Essential Cinema Archives
Children of Abraham/Ibrahim 3
Films of the Middle East & North Africa
February 19 - March 31, 2009
Our annual series continued looking at recent films from North
Africa and the Middle East, an area rich in history, wonderful art and
literature, but mired in war and misunderstanding among the three
religions which all trace their roots back to Abraham/Ibrahim. This is
our local attempt to bring human faces and individual stories to the
statistics and overwhelming images seen on TV and computer screens
daily throughout the world. In light of events in Mumbai in late 2008
we have decided to include two films from South Asia in hopes of
creating greater understanding of historic forces acting upon Pakistan
and India. -- Chale Nafus
EARTH
Deepa Mehta digs beneath the surface to find the causes and effects of
the India-Pakistan partition of 1947, a division which continues to
affect South Asia and the Middle East. >> Read More
KHAMOSH PANI: SILENT WATERS
A mother sees her teenage son drift into Islamist extremism in Pakistan
in 1979 and is emboldened to reveal her own secrets to him. >> Read More
CLOSE TO HOME (KAROV LA BAHIT)
Being 18 and in the military isn't pleasant for two young Israeli women, who long to break free and enjoy life. >> Read More
BAB’AZIZ – THE PRINCE WHO CONTEMPLATED HIS SOUL
A Sufi dervish tells his granddaughter magical tales as they travel through starkly beautiful deserts to reach a traditional 30-year celebration of Islamic mysticism. >> Read More
ALI ZAOUA, PRINCE OF THE STREETS
The street kids of Casablanca have their own sense of right and wrong, and when one dies, his friends do their best to fulfill his impossible dream. >> Read More
UNDER THE BOMBS (SOUS LES BOMBES)
A Christian taxi driver and a Shiite woman drive through the rubble of Lebanese towns during a cease-fire in 2006, as she searches for her son. >> Read More