Mizna and Intermedia Arts present

Minnesota's2nd Annual Arab Film Festival

September 23 – 26th, 2004

All screenings will be held at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, =

Minneapolis, Minnesota
 
Co-presented by Mizna and Intermedia Arts, the Second Annual Arab Film Fest=
ival is
a four-day showing of classic, new, and experimental films by Arab filmmake=
rs from
across the Arab world and the diaspora. The festival hopes to engage artist=
s with the
community in dialog related to their work. This festival speaks to the void=
in
presentation of artistic expression by Arabs in the West and strives to com=
bat
stereotyped representation by highlighting the work of a myriad of Arab art=
ists. Films
featured represent  Arab lives from Europe to North Africa, and from theMid=
dle
Eastto North America. Invited filmmakers include Nadia Al Fani (Tunisia/Fra=
nce), Raed
el Helou (Ramallah,Palestine) and Annemarie Jacir (New York,NY) who will be=
speaking
after the evening showings. 

 

Screenings (schedule and film descriptions are below in this email)

• Thursday, September 22 through Sunday, September 26, 2004

• Traditional Arabic breakfast and classic movie morning screenings Saturda=
y and
Sunday ("Mezza and Movies")

•Afternoon screenings on Saturday and Sunday

• Evening screenings on Thursday through Sunday with discussions with filmm=
akers
following

• Opening Banquet and Arabic food throughout the festival

• $5 per screening, $25 Festival Pass
($20 Intermedia Arts members, Mizna subscribers, and youth under 16)

For more information about the Arab Film Festival, contact Intermedia arts =

(www.intermediaarts.org) 612.871.4444 or Mizna (http://www.mizna.org),
612.788.6920.



• $5 per screening, $25FestivalPass($20 Intermedia Arts members, Miznasubsc=
ribers,
and youth under 16)

 ---------------------------------------------------------

SCREENING SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 23 7:30 p.m.
Sahar Al Leyali (Sleepless Nights), 2003, 130 minutes, Hani Khalifa (Egypt)=

Opening Reception

Friday, September 24 7:30 pm
Bedwin Hacker, 2002, 103 minutes, Nadia El Fani (France/Tunisia)
Post-screening discussion with Nadia El Fani (Filmmaker)

Saturday, September 25 Movie and Mezza
9:30 am — traditional Arabic breakfast
10:00 am — Adrift on the Nile, 1971, 115 minutes, Hussein Kamal (Egypt)

1 p.m.
How Beautiful is the Sea (Ma Ahla al-Bahr), 2003, 20 minutes, Sabine El Cha=
maa
(Lebanon/U.S.)

Diary of an Art Competition (Under Curfew), 2002, 17 minutes, Omar al Qatta=
n
(Palestine/U.K.)

Distance from the Sun, 2003, 7 minutes, Eyad Zahra (Egypt/U.S.)

The Way Out, 2001, 37 minutes, Samia Meskaldji (Algeria/France)

Insan (Human Being) 1994, 27 minutes, Ibrahim Shaddad (Sudan)

11' 09" 01, 2003, 9 minutes, Youssef Chahine (Egypt)

 
4 p.m.
My Lost Home, 2001, 19 minutes. Kamal El Mahouti (France/Morocco)

Ourselves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said, 2003, 54 minutes, Emmanuel=
Hamon
(U.S.)

500 Dunam on the Moon, 2002, 48 minutes, Rachel Leah Jones (Palestine)

 

7:00 pm
Rana's Wedding: Jerusalem, Another Day, 2002, 90 minutes, Hani Abu Asad
(Palestine/The Netherlands)

Like 20 Impossibles, 2003, 17 minutes, Annemarie Jacir (Palestine/U.S.)

Post-screening discussion with Annemarie Jacir (Filmmaker)

 
Sunday, September 26 Movie and Mezza

9:30 am — traditional Arabic breakfast

10:00 am — A Man in Our House (Fi Baytona Ragol), 1961, 159 minutes, Henri =

Barakat (Egypt)

1 p.m.
Khmissa, 2000, 14 minutes, Molka Mahdaoui (Tunisia/France)

Al Kutbiya, 2002, 100 minutes, Nawfel Saheb-Ettaba(Tunisia)


4 p.m.
Driving the Arab Street, 2003, 35 minutes, Arthur Hurley (Egypt)

Everything is Gonna be Alright, 2003. 80 minutes (Egypt)

 
7 p.m.
Independent Media in a Time of War, 29 minutes, Brenda Miller, Hudson Mohaw=
k
IndyMedia and Democracy Now (U.S.)
Hopefully for the Best, 2004, 42 minutes, Raed Helou (Palestine)

Post-screening discussion with Raed Helou (filmmaker)

 -------------------------------------

FILM DESCRIPTIONS

My Lost Home.

My Lost Home by Kamal El Mahouti (France/Morocco, 2001, 19 min., Beta SP) O=
n the
eve of its demolition, Moroccan-born filmmaker Kamal El Mahouti revisits th=
e housing
project in Saint-Dénis, France, where he lived from the age of six. His del=
icate,
impressionistic document probes the graffiti-covered walls, broken windows,=
and
empty stairwells of a bleak apartment block to retrieve the memories of an =
immigrant
family, its difficulties and rituals. In French and Arabic w/English subtit=
les.

 

 Bedwin Hacker.

Bedwin Hacker by Nadia El Fani (Tunisia/Morocco, 2002, 103 min., 35 mm) The=
first
Tunisian film with a high-tech theme, Bedwin Hacker opens with a computer h=
acker
in a Tunisian oasis who hijacks the foreign airwaves to broadcast a message=
in
Arabic: " In the third millennium, other periods, places and lives exist. W=
e are not
mirages." A French surveillance department sets out to track "Bedwin Hacker=
." Julia,
alias Agent Marianne, recognizes the signature as that of an old rival and =
sends her
boyfriend, back in his native Tunisia, on reconnaissance. In her debut feat=
ure,
filmmaker Nadia El Fani works against stereotypes of North African women in=

domestic roles and presents an intriguing cast of subversive female charact=
ers. In
Arabic and French w/English subtitles.

 

 Khmissa.

Khmissa by Molka Mahdaoui (Tunisia/France, 2000, 14 min., 35 mm) La Marsa, =

Tunisia, a wealthy suburb, a luxurious house. A woman is preparing to commi=
t
suicide with sleeping pills before her husband returns from a business trip=
, when the
doorbell rings. Khmissa, an old Bedouin who is collecting stale bread in th=
e area is at
the door. She rings a second time... In Arabic w/English subtitles.

  

The Way Out.

The Way Out by Samia Meskaldji (Algeria/France, 2001, 37 min., 35 mm) Unmar=
ried
Leila, a young Algerian woman, passes time with her son, Nabil, by playing =
guessing
games on the beach in their small French town. But their peaceful way of li=
fe slowly
unravels as Leila sinks into a depression as mysterious as the sea that sur=
rounds
them. The playful "Who are you?" becomes a question that hangs with growing=

uncertainty between mother and son. In French w/English subtitles.

 

 Sleepless Nights (Sahar al-Layali)

Sleepless Nights (Sahar al-Layali) by Hani Khalifa (Egypt, 2003, 130 min., =
Beta SP)
Egypt's entry for the 2004 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the cou=
ntry's
greatest box-office hit in a decade, Sleepless Nights has been a runaway hi=
t with
Egyptian audiences and critics alike. Starring a Who's Who of Egyptian cine=
ma's
younger generation, the film explores four young, well-to-do couples and th=
eir
marital problems, including adultery and sexual frustration. The film's can=
did
portrayal of sexual relations and its rare criticism of the institution of =
marriage
created a stir throughout the Middle East. In Arabic w/English subtitles.

 

 Rana's Wedding

Rana's Wedding, Jerusalem Another Day by Hani Abu Asad (Palestine/Holland, =
2002,
90 min.35mm) When the abnormality of barriers and occupation become an ever=
yday
reality, love and marriage turn into fiction. Rana, a young Palestinian wom=
an, sneaks
out of her fathers house at daybreak to find her forbidden love Khalil. She=
is
determined to marry him before sun down rather than go abroad with her fath=
er and
leave her lover behind. Bottle-necked blockades and border bureaucracy dela=
y her
efforts; while omnipotent Israeli soldiers serve as a constant reminder of =
who and
where she is. No one is immune to what is the daily grind for all Palestini=
ans, and
Rana's moods manifest the stress and despair that an occupied people must d=
eal
with. Will Rana and Khalil be married in time? In Arabic w/English subtitle=
s.

 

Adrift on theNile

Adrift on theNile,by Hussein Kamal, (Egypt, 1971, 115 min, DVD)

In Adrift on the Nile we meet a group of hedonistic middle-aged friends who=
gather
each night on a luxurious houseboat for dancing, love-making and smoking ha=
shish.
When a young news reporter visits the houseboat to write a story on the gro=
up, she is
outraged to learn the tragic depths of their social alienation.

Based on the novel by the Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz, this 1971 producti=
on
offers a revealing look at the Egyptian elite on the eve of the 1967 War. B=
y this
time,Nasserhad ushered in an age of enormous social change, leaving the son=
s and
daughters of the old bourgeoisie high and dry. In Arabic w/English and Fren=
ch
subtitles.

 

Insan (Human Being)

Insan (Human Being), by Ibrahim Shaddad (Sudan, 1994, 27 min, Beta)

Sudanese filmmaker Ibrahim Shaddad provides a dramatic and powerful account=
of
the trials and alienation of a Sudanese villager in a large city. Shot enti=
rely without
dialogue, the film's innovative use of sound helps tell the story of a shep=
herd who
leaves his wife and herd to settle in a nearby town.

Since its premiere at the Alexandria Film Festival, Insan has been shown in=
a number
of festivals in theMiddle EastandEurope. This film is a prime example of ex=
perimental
Arab cinema. No dialogue.

 

Selves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said

Selves and Others, byEmmanuel Hamon(Palestine/U.S., 2003, 54 min, DVD)

Known as one ofAmerica's great contemporary intellectuals and a prominent
spokesperson for the Palestinian cause in theUnited States, Said died in Se=
ptember of
2003 at the age of 67.

Shortly before his death, a French film crew spent several weeks with him a=
nd his
family. The result is Selves and Others, an intimate documentary that offer=
s a glimpse
at some of Said's final reflections on the themes that dominated his life's=
work. In
English.

 

500 Dunam on the Moon

500 Dunam on the Moon byRachel Leah Jones (Palestine, 2002, 48 min, Beta)

Ayn Hawd is a Palestinian village that was captured and depopulated by Isra=
eli forces
in the 1948 war. In 1953 Marcel Janco, a Romanian painter and a founder of =
the Dada
movement, helped transform the village into a Jewish artists' colony, and r=
enamed it
Ein Hod. This documentary tells the story of the village's original inhabit=
ants, who,
after expulsion, settled only 1.5 kilometers away in the outlying hills.

This new Ayn Hawd cannot be found on official maps, as Israeli law doesn't =
recognize
it, and its residents, deemed "present absentees" by the authorities, do no=
t receive
basic services such as water, electricity or an access road. Rachel Leah Jo=
nes'
filmmaking debut is a critical look at the art of dispossession and the cre=
ativity of the
dispossessed. In Arabic w/English subtitles.

 

 Everything is Gonna be Alright

After his original project is disrupted on September 11th, a filmmaker turn=
s his
camera on himself and fellow Egyptians inNew York City. Whether in front of=
the news
tickers and chaotic bustle of Times Square or relaxing in suburban Queens, =
these
writers, teachers, reporters and street vendors talk hopefully, critically =
and openly
about Arabs' status in the U.S., media manipulation and why they love (or h=
ate) New
York. Featuring NYU professor Khaled Fahmy.  In English & Arabic w/English =
subtitles.

 

 Diary of an Art Competition (Under Curfew)

(Yawmyat Musabaqa Fanniya (Tahta alHisar) by Omar Al-Qattan (Palestine/U.K.=
, 2003,
16 min., DVD)  In the early autumn of 2002, seven young Palestinian artists=
gather in
Ramallah to present their work in a group exhibition for the A.M. Qattan Yo=
ung Artist
of the Year 2002 Award. Others, unable to attend because of the total closu=
re of the
Gaza Strip where they live, send their work through foreign diplomatic pouc=
hes. This
poignant video diary recounts the events surrounding the exhibition and exp=
lores
art's relationship to resistance, politics and violence.
In English & Arabic w/English subtitles.

 



A Man in Our House

A Man in Our House by Henri Barakat (Egypt, 1961, 159 min, Beta).

Based on the famous novel by Ihsan Abdel Qoddous, this 1961 classic is set =
prior to
the 1952 revolution and stars the legendary Omar Sharif in one of his most =

memorable roles. Sharif plays Ibrahim, a member of the underground resistan=
ce who
seeks refuge from the so-called "political police" by taking shelter in the=
home of a
civil servant and his family. This film offers a vivid depiction of the Egy=
ptian
resistance to the British occupation and features some ofEgypt's finest fil=
mmaking
talents. In Arabic w/English subtitles.

 

Hopefully for the Best

Hopefully for the Best by Raed Helou (Palestine, 2004, 42 min, DVCam)Direct=
or Raed
Helou describes Ramallah during the tense winter before the US invasion of =
Iraq as
"calm, like snow on graves, and angry as an old woman who has lost everythi=
ng." The
curious monotony of life during an uprising is the subject of the peripatet=
ic camera
that roams the rain-slashed streets of Ramallah. In brief encounters with R=
amallah's
street sweepers, bakers and hummus makers, anxiety simmers below the surfac=
e, but
everyone seeks a bit of "normal" life in the early morning, before politica=
l realities
take hold of the day. In Arabic w/English subtitles

 

How Beautiful is the Sea

How Beautiful is the Sea by Sabine El Chamaa (Lebanon, 2003, 10 min, Beta S=
P) After
an apocalyptic explosion, a woman ventures into the streets and finds herse=
lf by the
sea. There she meets a man who, much like her, wears a protective uniform. =

Incapable of sensing nature, or one another, they

ponder the possibility of shedding their uniforms. In Arabic w/English subt=
itles

 



Driving anArab Street

Driving anArab Streetby Arthur Hurley ( U.S.A/Egypt, 2002, 39 min, Beta SP)=
. Arthur
Hurley's first documentary, this filmfollows Egyptian taxi drivers as they =
navigate the
streets of Cairo and share their diverse perspectives on American and Egypt=
ian
society, culture, politics and the relationship between these two civilizat=
ions. In
Arabic w/English subtitles.

 

Independent Media in a Time of War

Independent Media in a Time of War by Branda Miller,HudsonMohawk IndyMedia =
and
Democracy Now (U.S.A, 2003, 29 min, DVD). In this timely and informative le=
cture,
which includes a video presentation by the same title, the celebrated journ=
alist Amy
Goodman discusses the corporate media's coverage of the 2003 Iraq War. She =

highlights the ways in which theU.S.media downplay civilian casualties and =
glorify
military combat, exposing the terrible costs of war coverage that is simult=
aneously
sanitized and sensationalized. Goodman uses the concrete example of the war=

onIraqto ask the urgent question: What impact does the commercialization an=
d
consolidation of the media industry have on journalism and democracy? In En=
glish.

 

El Kotbia

El Kotbia by Nawfel Saheb-Ettaba (Tunisia, 2002, 100 min, Beta SP). Jamil, =
after
spending some years abroad, comes back to the country, crushed and shattere=
d. He
is offered the position of assistant librarian in the old bookstore of the =
young Tarek
Ben Othman. Jamil is attracted by Aïcha, a widow, fifteen years older than =
him, and
the mother of his employer; Tarek. She is somehow uncomfortable with the fe=
elings
she has for Jamil and decides to leave the flat located on top of the books=
tore. Leïla,
Tarek's young and rebel wife, tired of the monotony of her life in the book=
store and
in the flat, leaves her husband for a brilliant career of a singer. Tarek s=
inks in a
depression. Aïcha is then forced to comeback and live with her son. In Arab=
ic w/
English Subtitles.

 

Distance from the Sun.  

Distance from the Sun by Eyad Zahra (U.S.A/Syria, 2003, 8 min. Beta SP) Nai=
m, a
Middle-Eastern immigrant chef, struggles to find his way-of-life in small
townAmerica. The talented cook is challenged to balance old traditions with=
the
customs of his new home. Has he forgotten his ways? Is he doing the right
thing? These questions are all part of Naim's daily existence. "Distance fr=
om the Sun"
explores the internal struggle of today's American Muslim. In English.

 

11' 09" 01

September 11 directed by Youssef Chahine (Egypt, 2002, 11 min, Beta SP). Th=
is short
film came into being as an attempt to forge a cinematic response to the att=
acks of
September 11th inNew YorkandWashingtonDCand give some sense of the Egyptian=
/
Arab perception of its causes and consequences.

In Arabic w/English subtitles.

 

For more information about the Arab Film Festival, contact Intermedia arts =

(www.intermediaarts.org) 612.871.4444 or Mizna (http://www.mizna.org),
612.788.6920.

Mizna is a forum for artistic discussion that values diversity in the Arab =

Community. We are committed to giving voice to Arabs through a literary jou=
rnal and
community events. Visit our website to learn more: http://www.mizna.org


If you would like to contact us, please do not reply to this email. Instead=
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