Dinner & a Movie

For locals who have had to contend this month with gloomy March weather, this weekend looks to be no exception. But cloudy skies make it a good time to go inside — and get spiritual. "Bon: The Magic Word," an exhibit at the Rubin Museum of Art, focuses on an ancient Tibetan religion, one that precedes Buddhism and has its origins in the Himalayas and Central Asia. Dinner & a Movie sets out to learn more about the ancient spiritual practice and its followers through food and film.

DINNER

The restaurant Tsampa, wedged in between sushi and noodle joints near Stuyvesant Street, is a familiar sight to longtime residents of the East Village. But to those unfamiliar with Tibetan cuisine, images of yak butter tea or other such unusual specialties might come to mind. While Tsampa does serve the butter-and-tea concoction, the eatery also offers more palatable fare, including three types of the requisite momo, or traditional Tibetan dumplings, stuffed with either chicken and vegetables, vegetables and mushrooms, or potatoes and scallions. Tibetan food is a tasty collision between Chinese and Indian, but few dishes are particularly spicy: To get more flavor for your dollar, order dishes that call for heat, including the Kathmandu aloo, fried spicy potatoes, or the gingery spicy shrimp. (212 E. 9th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-614-3226)

MOVIE

Bon refers to both a religion of meditation and the people who adhere to it, the Bonpo. Even with the rise of Buddhism beginning in the seventh century, Bon, Tibet's oldest religion, has survived and continues to be practiced. Filmmaker Alex Gabbay's "In Search of Zhang Zhung" (2003) depicts the journey from Kathmandu of a Bon monk, Gelek, who goes in search of an ancient Western Tibetan kingdom that was once a flourishing region for the Bon culture. In the process, Gelek, accompanied by an American photographer, attempts to reconcile his struggles with practicing his religion with finding his identity in modern Tibet. (Saturday, 2 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-620-5000, $12 general, $7 students, free for members)