Who says the weekdays have to be boring? If you find yourself stricken with an incurable case of the Mondays following an overnight (and overdue) dusting of snow, take heart, for the days ahead brim with the promise of brighter skies and plenty of entertainment. Science, cinema, song and spoken word dominate the inventory of free events around town. Keep reading to find the five best ways to have a blast and save some cash in Denver this week.


Young People in Recovery Film Screening: Beautiful Boy
Tuesday, February 19, 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Sloan's Lake
Eschewing the sensationalized cliches of recovery narratives in favor of commitment to the authenticity of one family's true story, Beautiful Boy is a profoundly resonant viewing experience for struggling addicts and their loved ones alike. Amazon Studios, which produced and distributed the movie, is collaborating with various Young People in Recovery communities in over twenty cities for free screenings of the 2018 film. The presentation also includes a pre-recorded Q&A session with Nick and David Sheff, author of the memoir that inspired the film. Visit Young People in Recovery's Facebook events page to find out more.


HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes Premiere
Wednesday, February 20, 7 p.m.
Fiske Planetarium
A man stands encased in a glass tank, situated in the teeming center of New York’s Times Square, and tunes a guitar as the tank slowly fills water and eventually transforms into something like a human aquarium. That's just one of many striking images in Lars Jan's HOLOSCENES, a public art installation and experimental film that undergirds its absurdist spectacle with an urgent call to action on climate change. Jan began the project in 2014, and it takes full shape this week at University of Colorado's Fiske Planetarium, where HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes will star on the Science on a Sphere display system, a globe-shaped screen created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to visualize worldwide phenomena. Discover further details on Fiske Planetarium's events calendar.


Holocaust Awareness Week Keynote Address from Survivor Irving Roth
Wednesday, February 20, 7 p.m.
Lory Student Center, Colorado State University
In an era of rising anti-Semitic rhetoric and hate crimes, it's more important than ever to remember the tragic consequences of empowered bigotry. Colorado State University offers a solemn reminder with Holocaust Awareness Week, which includes a screening of Louis Malle’s Au Revoir, Les Enfants on Tuesday, February 19, and a keynote speech from survivor Irving Roth on Wednesday, February 20. Join the ninety-year-old director of the Holocaust Resource Center for a harrowing recount of his experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, and learn how the lessons of history apply to the struggles of today. Visit CSU's Holocaust Awareness Week events calendar to learn more.