“They want to erase Palestine from the memory of the new generation, and anything I can do to fight that, I will be more than happy.” Shafiq Al-Hout 1999
Recently deceased PLO co-founder Shafiq Al-Hout once described his family’s exodus from Jaffa to Beirut in April 1948 with the following words: “How could we possibly reach Beirut? The land road was closed, and also dangerous… We had no choice but the sea. Thus we headed for the sea where a Greek ship called “Dolores” was awaiting us… which was so crowded, even on deck, that it was about to sink due to the huge number of people who hoped to seek refuge in the ports of Lebanon.”
It is exactly with a cinematic homage to this statement that Annemarie Jacir’s film Salt of This Sea opens. An ode to the Palestinian refugees, and those who feel displaced the world over, Salt of This Sea is both a personal journey through the oft overlooked headlines of today and a testament to a wrong that continues to be perpetrated, with little or no repercussions to the perpetrators.
After an initial, desolate shot from the sea of the ancient city of Jaffa, now part of the modern Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Jacir’s film begins in the city’s Ben Gurion Airport, where the Palestinian-American Soraya has just arrived from NY, looking to retrace her roots. As soon as she discloses her forefathers’ nationality to the customs authorities, Soraya is subjected to an assortment of searches and questions that make our border crossing procedures in the US seem like a visit to Disneyland. The recurring reasoning behind this abuse. “This is for your own security” a statement repeated by nearly every Israeli Soraya comes in contact with.
Given only a two-week visa to the country, as a result of her Palestinian heritage, Soraya begins her journey in Ramallah, where the joie de vivre of the Arab world envelops her at every turn. She is asked more than once what her sun sign is, instead of being given the third degree. A stark contrast to the uptightness and lack of sense of humor on the Israeli side… It’s no wonder Reuters reported at the beginning of August a sharp rise in property prices in Ramallah, accompanied by the appropriate building boom! Who’d want to live in Tel Aviv anyway?!
Oh, but there is one aspect of the city that appeals to Emad, the quiet, thoughtful Palestinian man who begins to accompany Soraya on her quest: The sea. He has not laid eyes upon the sea in 17 years, because of the check-points and restrictions that accompany his heritage in Israel. And it is his yearn for a voyage to the water, Soraya’s search for her Grandfather’s legacy as well as their friend’s Marwan craving for adventure that takes this trio on a journey that we, the audience, won’t forget or be left untouched by.
The couple become an Arab, modern day version of Bonnie and Clyde, on the run from both the Israeli military - ever-present and always able to spot a Palestinian from a mile away, or so they think - but also the Palestinian Authority. Within this flight from justice, Soraya discovers the source of her anger but also a kind of love that has a lot more to do with need than with mushy sentimentality. The acting - by Suheir Hammad as Soraya, who brings her obvious inner strength to the part, Saleh Bakri as Emad, who is boyishly vulnerable and simply handsome, and Riyad Ideis as Marwan, the kind of guy you could swear is a good friend in real life - is superb and I found it hard to believe this is the first film for all three leads.
Ultimately, for an Italian who grew up adoring the sweet taste of Jaffa oranges, has been an avid supporter of the Palestinian cause, but hardly knows the details of the 1948 Nakba or the exact lines of division - personal and political - for the West Bank and Gaza, Jacir’s Salt of This Sea is a great learning tool, at times emotionally charged, other moments very personal but engrossing throughout. And I’m all for a film that showcases a fabulously strong female lead, not afraid to be exactly who she is!
At a time when talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authorities are on the verge of resuming, it is undeniably a film worth watching. Salt of this Sea is a Lorber Films Release and opens at the Quad in NYC on Friday, August 13th.
I believe that Karan Johar can do no wrong. And that holds true for Shah Rukh Khan as well, ever since I laid eyes upon him in ‘K3G’ and cried myself out of the depression I felt following the events of September 11th in NYC. So, that said, I will watch anything this talented duo will give me gladly, promptly and enthusiastically.
However, I do confess that I stayed away from theaters this past winter, when ‘My Name Is Khan’ was first released, for a variety of reasons, the main one being that I was outrageously jet-lagged when the film premiered. Yes, I’m spoiled rotten, I hardly ever have to pay for a film these days and after missing the premiere, I simply waited for it to come out on DVD. OK, granted I had not heard great things about the film from my fellow media friends…
Well, my time finally came since the film will be released on DVD by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment this Tuesday, August 10th, and - I can add this, since I’ve gotten an advance copy and was finally able to watch the film - not a moment too soon!! Remember my first paragraph above, the adulation I feel for Johar and Khan? Well, that had a lot to do with it, but I also went into watching this film with the idea that I would be entertained, a premise which the film fulfills to a T. Disaster-filled second half notwithstanding, MNIK is an all-out Hindi cinema extravaganza, with some very serious themes thrown in.
One such serious theme is that SRK’s character Rizwan Khan suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. This very serious issue is dealt with well in the film, with both humor and sensitivity and I found Shah Rukh’s performance as interesting and delightful as Dustin Hoffman’s turn in ‘Rain Man’. No other actor could have carried this kind of film with the same intensity and charisma and therein perhaps lies the biggest genius of Johar as a director - his great casting sense. Another fabulous coup is Kajol as Mandira, the woman who easily and seamlessly becomes Khan’s love interest. It is exactly because we as a Hindi film audience buy the idea of Kajol and SRK as a couple so effortlessly that the concept of this man and this woman falling in love is never once questioned in our minds. Genius.
There are also brilliant performances by Jimmy Shergill, as Rizwan’s brother Zakir, and Vinay Pathak, as the Motel owner in Kentucky, Parvin Dabas (of ‘Monsoon Wedding’ fame) as a journalist, Arjun Mathur as his cameraman - who BTW becomes quite important in the second half of the film - and TV actor Christopher B. Duncan as Barack Obama. Yup, THAT Barack Obama. But you’ll have to watch it to understand.
I won’t go and say that MNIK is the best film I have seen this year, in fact, the second half of it has a bit of what I like to call the “Post-Intermission Hindi film syndrome” which simply means too much of a good thing doesn’t make it better, maybe just too much. Even of a good thing like Johar, SRK and Kajol filming in the US, dealing with serious issues…
But the DVD is outstandingly entertaining! I have been watching it repeatedly and the extra features - which include “Changing the Face of Bollywood” with Johar, Khan and Kajol, “Working Together” and “The Music of My Name Is Khan” with music phenomenons Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy talking about the Sufi-like sounds on the soundtrack of MNIK- are must-see and superbly informative. So, grab your copy from Amazon to own today, or rent it from Blockbuster.com. Yes, Blockbuster’s, since they support independent cinema!
Images courtesy of Dharma Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and SEL
… And with its stars, Alexander Siddig and Patricia Clarkson. Oh, and positively with its filmmaker Ruba Nadda. Come to think of it, there is NOTHING unromantic about this upcoming film, opening August 6th in a city near you or, get how easy this is, ON-Demand through IFC! There is nothing that isn’t guaranteed to make you yearn for a trip to Cairo, for a meeting with a man like Tareq, for being as sultrily calm a woman as Juliette, for having the talent of the beautifully well-spoken Ruba Nadda. If I sound enchanted, I was - at TFF earlier this year, when I first saw the film and fell in love - and I am, after interviewing Nadda, Clarkson and Siddig for elan Magazine. Get the full interview by clicking here.
But some of the moments that were left out of the piece for elan I’ll share with you here on The Ajnabee. Like how the music of this film plays such an important part in my life these days… So much so that when my computer’s Hard Drive crashed last week, among the few things I wrote down in the “Critically Important to Recover” box on the form my programmer provided me with before going into the computer to perform what he called “HD Open Heart Surgery” were 3 ITunes tracks from the film: ‘Sar A Lay’ by El Tanbura, ‘Ahwak’ by Abdel Halim Hafez and ‘Alf Leyla, Wa Leyla’ by Oum Kalthoum. That’s what I call a serious priority now! And fortunately, though I have not been backing up the revisions on my book manuscript in the last six months, I did back up those tracks on a CD I play over and over while at home. Really, it’s that good!
The music, in fact, feels so important to the story because, Nadda explained “I grew up with Arabic music and movies, and Oum Kalthoum is like the Mother of Egypt. As Abdel Halim Hafez is the Father of Egypt. Getting those two songs was a nightmare. It’s the Middle East. Order as we know it here does not exist, is not how you would think it works there. We couldn’t figure out who owned the rights to the songs and finally we tracked something down and my producer had to pay in cash for the rights and got a paragraph, a contract in Arabic, which I sent to my father and asked “Dad is this right?” and he said “I think so… It’s very vague”. In Cairo it was a battle, there’s like 11 different levels of bureaucracy and just because level three says you’ve got the OK, level ten is like “No, we don’t think so today.” And the songs are not on the soundtrack CD because the contract stated that we could only use the music over the course of five minutes and only in the movie.”
I personally find the film momentous. It’s the one single work of art in the last few years that has truly awakened in me a yearn to fall in love. But not the mundane, everyday kind of love, the truly romantic, pregnant with unexpressed feelings version of it, from the classics like ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the likes… I watched ‘Cairo Time’ twice at Tribeca, once at a press screening and a second time at its premiere, after interviewing the stunning Clarkson, the glowing and beautiful Nadda and the man with the sparkle in his eyes, Siddig himself, on the red carpet. I even bought a ticket for that second screening, sat in the very top right corner of the theater and cherished every moment of my adventure. The film hit me differently both times, new scenes became emotional for me, but yet the falling in love part, with Cairo and Siddig’s character Tareq, stayed constant. So much so that all I have to do is hear the music featured in the trailer below and I yearn once again… You know that I’ll be in the theater this weekend, watching the film at the very least one more time!!
One of the journalists at our roundtable this past week, said the following “The film may not end up bridging the gap between East and West but we finally see it in a quieter, less angry way than usual and that’s wonderful. And I think for men who are lucky enough to see your film they might even begin to bridge the other divide, between the sexes, I hope.” To which Siddig replied “That’s quite something!” When the same journalist gushed “It was wonderful to see you in a lead role!” Siddig confessed “It’s wonderful training being a character actor and I’ve been a character actor now for twenty years, and it doesn’t get better than that. I’ve never had to repeat myself. For a very long time, until ‘Star Trek’ when I was doing that for so many years.” Never cocky or overly confident - you know, in that way that is so unattractive in most people you meet these days - Siddig was even downright modest about describing his background, relating to his work “There is always someone blacker than me, there’s always someone whiter than me. My father was a black African man. And my mother is a Liverpudlian woman… I look Arab by mistake.” This from a man who descends from royalty in Sudan. Inflating himself for the sake of appearing more interesting just isn’t this classy man’s style!
Patricia Clarkson shared that after the seven weeks she spent in Cairo to prepare and then shoot ‘Cairo Time’ she felt “Like I lived a whole life there, a whole secret life in Cairo. Almost like a spy life. Not an Angelina Jolie spy life, I wish… It was just so different, this whole set piece of my life, ’cause often when you’re shooting, you don’t get to take in a city. But because Cairo is the third lead of this film it is a major character, I really saw and I would sit in places for a whole day, so it wasn’t like I would just go to a place and say hello, or have a little meal there, I was in places for long periods of time and I really got to take it in and take in the people.”
Filmmaker Nadda shared the hurdles of filming in a city like Cairo “Just the permits are challenging, and there’s a censorship person from the government that gets assigned to your film and watches your every move. You never have control over your locations so we had to throw our actors into it and have it roll. I wanted to shoot everything in the script and there were some locations I was obsessed with capturing, that had never been shot before. There’s a coffee shop, Al-Fishawi Cafe which is open 24 hours a day and I literally talked my way into shooting there in Arabic.”
A self-described feminist, a quality she credits her Syrian father for having taught his three daughters, Nadda shared her insight on the sexual tension her character Juliette experiences when she ventures out to explore Cairo alone “In the Middle East, in Cairo especially, sexes are very segregated. Girls and boys do not interact since the age of four, it’s two very different cultures. It’s pent up from both sides, both sexes. When they see an attractive woman, whether she’s covered up or not, they cat-call. And a blonde, a red-head is unique. It’s not violent, it’s just appreciative. The first time, I traveled to Cairo with my father and my father, forget it, no man can approach. But my second time to Cairo I went with my sister and it was insane, we could not walk down a street without men. As a North American woman you cherish that automatic freedom of just walking down the street, but there it’s very segregated.” It was indeed that second trip which inspired ‘Cairo Time’ and Nadda added “I had a big trip to Cairo with my parents then I went back ten years later, with my sister. And everything that happened to Juliette in the film happened to us. We didn’t fall in love with an Arab man, but just the everyday…”
While Clarkson loved the people of Cairo she found most challenging “The city. It is a very dense city, 20 million people. It has no street lights, everyone walks out into moving traffic which it is famous for. I have never seen anything like it, with babies, children, they walk right out. They have such trust in their fellow men. it is remarkable. I’m not that trusting of my fellow men. Everything was challenging. There is Cairo time, everything is a negotiation, everything takes time. Like “Can I have a cup of coffee?” People disappear for ten minutes, and I’m thinking WOW, this is gonna be a great cup of coffee. OK, and then they come back. “Oh, your coffee, just a minute”… AHHHH!! We’re New Yorkers. Everything is slow, liquid, languid and yet it’s this fast paced, dense, loud city but there’s an internal calm in many of the citizens.”
And just as Siddig coyly confessed to me on the red carpet at TFF that his only preparation for the role of Tareq, the man who would steal all of our hearts at the festival, was “Looking into Patricia’s eyes…” Clarkson was also wonderfully complimentary of her co-star when she said “Everything you think about him is exactly true. He is everything a leading man should be and not just that he’s tall, dark and handsome. You know he arrived at this film, I could never ever have taken this journey without him, in a million years. I remember when I first saw him in the lobby I looked at Ruba and I just whispered “Thank you”. But he is also fiercely intelligent and gracious and kind and open and he was ready to fall, ready to embrace everything about this movie, and I relied on him, days when I had so much to do and had these very long complicated days, he was there. One thousand percent. We, me, Ruba, Alexander, we’ll just know each other for the rest of our lives.”
If the film fails to make you fall in love, with Tareq and Juliette, with Cairo, even with love itself - the kind that gives you butterflies deep inside your heart - then I think you should check your pulse… And if you wish to know just what those film-induced butterflies feel like, be in theaters this opening weekend. In NYC it will be at the IFC Center. For a full review, go to AVS TV’s blog. See you at the movies!
Images courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival - Trailer courtesy of IFC
And the film’s producer Aamir Khan is a legend, though way too young and cool to wear such a powerful title. If you think he looks like the twenty-something students he portrays in both ‘Rang De Basanti’ and ‘3 Idiots’ on the big screen, then you would be amazed at how much younger this incredibly talented man with the golden touch looks in person. I stood inches from him during our interview and was blown away by his glowy skin and smooth face. And to those obnoxious naysayers who may think he has had “work done”, absolutely not! That’s the face of a man who has obviously found the fountain of youth. Bas. Nuff said.
Now onto ‘Peepli Live’ - the beautifully shot, intelligent, poignant and insightful film by Anusha Rizvi. What a talented woman, ‘Peepli Live’ is her first film, first feature, first directorial venture! I’m always amazed by those brilliant individuals who are able to direct, I can’t even imagine the inner workings of their minds, but when someone has a multitude of talents, as both Rizvi and Khan possess, that’s a double whammy. Made to rule the world they are. And ‘Peepli Live’ will definitely be one of the most talked about films of the year.
If you don’t understand Hindi, don’t worry, the film has great subtitles. I know, I know, the trailer does not, but have fun making up your own mind about the film before you go to see it. It will absolutely be like nothing you ever imagined. If you do want to know a bit more, there is always AVS to the rescue, and the online review by yours truly. Also, stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Aamir Khan this coming week, a wonderful look at the man behind the golden legend. I can only disclose that I was left speechless by his kindness and generosity of spirit and words.
See you at the movies then! And make ‘Peepli Live’ your viewing priority this coming August 13th, when the film opens in the US and around the world. For my friends in the UK, you’ll have to wait until September 24th… Oh, and do share your favorite character in the film in the comments below. My personal faves are the cantankerous Amma and the soft-spoken, sweet Rakesh.
‘Tibet in Song’ is an upcoming film by Ngawang Choephel which has already been doing the rounds of film festivals around the world, and won the Special Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. I met Choephel at last year’s Sikh Gala at Cipriani and was immediately mesmerized by his touching story.
You see, to Choephel, ‘Tibet in Song’ is more than just a documentary. It is the story of his life, his incarceration in Tibet following a trip there to re-discover his musical roots and record the country’s rich music culture for generations to come. And by generations to come I mean those born away from the Chinese occupied Tibet or even the youth inside Tibet, currently subjected to the constant brainwashing of the Chinese culture insidiously passing as their country’s own.
But perhaps most importantly, ‘Tibet in Song’ is Choephel’s love song to his own mother, who protested his jail sentence throughout the nearly seven years - from 1995 to 2002 - when he was jailed by the Chinese authorities on charges of being a spy. His mother Sonam Dekyi championed his cause, holding vigils outside the Chinese Embassy in Delhi to get a visa to visit her son in jail, organizing rallies through Amnesty International and getting politicians and celebrities alike to join in the appeal. Her voice was heard from Delhi to Washington to Beijing and finally got Choephel released on the 20th of January 2002, on medical parole.
I have to admit that it is typically the impartial viewpoint of documentaries which appeal to me so much. With ‘Tibet in Song’, that aspect of the genre is done away with, since the film is a very personal journey into Choephel’s own hell. One can’t help but see the film through his own viewpoint, even if we know deep inside that, as is always the case in life, there are so many sides to the story. But his calm demeanor throughout the film, his gentle voice narrating the story and the testimony of so many others victims of this human rights disaster make the documentary a living testament to the resilience and courage of the people of Tibet.
‘Tibet in Song’ is a visually stunning, emotionally wrenching and culturally important film all should see at least once. It will be shown in NYC at Cinema Village - on East 12th street - starting September 24th. But don’t worry, I’ll remind you again when we get closer to the date… In the meanwhile, spread the word, on Facebook, Twitter and to the winds!
Images by David Huang, Ngawang Choephel by Jayd Gardina
Stuck in the City for July 4th? It’s not the worst thing that ever happened to a person, you actually will get to enjoy the Big Apple without as many people trying to take a bite out of it… I love it here when it’s not congested, the only sound you hear is that of the pigeons cooing and the only smell wafts over from the occasional neighborhood barbecue. A welcomed break from the endless garbage trucks and bus fumes.
Thankfully, if you should get bored during this holiday, Rooftop Films will be on hand, with their weekly dose of culture and fun. Check out Friday’s ‘industrious’ film or savor Saturday’s food shorts and enjoy the open air atmosphere of this wonderful NYC tradition! Oh, and the film ‘Plastic Bag’ by award winning filmmaker Ramin Bahrani - think the touching ‘Man Push Cart’ - will be shown in the INDUSTRIANCE line-up. Loved his previous films and I’m not alone there!!
Friday, July 2nd INDUSTRIANCE
Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, philosophers have railed against dehumanization, as machines replaced people in the workplace and technology came to dominate our daily lives. Giant factories churned out poisonous products while chewing up and spitting out replaceable workers. Urban landscapes became increasingly alienating as automobiles and skyscrapers secluded and dwarfed individuals. But who would’ve thought that we’d move so quickly to a post-industrial world dominated by virtual products and cyber-realities? A world with no use for the physical objects of the recent past, and no place for the makers and consumers of formerly quaint and useful materials. We now live in age where we must sentimentalize our trash in order to save ourselves from annihilation by way of abstraction. Amidst the changing landscape in industry, architecture and manufacturing, this dynamic program of short films is about people (and objects) searching for meaning, connection and love.
WHERE:
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
232 3rd St at 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/Park Slope) Brooklyn, NY 11215 F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union
WHEN:
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Live Music by Bow Ribbons
9:00 Films Begin
11:30 Reception in Courtyard
Saturday, July 3rd Umami is the fifth taste sensed by the human tongue (in addition to sweet, salty, bitter and sour). It’s a Japanese word meaning “savory” or “meaty” and applies to a sensation common in meats, cheese and other protein-rich foods or to “earthy” foods such as mushrooms and soy sauce. Umami’s screening of international artist’s short food films is pure umami: earthy sensations transcending the expected. Hotdogs become ritual objects, tortillas offer language lessons and gefilte fish is deconstructed. This showing is nothing like Food Network — its sensibility expands into a fifth sense.
Umami: Food and Art Festival is a non-profit, biennale event created in 2008. The festival works in partnership with other organizations in New York City to foster collaborations between artists and food professionals. By approaching food through art, Umami frames it as stimulating and inspiring, a positive approach leading to innovative solutions to some of the national challenges we face today. Umami encourages art based in everyday life and materials, illustrating that art can be found anywhere and can be produced at any time with the simplest means. The festival’s key objectives are to use food as a common thread to look at and integrate art into daily life and to broaden the horizon of food as an artistic medium.
WHERE:
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
232 3rd St at 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/Park Slope) Brooklyn, NY 11215 F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union
WHEN:
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Live Music by Railbird
9:00 Films Begin
11:30 Reception in Courtyard
Those of you who follow my column on the Asian Variety Show blog know that I had a few favorites at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. What I typically look for in a film are a subject that interests me, charismatic characters/actors and a soul connection to the theme. I found all three and then some in Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed’s insightful documentary about what makes the Arab world laugh and how unifying that laughter is, ‘Just Like Us’.
Ahmed’s funny, poignant and at times incredibly personal oeuvre will be featured on June 24th as part of the Chicago African Diaspora Film Festival. It’s a must-see for all my Ajnabee friends who are in the Windy City and knowing Ahmed, there will be an accompanying comedy show to coincide with the screening of the film. Having met the taller than expected and incredibly charming Ahmed in person, I can vouch for both his charisma and comedic talent. He’s on my personal list of “Ones To Watch” in the years ahead.
To read a personal review of the film, which includes quotes from the comedians featured in the film, as well as coverage from the TFF red-carpet premiere in NYC, check out my piece about ‘Just Like Us’ on the AVS blog. And to my Chicago brothers and sisters I say, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to watch a fantastic film!!
You must have realized by now that I seldom have Bollywood films or big budget movies on this site. I try to give a voice to those films that might be overlooked in the main markets or simply do not have the right publicity bucks to make an impact.
But with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ I had to make an exception. It’s a breathtaking film, full of images and themes that keep me thinking about it, even two days after the press screening I attended. I love the Ramayana references and even the funny punctuation of having Hindi film megastar Govinda play a Hanuman character in the Hindi version of ‘Raavan’. I love that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is the most beautiful that she’s ever looked in a film and yet touched my heart with her performance as well. I love the psychedelic feel to the film and the apocalyptic forest.
I love the monster we all hate to love played by Abhishek Bachchan and I love the idea that in the Tamil version of the film - yes, there is a Tamil version, which was shot simultaneously to the Hindi one, as well as a dubbed Telugu print - Vikram, who plays the god-like Rama character Dev - the policeman - in ‘Raavan’, gets to play the bad guy in ‘Raavanan’. All so exciting, I think I might want to see the film again, just to understand it all further. And then, watch it in Tamil to compare the different casting and be even more magically engaged!
For my full review of ‘Raavan’ check out the AVS TV blog. The film opens in theaters worldwide today, Friday June 18th.
We can certainly all agree that in today’s world it’s becoming increasingly challenging to achieve a romantic connection. In fact, finding the right fit within a relationship which leaves both people at once satisfied and respected could easily become a full time job. But as difficult as it is for a straight man or woman to find love, I can’t even imagine how arduous that task becomes when my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters look for romance. All the explaining to family and friends, all the guilt of the parents’ unresolved expectations, the hiding, the hidden fear camouflaged as hatred from the outside world, it could all simply seem unbearable. Yet, as hard as that can be, multiply it by a thousand if you happen to be gay or lesbian and South Asian. THEN, the stakes become nearly impossible.
It is exactly within the understanding of this dilemma that ‘Desigirls!’ - a short film by talented filmmaker Ishita Srivastava - takes shape. It’s a poignant insight into the lives of two very separate and different women, the openly gay Priyanka and the hidden ‘A’. Both incredible individuals, both intelligent women, but dealing with their sexuality and sexual preference in a polarly opposite manner.
The story has a personal angle for me since I attended Priyanka’s wedding party early this year, when she wed her partner Lisa under the auspicious eye of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office. It was obvious to me all the love in the room that night, starting with the happy couple and all the way to the guests and well-wishers at the event. If you have any doubt of its beauty, simply read this ode to the night published on EGO Magazine…
It was indeed a night to remember and this film ‘Desigirls!’ is one NOT to be forgotten. Its message will feel poignant and true to anyone who has ever struggled for anything in their lives, yet still found the energy to love and shine through it all. See you at the screening everyone!
It’s time once again for the monthly schedule of the ROOFTOP Films summer festival, which goes on through the summer to showcase many wonderful independent films, in open air setting throughout the City. Whether in Brooklyn, Manhattan, in backyards or on rooftops, this is one wonderful festival not to be missed. There are quite a few NY Premieres in June, including one for the much talked about ‘The Happy Poet’ playing later in the month… For all additional info do click on ROOFTOP Films to access their website. Oh, and I ask you, does it get any better than this breathtaking sunset view on the rooftop of the El Museo del Barrio, pictured above??
Friday, June 11 BIKER FOX
NY Premiere. A documentary about Tulsa’s best-known bicycle-riding, raccoon-feeding, scrapyard-dealing, screaming, ranting philosopher of life.
Venue: On the roof of Open Road at New Design High School (350 Grand St., Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Saturday, June 12 THE MAN NEXT DOOR
NY Sneak Preview. A smug designer in a one-of-a-kind Le Corbusier home has to deal with his crass neighbor’s new construction project in this dark comedy about architecture, class, and urban living.
Venue: On the roof of El Museo del Barrio (1230 Fifth Ave., East Harlem, Manhattan)
Sunday, June 13 TINY FURNITURE 22-year-old Aura returns home to her artist mother’s TriBeCa loft with the following: a useless film theory degree, 357 hits on her Youtube page, a boyfriend who’s left her to find himself at Burning Man, a dying hamster, and her tail between her legs. Presented in partnership with BAM CinemaFest.
Venue: In the lot across from BAM (Fulton & Ashland, Ft. Greene, Brooklyn)
* In the event of rain, this event will be held on Thursday, June 17.
Friday, June 18 NEW YORK NON-FICTION (short films)
Unexpected history lessons about the birth of our nation, the end of an artistic era, and the complex commotion of contemporary NYC. It’s your city. Take a look.
Venue: On the roof of Open Road at New Design High School (350 Grand St., Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Saturday, June 19 LOVERS OF HATE In this savage comedy about deceit and sibling rivalry, two estranged brothers, Rudy and Paul, have nothing in common but their love for the same woman. In the shadows of a posh chalet, Rudy tries desperately to sabotage the relationship in director Bryan Poyser’s brilliantly executed game of cat and mouse.
Venue: On the roof of Open Road at New Design High School (350 Grand St., Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Sunday, June 20 SWEET MUD
A satirical drama about a young man and his mentally-troubled mother, living on a kibbutz in 1974. Winner of the award for Best World Drama at the Sundance film festival. A special presentation with the Consulate General of Israel Cultural Affairs Office.
Venue: On the pier at Solar One (23rd St. & East River, Kips Bay, Manhattan)
Thursday, June 24 THE RURAL LIFE AND SPIRIT (short films)
An adorable yodeling animal animation, a legendary buck-dancer documentary, a splendid story of spirits in the tropics, plus more magnificent movies from pastoral places.
Venue: On the lawn of Automotive High School (50 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Friday, June 25 THE HAPPY POET NY Premiere. Rooftop alum Paul Gordon returns as Bill, an out-of-work poet, who puts his heart, soul, and last few dollars into starting an all-organic mostly-vegetarian food stand, but complications with the business jeopardize his dreams for a hot dog-free future.
Venue: On the roof of Open Road at New Design High School (350 Grand St., Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Saturday, June 26 GRAVITY WAS EVERYWHERE BACK THEN When Leonard’s wife Mary was diagnosed with cancer, he thought he could build their house into a healing machine. It didn’t work. But he kept building. The magnificent debut feature from Rooftop alum musician/animator/artist Brent Green will be performed with a live soundtrack, featuring members of punk idols Fugazi.
Venue: On the roof of Open Road at New Design High School (350 Grand St., Lower East Side, Manhattan)
* In the event of rain, this show will be held on the following day, June 27.
It is exactly with a cinematic homage to this statement that Annemarie Jacir’s film Salt of This Sea opens. An ode to the Palestinian refugees, and those who feel displaced the world over, Salt of This Sea is both a personal journey through the oft overlooked headlines of today and a testament to a wrong that continues to be perpetrated, with little or no repercussions to the perpetrators.
The couple become an Arab, modern day version of Bonnie and Clyde, on the run from both the Israeli military - ever-present and always able to spot a Palestinian from a mile away, or so they think - but also the Palestinian Authority. Within this flight from justice, Soraya discovers the source of her anger but also a kind of love that has a lot more to do with need than with mushy sentimentality. The acting - by Suheir Hammad as Soraya, who brings her obvious inner strength to the part, Saleh Bakri as Emad, who is boyishly vulnerable and simply handsome, and Riyad Ideis as Marwan, the kind of guy you could swear is a good friend in real life - is superb and I found it hard to believe this is the first film for all three leads.
Bookmark with: