Middle East/Mediterranean Calendar for May 2004

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May 8 (Sat.), 7:30 p.m.—"Jai Uttal &The Pagan Love Orchestra, with Omar Faruk Tekbilek and the Tibetan Monks & Nuns of Zangdokpalri featuring Kunzang Rinpoche"

Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra with Special Guest Omar Faruk Tekbilek. Sounds of the Sacred - Benefit Concert.
Donna DeLory. The Tibetan Monks & Nuns of Zangdokpalri - featuring Kunzang Rinpoche. Indian, Turkish and Tibetan world music.

$30, $20. John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068. Tickets: 323.461.3673.

May 12-May 16 (Wed-Sun.), 7:30 p.m.—Third Annual Amnesty Int'l Film Festival in West Hollywood

Recommended to Levantine Cultural Center subscribers, and at the discounted ticket price of $6 (mention Levantine Cultural Center when purchasing tickets):

"Death in Gaza," by James Miller (2003. United Kingdom. 77min. English, Hebrew, and Arabic, subtitled); "At Five in the Afternoon" by Samira Makhmalbaf (2003. France/Iran. 105min. Dari and Farsi, subtitled); "Freedom From Despair" by Brenda Brkusic (2004. USA/Croatia. 90min. English and Croatian, subtitled); "The Ladies Room" by Mahnaz Afzali (2003. Iran. 55min. Farsi, subtitled); "For a Place Under the Heavens" by Sabiha Sumar (2003. Pakistan. 53min. English and Urdu, subtitled); "Arna's Children," by Juliano Mer Khamis & Danniel Danniel (2003. Israel/Netherlands. 84min. Arabic and Hebrew); "Detail" by Avi Mograbi (2004. Israel. 8min. English, Hebrew, and Arabic, subtitled); "No. 17" by David Ofek (2003. Israel. 75min. Hebrew, subtitled); "Out of Status" by Sanjna N. Singh & Pia Sawhney (2003. USA. 11min. English, Hindi and Urdu, subtitled); and "Passionate Voices" by Cindy Burstein, Tony Heriza & Wendy Univer
(2004. USA. 35 min. English).

For complete descriptions and show times visit the web site. Tickets: 310.815.0450.

May 13 (Thurs.), 5:30-8:30 p.m.—"The Lessons of Hate: From Vincent Chin to Today"

Screening of "Raisisng Our Voices: South Asian Americans Address Hope," will be followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion about the diverse conditions that spawn intolerance and hate crimes, the lessons we have learned from wounds sustained in the past, and the creative and multi-faceted efforts undertaken by public officials, law enforcement, community organizations and advocates, working to build alliances and eradicate the seeds of hate. Organized by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, cosponsored by the ADC, Beverly Hills Bar Assoc., Calif. Women Law Center, Levantine Cultural Center and many others.

Presentation by Nitasha K. Sawhney. Panel discussion with the Honorable Judy Chu; activist Ismael Ileto; Hamid Khan; rose Ochi; Connie Rice; and moderated by Stewart Kwoh, with guests Jordan Elgrably (Levantine Cultural Center), Amanda F. Suskind (Anti-Defamation League, and robin S. toma of the LA County Commission on Human Relations.

At the Japan American Theatre, 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles 90012. $10 admission includes a light dinner from 5:30-6:30 pm. RSVP by May 6, to Adhali Arevalo, 213.386.3114 or email adhali@litt-assoc.com.

May 14 (Fri.), 5:30-8:30 p.m.—"After Freedom," a film by Vahe Babaian

"... a taut, well-wrought drama... engrossing..." Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times. "Heartfelt, sensitive and always entertaining..." Atom Egoyan. "There was an urgency and truth that stuck with me." Wim Wenders. "... a heartfelt, honest... distinctively flavored picture..." Todd McCarthy, Variety.

Set in Glendale's Armenian American community, "After Freedom" follows Michael Abcarian (Mic Tomasi), a young man torn between a sense of duty to his recently widowed, out-of-work father (Greg Satamian) and his neighborhood friends, and the pursuit of a life outside of the Armenian immigrant community that has always been his support system. The film also stars Sophie Chahinian (also the executive producer) as Michael's love interest Anna, an independent young woman who is determined to follow her dreams even if it leads her far from their close-knit community and Anahid L. Shahrik as Michael's sister Nora, who has already made a life for herself away from Glendale. Michael is often at odds with the morals of Avo (Shant Bejanian), a small time hood and the aggressive leader of Michael's circle of friends which includes Mato (Ionannis Bogris), a young man impressed with Avo's swaggering machismo and obsessed with finding a way to smuggle his brother into the United States at any price.

Writer/Director Vahé Babaian was born in Abadan, Iran, to an Armenian family. He emigrated to America in 1976 after spending three years in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon. Much of his perspective on life is drawn from his experiences in the many different countries where he lived. In 1976, at the age of 16, he and his family finally arrived in America. However, the three years Vahé spent in Beirut changed his attitude and affected the type of story he wanted to tell and the kind of films he wanted to make. He is a graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. In his first narrative GENERATION APART, a 30 minute short that aired on KCET, Babaian explored the widening gap between parents and children as a family begins to acclimate to a new culture. AFTER FREEDOM is a continued exploration of that topic. This is his first feature film.

Screens May 14-28 at both the Laemmle's Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills 90211, 310.274.6869; and Glendale Cinemas, 501 N. Orange Street, Glendale 91203. 818.549.9950.

Visit the After Freedom web site.


May 15 (Sat.), 2:00 p.m.—"Israel-Palestine in a Nutshell" with author Amanda Roraback

Amanda Roraback, author of the World in a Nutshell series of books including: Afghanistan in a Nutshell, Iraq in a Nutshell and Pakistan in a Nutshell will discuss her latest book, Israel-Palestine in a Nutshell.  Two countries, two religions, two histories and two perspectives complicate the most controversial crisis in modern time, the Israel-Palestine conflict. By navigating through some of the most pressing issues à the status of Jerusalem, the refugee problem, Israeli settlements, socioeconomic differences etc.

Amanda Roraback clarifies some of the deep-rooted causes of the conflict. In her presentation, Amanda Roraback examines issues from her book, "Israel/Palestine in a Nutshell" and relates them to contemporary events in the Middle East. By the end of the talk, audiences will have a well-rounded understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and be able to form equally informed arguments on both sides of the controversy. A question/answer session will follow the presentation.

Memorial Branch Library 4625 W. Olympic Blvd., Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 2:00 P.M.  Info, call Ms. Angela L. Jones, President of Friends of the Memorial Library, 323.938-2733.

May 20 (Thurs.), 6:30-9:30 p.m.—Reception for the Los Angeles premiere of the traveling peace mural, "The World Wall: A Vision of the Future Without Fear"

"The World Wall" is a panel done by artists from Mexico and the one created in an extraordinary collaboration between by an Israeli Jew, an Israeli Arab and a Palestinian. Presented by the Social and Public Resource Center (SPARC). Co-hosted by the Consulate General of Mexico and Levantine Cultural Center.

The WORLD WALL, conceived by artist Judith F. Baca, consists of eight 10 foot x 30 foot portable mural panels on canvas.  This 210 foot mural addresses contemporary issues of global importance: war, peace, cooperation, interdependence and spiritual growth.  Baca invited artists from around the world to envision the transformation from a war-based society to a peaceful one. As the World Wall tours internationally, additional panels by artists from different countries are added to complete this visual tribute to the ìGlobal Village.î

The exhibition is presented by the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), recognized as one of the country's most respected community-based arts organizations.  Founded in 1976, SPARC is dedicated to producing, presenting and preserving public artworks in Los Angeles neighborhoods, including over 100 murals that stand as a testimony to communities that make up the ethnic face of this city.  A socially relevant, activist minded, politically spirited organization, at the heart of what SPARC believes is that art is a tool for social change and self-transformation.

685 Venice Blvd., Venice 90291. The reception Thursday, May 20th will take place in the historic SPARC building, the former home of the Venice Division of the LAPD.  Constructed in 1929, this was the first Art Deco police station in California.

For more information about SPARC and the World Wall mural, please visit the SPARC web site. Call 310.822.9560 .



May 22 (Sat.), 7:30 p.m.—"Cairo Diaries," an Arts Salon with Nora Amin

Levantine Cultural Center, a nomadic nexus for contemporary arts/Middle Eastern cultural explorations in southern California, presents as its May Arts Salon Kennedy Center Fellow Nora Amin, in an evening of spoken work poetry, story and films. Nora Amin presents her work in conjunction with a public conversation about contemporary Egyptian literature and theater, in English with some Arabic. Amin’s work examines the body, the self and the other, postmodern identity, physical identity, alienation, female image and autobiography.

The evening includes two short films, “Cutting Through the Soul” a 12’ docudrama, written by Nora Amin, directed by Faisal Shams (Egypt 2002), and "Space Within" an audiovisual poem, a collaboration with Meg Kowalski (USA 2003). Amin will address literature vs. performing arts and the new generation of writers and artists in Egypt.

A native of Cairo, Nora Amin is a playwright, novelist and poet, as well as a performer, a theater director and the founder of an independent theater company in Cairo, "La Musica." She also founded the first Egyptian independent international theater and dance festival, "JADAYEL." Amin is the author of 20 books published in Egypt, including Contemporary Egyptian Theater and Human Rights: The Art of Claiming Our Rights. She has presented her theater performances and literary readings worldwide, and has collaborated with several international artists. Amin is currently on a fellowship on arts management at the John F. Kennedy Center for the performing arts, and is the recipient of the Samuel Fischer international literary award for the academic year 2004/2005 in conjunction with a professorship at the Comparative Literature Institute/Freie University, Berlin.

This Arts Salon is cosponsored by Poets & Writers and the James Irvine Foundation and takes place at Visualiner Studios, 3629 Holdredge Ave., Los Angeles 90016, bordering Culver City. The closest cross streets are Jefferson Blvd. and Rodeo Rd. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 members, $10 students. A night of performance, culture and mingling, with appetizers, bar, bookstore and more.

Please RSVP to 323.650.7010.


May 23 (Sun.), 3 pm & 7 pm—Middle Eastern Dance Festival with Adam Basma Dance & Music Company at the Ivar Theater

Bilal Hakani & His Band, Sophie & Rena Singers. “L.A.'s most renowned Arabic dance company brings together over 40 dancers, singers and musicians to form a colorful mosaic of Middle Eastern performance art, ranging from traditional to modern, folkloric to classical, and including: Debke, Khaleegee, Cane, Hankerchief, Jug, Veil, Basket, Candelabra, Belly Dance, Drum Solo, Dervish, Stick, Persian, Iraqi, and many more…”

Sunday, May 23, 2004. Matinee @ 3:00 p.m & Evening Show @ 7:00 p.m. At the Ivar Theater,
1605 N. Ivar Boulevard., Hollywood, CA. 1 Block West of Vine andtwo blocks east of Cahuenga between Sunset & Hollywood Blvd.

General Admission. $100 VIP House Seat. $75 Orchestra A. $50 Orchestra B. $35 Balcony
*Special Rates for Dancers and Students.

For information call: (310) 854-7600. Email: info@adambasma.com. Visit the Basma web site.


May 25- June 2, various show times—Global Film Iniative Film Series at the Redcat, Disney Hall

The films include: Djamshed Usmonovís Angel on the Right (Tajikistan, 2002), Jilani Saadiís Khorma (Tunisia, 2002), Yamina Bachir-Chouikhís Rachida (Algeria, 2002), Adoor Gopalakrishnanís Shadow Kill (India, 2002), Rashid Masharawiís Ticket to Jerusalem (Palestine, 2002) and Manijeh Hekmatís Womenís Prison (Iran, 2002). The series is curated and sponsored by the GLOBAL FILM INITIATIVE, an organization created to promote cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema. Each year, the Initiative, working in consultation with The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, distributes a series of features that represent some of the best filmmaking in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The four Middle East film screenings endorsed by Levantine Cultural Center are:

May 25 (Tues.) , 7:30 p.m., opening night—"Rachida," by Yamina Bachir-Chouikh

Algeria, 2002, 100 min., Arabic and French with English subtitles. Followed by Q & A with Yamina Bachir-Chouikh, schedule permitting, on Monday, May 31 @ 9:30 pm.

During the period of Islamist terror in Algeria, the protagonist, Rachida, teaches in a popular neighborhood of Algiers, where she goes to work without the veil imposed by the fundamentalists. One morning, she is kidnapped by a group of extremists, who demand that she plant a bomb in the school. When she refuses, the gang leader shoots her in the stomach. Miraculously, Rachida survives, and seeks refuge in a small village only to find fundamentalists active there as well. Rachida, the feature film debut by Yamina Bachir-Chouikh, has had an extraordinary impact in Algeria. Loosely inspired by real events, the film will be remembered for the protagonistís anguished cry for help: ìHow can you remain silent when the entire country is in agony?î

Directed, written and edited by Yamina Bachir-Chouikh; produced by Thierry Lenouvel; cinematography by Mustapha Belmihoub; music by Anne-Olga de Pass. WITH: Ibtissem Djouadi, Bahira Rachedi, Hamid Ramas, Rachida Messaouden, Aida Kechoud, Amel Chouikh and Abdelkader Belmokadem.

Yamina Bachir-Chouikh was born in 1954 in Algiers. She entered the Centre National du Cinéma Algérien in 1973 and specialized in editing. Since then, she has collaborated with filmmakers such as Merzak Allouache, Ahmed Rachedi, Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina and Mohamed Chouikh (La Citadelle, 1988).

Tickets are $8, $4 for students. Call 213.237.2800. See schedule at the Redcat web site.


May 26 (Wed.), 7:30 pm—"Ticket to Jerusalem" by MaRashid Masharawi
Palestine, 2002, 85 min., Arabic with English subtitles

Also screens on Sunday, May 30 @ 7:30 pm.

Writer-director Rashid Masharawiís inspired hybrid of documentary and fiction begins in a refugee camp near Ramallah. Jabir runs a mobile cinema from his old truck throughout the West Bank while his wife Sanah works to bring emergency medical care to Palestinians. They navigate endless checkpoints, patiently showing their identification cards to the ever-present Israeli soldiers. When Jabir is invited by a spirited teacher to arrange an open-air screening in East Jerusalem, he becomes obsessed with the idea of a pilgrimage to a city that denies entry to Palestinians.

Written and directed by Rashid Masharawi; produced by Masharawi, Areen Omary and Peter Van Vogelpoel; cinematography by Baudouin Koenig; edited by Jan Hendriks and Nestor Sanz; production design by Alaí Abu Ghoush and Barbara Wijnveld; sound by Hanna Abu Sada; music by Samir Jubran. WITH: Ghassan Abbas, Areen Omary, Reem Ilo, George Ibrahim and Imad Farageen.

Rashid Masharawi was born in 1962 in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza. He later  founded the Mobile Cinema Project to screen films in refugee camps. He has directed shorts as well as  television documentaries such as Travel Document (86) and Long Days in Gaza (1991). His first feature was the award-winning Curfew (1993), followed by Haïfa (1997), which was named Best Foreign Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

Tickets are $8, $4 for students. Call 213.237.2800. See schedule at the Redcat web site.


May 28 (Fri.) 9:30 p.m.—"Zendan-Ezanan,"  or "Women's Prison" by Manijeh Hekmat
From Iran, REDCAT is proud to present a repeat screening of this popular and controversial film (after its LA premiere last spring).
Iran, 2002, 106 min., Farsi with English subtitles

This seminal film is based on Manijeh Hekmatís long fieldwork among women prisoners. She depicts the lives of Iranís lost generation since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, using the claustrophobic life of women behind bars as a metaphor for the entire society. Set over a 20-year span, the film depicts the troubled relationship between a prison guard, Tahereh, and Mitra, sentenced to life for the murder of her stepfather. The filmmaker has cast her own daughter, Pegah Ahangarani, in three different roles, each one representing a different stratum of society. A partial loosening of censorship allowed Hekmat to make this film, although its showing was prohibited at the 2002 Fajr Festival in Iran.

Directed by Manijeh Hekmat; produced by Hekmat, Hamid-Reza Kaka, and Sirus Taslimi; written by Farid Mostafavi; cinematography by Dariush Ayyari; edited by Mostafa Khergheh-Poush; art direction by Jamshid Ahangarani; sound by Mahmoud Sammakbashi. WITH: Roya Nonahali, Roya Taymourian, Pegah Ahangarani, Golab Adineh and Maryam Boobani.

Having started out as a script girl, Manijeh Hekmat is a prolific figure in Iranian cinema. She has served as assistant director on 11 feature films and producer on five, including the award-winning Dokhtari ba kafshhaye-katani (ìThe Girl in Sneakersî [1999]) and Bunch of Grass, a German film made in Iranian Kurdistan.

Tickets are $8, $4 for students. Call 213.237.2800. See schedule at the Redcat web site.


May 30 (Sat.) 4:00 p.m.—"Khorma," by Jilani Saadi

Tunisia, 2002, 100 min., Arabic with English subtitles

Also screens on Monday, May 31 @ 7:00 pm.

Jilani Saadiís unusual parody is set in the port town of Bizerte. With his red-blonde hair, green jacket and quirky personal habits, Khorma is perceived by the townspeople as a big, well-meaning lug. His guardian is crafty old Bou Khaleb, the official announcer of births, deaths and marriages. When the increasingly hard-of-hearing old man mistakenly announces the death of a woman rather than her daughterís marriage, the film immerses us in the often-hilarious power struggles amongst the practitioners of the ìreligion business.î

Written and directed by Jilani Saadi; produced by Pierre Javaux and Dominique Janne; cinematography by Gilles Porte; editing and production design by Philippe Ravoet; sound by Eric De Vos; music by Khaled Namlaghi. WITH: Med Graya, Med Morali, Ramzi Brari, Hassen Khalssi and Dalila Meftahi.

Jilani Saadi was born in Bizerte, Tunisia, and studied film in Paris. He has directed the short films Marchandage nocturne (1994) and Café-Hôtel de líAvenir (1997). Khorma, enfant du cimetière is his first feature film.

Tickets are $8, $4 for students. Call 213.237.2800. See schedule at the Redcat web site.

Special Announcements

Volunteer with Levantine Cultural Center's Programming Committee

Bring your ideas, enthusiasm and support to the Center by participating in a new Programming Committee, that will cooperate with our Board of Directors in creating new arts programs in the weeks and months ahead. To get on the reservation list for the next meeting, email us now!


Board of Directors Seeks Community Leaders

Levantine Center's Board of Directors is continually in formation, and welcomes inquiries—we are actively searching for more people with our passion and conviction! The board consists of diverse members of the community who are of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean heritage or who have a strong professional or artistic interest in furthering our mission. As directors, board members represent the organization officially, are responsible for its financial health, and make the priority strategic decisions, with counsel from Advisory Board members where possible. Board members work with activists heading specific committes, including the Film/Video, Literary, Education Performing Arts and Membership Committees.

Our Advisory Board is also in formation. Advisory board members are known professionally in their own communities and offer valuable counsel and services to the organization; they are eligible to attend the organization's annual retreat and receive other benefits.

Please contact us at 323.650.7010.

Submit your calendar listings to our calendar editor now.


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To join/support Levantine Cultural Center, simply go to our signup page and fill in the blanks, print and mail; or send your check for $120 annual membership dues (that's just $10 per month! you'll receive many discounts and a pair of free tickets to an upcoming event, a minimum $40 value) to: Levantine Center, 8424A Santa Monica Blvd., N. 789, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

LEVANTINE CULTURAL CENTER
Cultures of the Middle East & Mediterranean
8424A Santa Monica Blvd., N.789, West Hollywood CA 90069
323.650.7010, info@levantinecenter.org

Levantine Center advocates for, educates about, and in general promotes and supports Middle Eastern and Mediterranean contemporary arts and traditional cultures. We present or cosponsor programs of music, literature, art, film/video, publications, new media and more, often from educational and historical perspectives. While acknowledging the value of entertainment, we emphasize scholarship and substance. We are strongly multidisciplinary and non-sectarian, do not embrace any political or religious doctrine, and are committed to the principle of cross-cultural cooperation. We support the strengthening of ties between all cultural, ethnic and religious communities of the Middle East/West Asia/Levant, as well as between all peoples of Middle Eastern descent in diaspora.

 
See what Levantine Center has been up to and take note of other recent cultural events.

Feb 2002	March 2002	April 2002
May/June 2002	July 2002	August 2002
September 2002	October 2002	November 2002
December 2002	January 2003	Feb 2003
March 2003	April 2003	May 2003
June 2003	July 2003	August 2003
Sept/Oct 2003	Feb/March 2004	April 2004

See what Levantine Center was up to during our pre-opening season, late in '01.