Twin Cities Arab Film Festival
Yet another film festival that I just missed. This one is the Twin Cities’ 5th Annual Arab Film Festival, presented by Mizna.
The Arab-Muslim world is the most embattled region in the world and its peoples are the most scrutinized – even vilified – people on the planet. How do Arab films reflect this situation? How is cinematographic production affected by the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Lebanon? How do Arab filmmakers deal with the issues of immigration, gender equality, terrorism, political prisoners and other burning issues? Does cinema provide a refuge from the painful reality, or does it provide a safe ground to confront it? Mizna’s Twin Cities Fifth Arab Film Festival might not provide the answers for these questions, but it hopes to initiate the discussion.
Mizna’s Arab Film Festival was designed to meet two basic needs: to introduce authentic Arab and Muslim culture to the American public, and to offer the Arab-Muslim communities in the US a genuine forum where complex, even sensitive issues can be freely and safely discussed.
Lydia Howell previewed the festival for the TC Daily Planet.
Having grown up in Detroit, I had a fair amount of exposure to Arabic culture. But I was in grade school at the point in which I spent the most time in the company of Arabic people; proximity didn’t necessarily go a long way to understanding then. My mom’s reaction when I told her one of my friend’s had a life-sized portrait of Saddam Hussein in her living room was to grimace. She did show restraint and certainly never kept me from going over there. But I was not of an age where I was inspired to inquire further.
Art is always a wonderful mirror into a culture. That’s how we know what we know about ancient cultures that no longer exist. The statement of purpose above could be the same for any minority group. Don’t we all just want to be understood and feel free to discuss our issues?
I’m putting this one on the calendar for next year.
Events like this are exactly why I miss the Twin Cities and look forward to making a power move back in ‘09! :)