What's on this week: 17-23 November

For its sixth edition, Peliculatina, the Hispanic film festival of Brussels, has chosen as its theme Mutations, which is divided into seven sections: politics, youth, the feminine perspective, historical, blockbusters, shorts and first works. Some 29 films from 16 countries will be screened in four venues. On the last day of the festival there’s a Latino Christmas Market at Flagey.
21-26 November

The Weekend du Doc in Wallonia and Brussels celebrates 50 years of fiscal support for documentaries with screenings of 87 of the 563 documentaries produced in Wallonia and Brussels during that half century. Be they movie theatres, cultural centres, public libraries, youth centres or socio-cultural associations there are 75 venues to choose from. As one of the venues in Brussels, Cinergie will be screening Tango Ya Ba Wendo, a "musically political" film on the life and influence of Papa Wendo, who took traditional Bandundu rhythms and created Congolese Rumba which revolutionised African popular music and world music.
16-19 November

From humble beginnings in 2000, the Brussels Art Film Festival has evolved into four days of screenings of documentaries about art with a national competition, international films out of competition, children’s screenings and opportunities to meet filmmakers. Belgium has always been at the forefront of films about art as is demonstrated by its prominence in international film festivals devoted to art documentaries. The annual production of Belgian art docs now stands at about 70.
16-19 November, screenings at ISELP, Cinematek and Bozar

Due to the city's campaign to clean up and refurbish the Ilot Sacré neighbourhood and eliminate the many tourist trap restaurantss, there are temporarily a couple of empty storefronts on the Petite Rue des Bouchers. So, for the Christmas season until 7 January, the city is proposing Pimp My Street, which will consist of pop-up stores by Belgian designers, creators and artisans. As the complete refurbishing of the pavement gets started the streets will be immediately brightened with Christmas lights and made part of the Winter Wonders light trail.

You don’t need to go half way around the world to see one of Rapa Nui’s (Easter Island’s) famous statues because the Cinquantenaire Museum in Brussels has one. It also has a fabulous collection of Oceanic masks, statues, weapons, boats and jewellery from the many islands spread across the Pacific Ocean. Included in the show is a 1934 film and photographs on the Belgian expedition to Rapa Nui which resulted in the acquisition of the aforementioned statue. And concluding the show is the work of contemporary Tahitian artist Jean-Paul Forest.
Until 29 April

On Saturday evening at Flagey 4 it’s Les Amazones d’Afrique, the first all-female super group from Mali which was formed to combat silence over violence against women. According to Rolling Stone: "This supergroup of West African divas throws an off-the-hook dance party over talking drum-elation. The result is a desert trip you won't want to come home from anytime soon."

Friday is the grand opening of Café Noël in Tervuren - winter food, drinks and live music every Friday in the run-up to Christmas.
Until 15 December, from 17.00, Café Jardin, Kerkstraat 23a, Tervuren

The Indonesian band Karinding Attack is appearing at Les Ateliers Claus in Saint-Gilles as part of Europalia 2017. The karinding is a bamboo mouth harp but it’s just one of the many bamboo instruments (flutes, xylophones and percussion instruments) that they play. Originally a metal band, they have worked metal and punk elements into their bamboo music and have played with traditional Japanese ensembles as well as blues bands, beatboxers, hip-hoppers and electronic musicians.
16 November 20.30

Some 50 artists will be showing their works at 15 cultural and social venues in Neder-Over-Heembeek for an artistic stroll this weekend through the fields, woods and village streets of this bucolic part of Brussels.
Kick-off Friday at 18.00, Saturday and Sunday 11.00-18.00.

Get a head start on your holiday decoration needs at a steep discount in La Hulpe, where there's a giant Christmas market at the Long Fond Garden Centre with nature-based children’s workshops, sweet and savoury crêpes, local beers and wines, everything organic and locally sourced.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10.00-18.00