Tonight's Top Stop: Opus Dei Film Screening

Map It:  Metro Center

MARCELA SAID'S documentary, "Opus Dei: A Silent Crusade," premieres at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Wednesday, feeding off the interest in Opus Dei raised by "The Da Vinci Code," which also premieres this week. As part of the "Chile on Film" series at NMWA, the film is in Spanish with English subtitles and will be screened by Said herself from 7-8 p.m.

Founded in 1928 by Father Josemaria Escriva, Opus Dei is both influential and controversial. The group is an international prelature of the Roman Catholic Church and has approximately 87,000 followers worldwide, but has been criticized for its followers' unconventional practices, which include physically punishing themselves to atone for sin. However, viewers coming to see 7-foot albinos and the tortuous practices of Opus Dei depicted in "The Da Vinci Code" will instead find a documentary that focuses on the group's influence in Chile, where it has a strong following among powerful politicians and businessmen.

Said focuses on the group's alleged ties to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco and Chile's Augusto Pinochet to depict a more horrifying transgression than Dan Brown could have ever imagined -- support of right-wing regimes in Latin America that threaten democratic -- and Christian -- values. There's no Tom Hanks or Audrey Tautou, but those looking for a more serious representation of Opus Dei will find the documentary informative, if nothing else.

» National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW; 7 p.m., $5; 202-783-7370. (Metro Center)
» MORE OF TODAY'S TOP STOPS can be found here.

This post was written by Express contributor Vanessa Joyce.