Middle East Film Festival
Annual Middle East Film Festival
October 9-11, 2012
Cook DeWitt Center - Films begin at 7:00 PM
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Tuesday, October 9 - 7:00PM
Cook DeWitt Center
DISTANT (2002)
Introduction by Barb Roos - School of Communications
Run time: 110 minutes.
Mahmut, a 40 year old independent photographer, is a "village boy made good" at least professionally in the big city - Istanbul in this case. After his wife leaves him, he falls into an existential crisis. Then comes his cousin Yusuf, who left his native village after a local factory closed down, effectively unemploying over half the local men. He looks to Istanbul for salvation: a job on board a ship sailing abroad, at once exciting and crucial to supporting his family in the desperately poor village.
Wednesday, October 10 - 7:00PM
Cook DeWitt Center
A SEPARATION (2011)
Introduction by Chad Lingwood - History
Run time: 123 minutes.
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Thursday, October 11 - 7:00PM
Cook DeWitt Center
Budrus (2009)
Introduction by Sebastian Maisel -
Middle East Studies/Modern Languages & Literatures Department
Run time: 70 minutes.
Follows a Palestinian leader who unites Fatah, Hamas and Israelis in an unarmed movement to save his village from destruction. Success eludes them until his 15-year-old daughter jumps into the fray.
Thursday, October 11 - 9:00PM
Cook DeWitt Center
SALAAM BAND
Salaam has delighted audiences for years with its expansive repertoire of Middle Eastern and North African music. Salaam is true to the traditions, informing the uninitiated, and evoking nostalgia in listeners who are familiar with the art form. What sets Salaam apart is the versatility of its musicians, whose deep knowledge of Eastern and Western styles gives them the flexibility to move effortlessly between genres. The sound, while rooted in maqam (the modal system used throughout the Middle East), infuses tasteful forays into jazz, rock, blues, classical and avant garde. Salaam, whose name means "peace" in Arabic, is a musical ambassador for peaceful coexistence.
Sponsored by: Middle East Studies, Arab Culture Club, Frederik Meijer Honors College, Padnos International Center, Modern Languages and Literatures
For more information or special accomodations: Contact Area Studies at 331-8110 or areastudies@gvsu.edu.
Page last modified October 1, 2012
