Indies & Arties: Fantastic Voyage

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A Visit From Uncle Walt
If you'd scripted it into a movie — even a Disney movie — no one would buy it. But it's true: In 1941, the Roosevelt administration tapped Uncle Walt himself to take some artists and other Disney talent on a goodwill tour of South America. "Walt and El Grupo," opening on Friday at E Street Cinema, is the documentary evidence of that journey.
» E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; opens Fri., Oct. 2; 202-452-7672. (Metro Center)

The Custom of Elegance
One of German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger's most praised works, "The Korean Wedding Chest," screens at the National Gallery of Art on Sunday. Ottinger's coolly surrealist style lends itself to the regal pacing of the ritual, respecting while revealing its secrets.
» National Gallery of Art, 400 Constitution Ave. NW; Sun., Oct. 4 4:30 p.m., free; 202-842-6799. (Archives-Navy Memorial)

Fantastic Voyage
The Hirshhorn's Black Box exhibit of Guido van der Werve's strange, beautiful, often very funny short works is in its final weeks. The Dutch artist uses film as his medium and the human condition as a kind of cosmic joke book, in which hope and perseverance trump despair and fragility despite everything.
» Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 700 Independence Ave. SW; through Oct. 11, free; 202-633-1000. (L'Enfant Plaza)

Photo courtesy Disney