after a private viewing. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, one of the giants of the genre, takes an optimistic perspective on NASA's current Mars mission and President Bush's vision for future space exploration. The author of classics such as The Martian Chronicles speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Journalist Richard Pollak's latest book, The Colombo Bay, tells the story of his five-week journey from Hong Kong to New York aboard a container ship. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and Pollak.

The U.S. film industry reports a solid year at the box office, but most of the big money is tied to a few major successes, led by the Disney animated film Finding Nemo. Overall ticket sales are down a bit from 2002. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with Los Angeles Times movie critic Kenneth Turan.

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City, Utah. In the past few years, Sundance has become associated with Hollywood sightings, glamorous parties and celebrity skiing. This year, festival organizers are trying to take the event back to its independent roots by featuring more films from unknown directors. David D'Arcy reports.

Josh Roseman is a young trombonist who appreciates music with a groove. His band, the Josh Roseman Unit, has a new CD called Treats for the Nightwalker that blends styles of jazz, from funk to progressive. Music critic Jim Fusilli has a review.

The Dreamers, the latest film from director Bernardo Bertolucci, explores sex and youth against the backdrop of the 1968 student riots in Paris. Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan has a review of the sexually explicit film, which earned a rare NC-17 rating.

In 1928, violinist Louis Kaufman became the first person to buy a painting by Milton Avery. A year later, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., became the first museum to acquire a work by Avery. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on a new exhibit at the Phillips that celebrates the long friendship between the two artists. See paintings and photos from the show.

The Return, a new Russian-language film, tells the story of two brothers whose prodigal father returns unexpectedly after more than a decade. The intense family drama marks the feature-directing debut of 40-year-old former actor Andrei Zvyagintsev. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

Sam Miltich is an 18-year-old who lives in the Minnesota woods and plays jazz guitar in the style of Django Reinhardt. He practiced for nine hours a day to become good enough to play in Amsterdam with one of Europe's hottest swing guitar groups -- and also at Lincoln Center. Chris Julin of Minnesota Public Radio reports.