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Evangelical protestant Gospel music is surprisingly popular in traditionally Catholic France. Winning converts and inspiring new trends, it's a hit both in churches and in stores. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

Carandiru, the new fiction film by Hector Babenco, who directed Kiss of the Spider Woman, is based on a true story of life in a notorious Brazilian prison. In 1992, conditions there spawned a riot in which over 100 inmates were killed. Minnesota Public Radio's Euen Kerr reports.

best known as the screenwriter for 1985's My Beautiful Laundrette and 1987's Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. He's written a script for a new film -- The Mother -- and has a new novel out called The Body. Both mark a departure from his socio-political stories about being a person of color in England. Now the subject of aging takes center stage. Frank Browning reports.

Music critic Chris Nickson has a review of the new "best-of" collection from the Ukranians. The band is best known for its quirky covers -- many of which are on Istoriya: The Best Of The Ukrainians. Nickson says their more traditional songs are worth hearing, as well.

The Return of the King, the final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, wins all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated, including best picture and best director. Best acting honors go to Charlize Theron for her transformation into a serial killer in Monster, and Sean Penn for his performance as the troubled father of a murdered child in Mystic River. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne.

T.C. Boyle is the author of 15 books, including Drop City, nominated for a National Book Award last year. Boyle's fiction is known for its wit, biting satire, historical sweep and verbal pyrotechnics. For Intersections, a Morning Edition series on artists and their influences, Boyle says his literary reputation owes much to rock 'n' roll.

What began as a modest effort to ease racial tension in rural Kentucky coal country produced an unexpected musical result: Hick-hop is a compelling mix of uniquely American musical genres: bluegrass and rap. NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

Before there was "the Passion," there was "the Life" -- The Life of Brian. The Monty Python classic is being re-released on its 25th anniversary; its producers say the film offers an alternative to Mel Gibson's epic. The Passion of the Christ phenomenon is also being poked fun at by the TV series South Park. David D'Arcy reports.

The new jazz opera Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant chronicles the unionization of the Ford Motor Company. The story centers on the questionable 1937 death of union organizer and Methodist minister Lewis Bradford, a distant relative of the opera's composer, Steve Jones. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with Jones.

Bruce Edwards, the longtime caddie of former Masters champion Tom Watson, died Thursday following a year-long battle against Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 49. Edwards helped make caddies an indispensable part of professional golf. His life is chronicled in the new book Caddy for Life. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with author John Feinstein.