Comedy and Politics At Silverdocs Festival

· "Bob Smith -- USA," Neil Abramson's visit with seven of the 81,000 people named Bob Smith in the United States, ranging from a Christian clown to a Smith who loves to dress up like Satan to pick up women at parties. Thursday at noon, June 17 at 9:30 p.m.

· "Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice," Stanley Nelson's warmhearted portrait of the powerful singing group, led by Bernice Johnson Reagon, which has been singing gorgeous a cappella songs since 1973. The film screens Wednesday at 7 and June 19 at 3:15. Nelson, WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi, as well as members of Sweet Honey, are scheduled to attend the Wednesday event.

· "Rosita," Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater's heartbreaking true story about a 9-year-old Nicaraguan girl who was raped and impregnated but whose unwanted pregnancy (in a grim reprise of "Citizen Ruth") became a political football between abortion rights advocates and antiabortion forces in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Wednesday at 7, Thursday at 2:45. (Preceded by a short, "Time Lost.")

· "Abel Raises Cain," Jenny Abel and Jeff Hockett's portrait of Abel's truly eccentric father, Alan Abel, who lived on pranks as his livelihood. Thursday at 9:45 p.m.

· "Johnny Berlin," (preceded by "Triumph of a Heart -- the Stories Behind the Music Video"), Dominic J. DeJoseph's fascinating American-rootsy documentary about John "Berlin" Hyrnes, an amusing raconteur who is a train porter and talks about his hopes and frustrations; his laid-back, barrel-fermented voice suggests a cross between Jack Nicholson and Billy Bob Thornton's character in "Sling Blade." June 17 at 7:15.

· "Grizzly Man," Herzog's powerful documentary about the fair-haired, passionate and quite possibly crazy Timothy Treadwell, who lived and died for his beloved grizzly bears in Alaska. June 17 at 7. Herzog will attend.