Several teachers and parents from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts gathered Saturday afternoon to screen short films made by students. The shorts ranged from typical high-school melodrama to bite-size displays of genius. My favorite was Paranoia, Alex Halbert's strangely funny examination of the thoughts that enter his head late at night (search for it on YouTube). The films were followed by a Q&A with the student filmmakers, but they quickly turned the discussion into a makeshift memorial service for Booker T. music student James Dante Kings, who died last week in Austin on a school field trip. The moment was unexpected and heartbreaking.

The story of Joy Division (above), the seminal post-punk band that became New Order after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis, would definitely keep an audience interested if it were presented in the standard VH1 format. The downfall of Curtis is compelling, no doubt. But the makers of new documentary Joy Division didn't just throw together bits of hearsay, still photos and music clips. Using rare footage and long interviews with surviving members, they focus on how the band's amazing musical innovation was a response to the oppressive industrialization of its hometown (Manchester, England). Fascinating stuff, even for folks who don't like the band's tunes as much as they should. Hunter Hauk