Description:

A young student of the arts, Dunia aspires to be a professional dancer and poet. Her artistic expression is inhibited, however, by her inability to experience and express desire. Dunia’s reasoning that women should not move their bodies to evoke an act of love is challenged by the ardent public intellectual Dr. Beshir–played by Egyptian superstar singer Mohammed Mounir.

With his help, Dunia begins an all-consuming search for ecstasy in poetry, dance and music–taking us into the world of women in a society that both fetishizes and oppresses female sexuality. Ultimately, Dunia learns that she must confront the traditions that have destroyed her capacity for pleasure before she will be able to experience it.

Reviews:

“Kiss Me Not on the Eyes” offers a colorful package obsessed with sensual surfaces, to the exclusion of a fully developed plot, character or social-commentary elements.”                                             – Dennis Harvey, Variety

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This second feature in Nacer Khemir’s Desert Trilogy is a visually ravishing folktale reminiscent of “The Thousand and One Nights.” The story revolves around Hassan, who is studying Arabic calligraphy from a grand master. Coming across a fragment of manuscript, Hassan goes in search of the missing pieces, believing that once he finds them, he will learn the secrets of love. With the help of Zin, a lovers’ go-between, he meets the beautiful Aziz, Princess of Samarkand. After encountering wars, a battle between false prophets and an ancient curse, he learns that an entire lifetime would not suffice for him to learn the many dimensions of love.

Tunisian director Nacer Khemir, also a poet, painter and professional storyteller, notes: “The film takes place in Moslem Andalusia of the 11th century. But it’s not a question of reconstituting a given time and place, but rather of summoning up the reflection of a forgotten garden, and out of a yearning for peace, so difficult to protect from barbarians and from destructive fanaticisms. Andalusia has been the meeting place of many cultures, a living dialog of the peoples and religions whose traces can still be deciphered in texts, music and gardens all the way from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. This is not an Andalusian love story, but Andalusia as the very essence of love, through its perfumes, poetry and gardens.”

Reviews:

“A delightful fairytale; straight out of 1001 Nights”
– FilmFest DC

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Shooting on location in East Jerusalem, Ramallah and at checkpoints in-between, Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now ) sees the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the eyes of a young woman who, with only ten hours to marry, must negotiate her way around roadblocks, soldiers, stone-throwers, overworked officials … and into the heart of an elusive lover.

This timely feature that explores love among the ruins of an occupied territory was presented with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival’s 2003 Nestor Almendros Prize for courage in filmmaking.

According to Abu-Assad, “When the abnormalities of barriers and occupation become an everyday reality, normal things like love and marriage turn into fiction. This is life in Palestine right now. I wanted to challenge it through cinema.”

Winner of the Best Actress award at the 2002 Marrakesh International Film Festival (for Clara Khoury’s affecting performance), Rana’s Weddingpremiered during the 2002 International Critic’s Week at Cannes and has been a festival favorite in Palm Springs, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo and London.

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Reviews:

“Fascinating. It gives a more complete visual picture. . . than we ever see on the news.”
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Among the finest films made in the Middle East.”
- Phil Hall, Film Threat

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Inspired by real events, documentary filmmaker Saverio Costanzo’s feature debut is a minimalist psychological drama about a Palestinian family of seven suddenly confronted with a volatile situation in their home that in many ways reflects the larger ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Winner of a Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival, Private is convincingly shot in a documentary style with a hand-held camera and a quick pace. Director Costanzo has created a unique occasion for both Israeli and Palestinian actors to work together, and being an outsider himself, he has worked to maintain a neutral standpoint while dramatizing the conflict.

Official Selection of the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival

Reviews:

“. . . acted with fierce conviction”
- Village Voice

“. . . captures [war’s] harrowing complexities with unerring accuracy”
- Toronto Int’l Film Festival

“. . . an effectively didactic thriller”
- Philadelphia Inquirer

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In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana’a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her.

Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family’s honor. Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana’a, this exquisite film is the first feature film ever to come out of Yemen.

World Premiere

- Cannes International Film Festival, 2006

U.S. Premiere

- Seattle Arab & Iranian Film Festival, 2006

Official Selection

- Vancouver International Film Festival, 2006

Official Selection

- Arabian Sights, Film Fest D.C., 2006

Official Selection

- Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2007

Reviews:

“It weaves a fairytale of unrequited love, bundled together with an anecdote or two suffused with local color. . . it indulges in a bit of magic realism.”

- Toronto Daily Star

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Description:

Twenty-two year old Corporal Jonathan Santos had documented his 37 days of military service in Iraq in a personal diary before a roadside bomb took his life and the lives of several of his friends and servicemen on October 15, 2004. Jonathan’s mother, Doris, wasn’t aware that her son had kept a diary until his Tuff Box™ – a soldier’s chest filled with their most valuable items – was sent to her after his death. Upon opening the box, she discovered his “little green book” and a stack of videocassettes on which he had recorded daily life in Iraq.

When Doris is finally able to bring herself to watch the tapes, she finds images of Jonathan’s arrival in Iraq, pictures from a cousin’s wedding he was able to attend while on leave, and scenes of Jonathan laughing and joking with his Army buddies including Private Matthew Drake, one of Jonathan’s best friends, who was the sole survivor of the attack in which Jonathan was killed. The record of Jonathan’s final few weeks, in which he expresses fears and doubts never voiced to his family in person, is at once inspiring, personal and profound.

Both an affecting story of courage and a universal tribute to soldiers everywhere, The Corporal’s Diary follows Doris’ journey as she moves beyond her pain to meet with the families of others who have lost loved ones in the war. Together they share stories, offer comfort and pay tribute to the lives of the brave young servicemen and women who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq.

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Reviews:

“A heartfelt tribute to a human being by those who loved him.” - Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Santos’ footage is remarkable for its unremarkable scenes of soldiers joking and complaining of the boredom and mundane facts of life in a confusing war zone. There is seemingly nothing special about them. They could be your neighbors or your sons.”- David Allen, Stars and Stripes

“The content of each journal is so entertaining and compelling that, if one didn’t know better, a viewer might assume The Corporal’s Diary was yet another faux documentary about the war told from the perspective of a fictional serviceman.”- Tom Keogh, Seattle Times

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Description:

Just when the world is losing hope for the possibility of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict comes Encounter Point . Created by a Palestinian, Israeli, North and South American team, Encounter Point moves beyond sensational and dogmatic imagery to tell the story of an Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their safety and public standing to press for an end to the conflict. They are at the vanguard of a movement to push Palestinian and Israeli societies to a tipping point, forging a new consensus for nonviolence and peace. Perhaps years from now, their actions will be recognized as a catalyst for constructive change in the region. Encounter Point is a film about hope, true courage and implicitly about the silence of journalists and politicians who pay little attention to vital grassroots peace efforts.

Encounter Point ‘s Israeli/Palestinian/North American/ Brazilian production team of young women includes: director & producer Ronit Avni (formerly of WITNESS), co-director Julia Bacha (co-writer/editor of the award-winning documentary Control Room ), producers Nahanni Rous and Joline Makhlouf, the first Palestinian female pilot. Encounter Point was edited in Jerusalem and Park Slope, Brooklyn, and features original music by Kareem Roustom, who combines classical Arabic melodies and instruments with traditional Jewish Klezmer to form a harmonious fusion that mirrors the subject matter.

Encounter Point ‘s World Premiere was at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. The Canadian premiere was at Hot Docs, and the West Coast premiere was at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Encounter Point has subsequently won the 2006 Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Rencontres Film Festival in Montreal, the Best Musical Score Award at the Bend Film Festival and the 2006 Spirit of Freedom Award at the Bahamas Film Festival. It has screened in Dubai, Jerusalem, Jenin and more than 35 other cities worldwide.

A 52-minute classroom version of Encounter Point is now available for institutional purchase.

Reviews:

“It isn’t often that you see a film about Israelis and Palestinians that can be called hopeful, but Ronit Avni’s assured, thoughtful and clear-eyed documentary certainly qualifies. ”
- Anita Gates, New York Times

“It may not break any new aesthetic ground, but Encounter Point might just be the most optimistic film about this conflict you’ll ever see.”
- Bilge Ebri, New York Magazine

“A riveting documentary. . . blazes with a kind of spiritual grace.”
- Village Voice

Trailer:

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1/19/2011 – Pine Hills Branch Albany Public Library (517 Western Ave. Albany, NY)

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Description:

Directed by Youssef Chahine’s longtime assistant, The Closed Doors touches on several taboos in contemporary Egyptian society, examining their social and political implications. Set during the Gulf War, it tells the story of Mohamad, a highly impressionable young man who embraces fundamentalist ideas as a way of dealing with the confusion of adolescence and sexual awakening. This powerful first feature by one of Egypt’s most promising young directors tackles complex themes like oppression, jealousy, virtue, the love ideal and violence in an uncompromising way.

Reviews:

“Reveals a finely balanced portrait of various social classes caught in a swirl of religious, cultural and personal fixations, done with remarkable sympathy, sensitivity and control.” - Deborah Young, Variety

“Artfully examining a young man’s slow descent into Muslim fundamentalism as a way to combat his own awakening sexual urges, Hetata’s film meticulously unfolds as viewers watch in subdued dismay.” - Zach Freeman, Hub Pages

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Fascinated by stories of the aristocratic Bustros family, who remained in their large 19th century mansion in the mostly deserted downtown section of Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, director Jennifer Fox (Flying: Confessions Of A Free Woman, An American Love Story) leaves N.Y.U. film school to document her good friend Gabby Bustros’ return to her family home. Filming everything from an auto race to an elaborate family wedding, from a festive costume party to a group sailboat outing, Beirut: The Last Home Movie offers an intimate profile of the Bustros family’s attempts to maintain their upper-class lifestyle as the devastating civil war rages all around them. Filmed and edited in a narrative style, Fox’s documentary was an official entry at more than twenty prestigious film festivals world-wide and is the winner of seven international awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Following its U.S. theatrical release, Beirut: The Last Home Movie was broadcast as a PBS Frontline Special in 1991.

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Reviews:

“…Densely detailed….[Fox] takes a seemingly simple approach that becomes complex and many-layered…” - Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times

“A documentary with the expansiveness and complexity of great fiction….It takes great guts to attempt an audacious feat like this one, and something like genius to pull it off.” - Hal Hinson, Washington Post

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In this beautiful classic film from legendary director Youssef Chahine, Cairo’s main railroad station is used to represent all of Egyptian society. We see a community comprised of luggage carriers and soft-drink vendors living in abandoned train cars.

A crippled newspaper dealer, Kinawi (played by Chahine himself), falls in love with the beautiful but indifferent Hanuma (Hind Rostom), a lemonade seller who only has eyes for the handsome Abu Sri’. Swept away by his obsessive desire, Kinawi kidnaps the object of his passion, with terrible consequences.

Chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality, repression, madness and violence among society’s marginalized played at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Golden Bear in 1958.

Reviews:

“A blend of sensuality and film noir, set against a backdrop of lower-depths neorealism, Cairo Station is essentially an underclass psycho-thriller. The Chahine of Cairo Station is a world-class engineer of expressionistic gothic shadow effects whose restless camera seems to peer into the souls of his fevered characters.”

–David Chute, L.A. Weekly

“The adroit interweaving of various miniplots around the station is matched by a heady mix of moods and genres: At various junctures this movie becomes a musical, a slasher film, a neorealist drama, a comedy, and a horror film – come to think of it, it’s pretty noir as well.”

–Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

“Today, this DVD release offers serious cinephiles a rare chance to understand Chahine’s importance, which has been rooted in reputation and not retrospective for too many years (the majority of his films are not available in U.S. on DVD). This long-overdue release is very highly recommended.”

- Phil Hall, Film Threat

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