INFORMATION ABOUT COMPLETED PROJECTS
DC CINEMA PALESTINE FILM
FESTIVAL
APRIL 3 - MAY 7, 2005
DC Cinema Palestine (DCCP)
will present an array of insightful and provocative recent films and
documentaries from and about Palestine. The films we have chosen explore the
social, political, and personal issues confronting Palestinians. They
illustrate what it means to be Palestinian in a world where Israeli
occupation presents endless obstacles to the fulfillment of basic human
rights. Our hope is that in some small way these films can contribute to a
future of justice, peace, and co-existence.
DC Cinema Palestine
is a sponsored project of the Council for the National Interest Foundation
with funding provided by the Council for the National Interest Foundation,
Partners for Peace, SUSTAIN-DC, and Students for Justice in Palestine at
George Washington University.
ADC Update Film Festival at the ADC Convention, May 28-29 May 24, 2005, Washington, DC—The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) will be celebrating its 25th Year Silver Anniversary Convention this Memorial Day Weekend at the Hyatt on Capitol Hill. We hope that you will be able to join us in taking pride in the tremendous efforts and successes of ADC over the years. This year’s Convention will also be featuring an array of documentaries and films in the ADC Film Festival. ADC thanks John Sinno and Arab Film Distribution, www.arabfilm.com, and our Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami for making the Film Festival a reality. Film screenings will take place on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29. Tickets to individual movies will be sold on site, $ 5 per movie. You need not be registered for the Convention to see the movies. Films to be shown include: Saturday, May 28 9:30am- Until When 11:00am- Hijacking Catastrophe 12:30pm- Where is Iraq 1:00pm- Paradise Behind Bars 2:30pm- Workshop: Documentary Film Makers 4:00pm- Palestine Post 9/11 7:30pm- Nazrah 8:30pm- Private Sunday, May 29 9:30am- Raging Dove 11:00am- Encounters 11:30am- I Exist 1:00pm- Return to the Land of Wonder More information about each film is provided at the end of the email. Additionally, there will be a Documentary Film Workshop on Saturday May 28 at 2:30pm. The forum will be moderated by John Sinno of Arab Film Distribution and Director of The Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival. Joining Sinno to discuss their latest projects and share insight from their experiences will be Osama Al-Zain (Palestine: Post 9-11), Bassam Haddad (Arabs and Terrorism), Bathsheba Ratzkoff (Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People), Ted Saad (Paradise Behind Bars), Joan Mandell (Tales from Arab Detroit) and Yehia Barakat (Rachel: An American Conscience). Topics will include the difficulty of managing perspective and bias when producing controversial pieces of non-fiction and how exciting new technologies are changing the film process. We hope that you will be able to join us in taking pride in the tremendous efforts and successes of ADC over the years. You can learn more about the 25th Year Silver Anniversary Convention and register online at: http://www.adc.org/registration.html Christian Century, June 14, 2005 Double vision When photographs of Saddam Hussein in his underwear were printed in the New York Post and the London Sun, President Bush told the Associated Press: “I don’t think a photo inspires murderers. These people are motivated by a vision of the world that is backward and barbaric.” Then he added, “I think the insurgency is inspired by their desire to stop the march of freedom.” Before the next news cycle began, the White House rushed to clean up the president’s candid remarks, express regret about publication of the pictures, and promise an investigation. The new reaction replaced the “backward and barbaric” version, which disappeared from subsequent news stories. Unfortunately, the ideology of this administration does not go away. The president’s remarks echoed an earlier observation—he would punish the enemy by launching a “crusade,” a term highly provocative to Muslims, who equate Crusades with Western colonial domination. In March the White House decided it was time to improve its overseas image and named Karen Hughes as director of public diplomacy at the State Department. Her mandate, when she assumes the job later this summer, will be to “promote U.S. values and improve America’s image abroad.” Hughes has no foreign-policy background and no discernible experience in Islamic matters. But never mind—she is Bush’s longtime political strategist and close friend. On learning of the appointment, Business Week columnist David Kiley issued this caution: “One of the reasons America and George Bush’s image is so damaged abroad is that the Administration’s policy and rhetoric is so devoid of truth and historical perspective.” It was clear that the lack of historical perspective stood in the way of a proper response to the media flap that surfaced when Newsweek claimed that one of its sources had seen an army report indicating that U.S. interrogators had desecrated a copy of the Qu’ran at the prison detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. After that story led to rioting throughout the Islamic world, Newsweek’s source changed his mind and said he was not sure where he had seen the report. He still maintained that he had seen it—only the place was uncertain in his mind. Newsweek acknowledged the error and offered a retraction. Overnight the Qu’ran desecration story became a story about journalism: it was about us; never mind the damage done to others, to them. As Human Rights Watch concluded, the Newsweekretraction story “has overshadowed the fact that religious humiliation of detainees at Guantánamo and elsewhere has been widespread.” Meanwhile, a movie arrived just in time to offer a much-needed correction to the ongoing tension between us and them in the “war on terror.” President Bush’s reference to the “other” as barbaric suggests a parallel call sent out in the 11th century by Pope Urban: “infidels” must be removed from the Holy Land. The resulting Crusades generated enormous response among restless European armies eager to find salvation and earthly glory. Kingdom of Heaven tells the story of battles between the Second and Third Crusades in the early 12th century. Director Ridley Scott mixes a fictional love story with a surprisingly accurate account of Islamic warrior Saladin’s defeat of the European Crusader army, first at the Battle of Hattin on July 4, 1187, and then in the capture of Jerusalem a few months later. Scott says he hopes his film will help correct the imbalance that has led too many in the West to brand 1.2 billion Muslims as the “evil other” in a “clash of civilizations.” He turned to Muslim scholar Hamid Dabashi, a film expert from New York’s Columbia University, to advise him on the making of the film. Dabashi read the script, made comments and then saw the film in its final stages. Dabashi describes his experience as Scott’s adviser in the British film magazine Sight and Sound. Dabashi has a good grasp of Scott’s other films, which include Gladiator, Black Rain, Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise, all of which depict a major character or characters on a journey to find answers for a troubled spirit. Dabashi emerged from his Kingdom film experience with a deeper appreciation of Scott’s work, which he believes is fair to Islam. Kingdom of Heaven displays more sensitivity to Islamic religious and cultural practices than I’ve seen in any other Hollywood-funded film. (Some moments assume a knowledge of Islamic rules of warfare that may be lost on Western audiences, as in the fact that a warrior may not kill an enemy to whom he has given food or drink. Saladin honors this rule at a critical turning point in the film.) Students of the Crusades will appreciate the sympathetic treatment of
Christian King Baldwin IV, the “leper king” who tried to build a “kingdom
of heaven” in Jerusalem where followers of all faiths would live in peace
together. It is a vision that only a hopeful idealist would pursue, but
surely a better vision than one that views the “enemy” as “backward and
barbaric.”
***
Film Festival at the ADC Convention, May 28-29 This year’s Convention will also be featuring an array of documentaries and films in the ADC Film Festival. ADC thanks John Sinno and Arab Film Distribution, www.arabfilm.com, and our Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami for making the Film Festival a reality. Film screenings will take place on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29. Tickets to individual movies will be sold on site, $ 5 per movie. You need not be registered for the Convention to see the movies. Films to be shown include: Saturday, May 28 9:30am- Until When 11:00am- Hijacking Catastrophe 12:30pm- Where is Iraq 1:00pm- Paradise Behind Bars 2:30pm- Workshop: Documentary Film Makers 4:00pm- Palestine Post 9/11 7:30pm- Nazrah 8:30pm- Private Sunday, May 29 9:30am- Raging Dove 11:00am- Encounters 11:30am- I Exist 1:00pm- Return to the Land of Wonder More information about each film is provided at the end of the email. Additionally, there will be a Documentary Film Workshop on Saturday May 28 at 2:30pm. The forum will be moderated by John Sinno of Arab Film Distribution and Director of The Seattle Arab and Iranian Film Festival. Joining Sinno to discuss their latest projects and share insight from their experiences will be Osama Al-Zain (Palestine: Post 9-11), Bassam Haddad (Arabs and Terrorism), Bathsheba Ratzkoff (Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People), Ted Saad (Paradise Behind Bars), Joan Mandell (Tales from Arab Detroit) and Yehia Barakat (Rachel: An American Conscience). Topics will include the difficulty of managing perspective and bias when producing controversial pieces of non-fiction and how exciting new technologies are changing the film process. We hope that you will be able to join us in taking pride in the tremendous efforts and successes of ADC over the years. You can learn more about the 25th Year Silver Anniversary Convention and register online at: http://www.adc.org/registration.html ENCOUNTERS Director: Marco Pasquini Year: 2004 Time: 26 minutes Produced by: Abbasso il GradoZero Autoproductions marco@izona.it In September 2004 Marco Pasquini travelled to Beirut on the occasion of the 22nd year since the massacres at Sabra and Shatila. Encounters is a video diary focusing on some of those people Pasquini met living in Gaza Hospital located in the camp. The film is a starting point for a long-term project documenting the history of Gaza Hospital through some of its occupants. The goal is to trace the history of Gaza Hospital, itself a living memorial to the history of Palestinians in Lebanon. Stories will be told through occupants, hospital staff, and through archival footage. Individual memories and oral histories are also included. HIJACKING CATASTROPHE Director: Jeremy Earp & Sut Jhally Year: 2004 Time: 64 minutes Produced by: Jeremy Earp & Sut Jhally www.arabfilm.com The 9/11 terror attacks continue to send shock waves through the American political system. Continuing fears about American vulnerability alternate with images of American military prowess and patriotic bravado in a transformed media landscape charged with emotion and starved for information. The result is that we have had little detailed debate about the radical turn US policy has taken since 9/11. Hijacking Catastrophe examines how a radical fringe of the Republican Party has used the trauma of the 9/11 terror attacks to advance a pre-existing agenda to radically transform American foreign policy while rolling back civil liberties and social programs at home. I EXIST Director: Peter Barbosa & Garrett Lenoir Year: 2003 Time: 57 minutes Produced by: Eyebite Films www.arabfilm.com Directed by Peter Barbosa and Garrett Lenoir, I Exist is a groundbreaking documentary that gives voice to a group that has long remained silent out of shame and fear of ostracism. Gays and Lesbians of Middle Eastern descent who live in the United States must frequently combat the negative stereotypes revolving around both their sexuality and their race. This award-winning film features interviews with a variety of young men, women and their family members who share with viewers some of the experiences, joys and sorrows of this diverse community. NAZRAH: A MUSLIM WOMAN'S PERSPECTIVE Director: Farah Nousheen Year: 2004 Time: 55 minutes Produced by: Farah Nousheen www.arabfilm.com Nazrah: A Muslim Woman’s Perspective is an intimate look at a diverse group of Muslim women living in the Pacific Northwest in the USA. By creating a forum where Muslim women can freely engage in an open dialogue about complex issues, filmmaker Farah Nousheen exposes a vast and fascinating array of thoughts and ideas. The women discuss their views on Islam, current political events and how they reflect on the image of Islam in the West. They also talk about the difficulty of achieving equality within the Muslim community while fighting stereotypical portrayals of Muslim women in the US media. Nazrah (the Arabic word for "perspective") also includes director Farah Nousheen's own views on being a Muslim woman at a time when Islam is in the international spotlight. PALESTINE POST 9/11 Director: Osama Al-Zain Year: 2005 Time: 73 minutes Produced by: Osama Al-Zain www.focus-film.com and The Cinema Guild, Inc. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the twin towers and the Pentagon, the world witnessed a number of Palestinians celebrating on the streets of Jerusalem. Palestine Post 9/11 is an examination of the tragic events of 9/11 from a Palestinian perspective. Through following Stanley Cohen, a Jewish lawyer from Manhattan, on his journey to Palestine, the film examines the setback the Palestinian cause has suffered as a result of Al Qaeda's actions and political rhetoric on one side and the US and Israeli policies on the other. PARADISE BEHIND BARS Director: Ted Saad Year: 2004 Time: 30 minutes Produced by: Ted Saad Productions www.tedsaad.com Paradise Behind Bars tells the story of Palestinians and Israelis who want peace. It explores the impact of a military occupation on the individual and collective psyche as the Barrier Wall snakes its way through a land and its people. Through the filmmaker’s personal family stories, it shatters the myths of Palestinians and depicts their daily struggle. PRIVATE Director: Saverio Costanzo Year: 2005 Time: 90 minutes Produced by: Mario Gianani Mohammad, his wife and their five children live in an isolated house located halfway between a Palestinian village and an Israeli settlement. The house finds itself in the crossfire of the two sides and soon becomes a strategic area watching point that the army decides to confiscate. Mohammed refuses to leave his house. Reinforced by his principles against violence, he decides to find a solution living together with the Israeli soldiers. Living in fear fragments the family relationship - every member reacts in different ways to the soldier's presence in the house and to the father's authority. Just when life seems to be getting back to normal, a new spiral of violence erupts. RAGING DOVE Director: Duki Dror Year: 2002 Time: 90 minutes Produced by: Zygote Films www.arabfilm.com "I'm the only Arab-Israeli-Palestinian-Muslim-Baptist-American World champion I know," says Johar Abu Lashin, an Israeli-born Palestinian who has immigrated to America in search of a boxing career. The story of his attempt to organize a match in Gaza, Raging Dove is a fascinating portrait of a man who is both a fighter and a tangle of loaded nationalistic and religious identities. RETURN TO THE LAND OF WONDER Director: Maysoon Pachachi Year: 2004 Time: 76 minutes Produced by: Oxymoron Films www.arabfilm.com Soon after the 2003 Iraq war, filmmaker Maysoon Pachachi returns to Baghdad after 35 years. She accompanies her father, 80-year Adnan, who has returned to head a committee drafting a temporary Constitution and Bill of Rights. Moving between the political sphere and everyday life on the streets, this film offers a unique glimpse into the resilience of Iraqis as they struggle to sustain their lives and to fight off a sense of despair and defeat. UNTIL WHEN Director: Dahna Abourahme Year: 2007 Time: 76 minutes Produced by: Falafel Daddy Productions www.arabfilm.com The documentary "Until When…" delves into the lives of several Palestinian families who live in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem. Through personal stories, people share their experiences with the occupation and how it affects their lives. Whether it is a long commute to and from work, or bullets raining into schoolyards, people overcome the daily obstacles before them. Despite the violent and confining conditions of checkpoints, curfews, roadblocks, barriers, fences, and in some cases, time in prison, people focus on their lives and the people around them. -30- Save the Date: Spend Memorial Day Weekend in Washington, DC ADC's Silver Anniversary National Convention May 27-May 29, 2005 CELEBRATE ADC'S 25TH
YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICES TO CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS BY: American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee
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