Curated by Carrie Tarr as part of THE SECOND BIENNIAL CINEMAEAST FILM FESTIVAL November 10 - 11, 2007 The term beur is French inversion-slang (verlan) for the word arabe, and refers to the French-born children of North African (Maghrebi) immigrants of Arab as well as Amazigh and Kabyle origin. For the most part, this generation grew up in the concrete wastelands of France’s low-income housing projects in the suburbs (banlieues). While beur has been part of the European lexicon for more than 20 years, the term and the culture it describes remain largely unknown in the United States.
Celebrating the Independent Spirits of Filmmakers from the Middle East, North Africa, and their Diasporas. November 8 - 15, 2007 Recognized around the world for being a premier venue for bringing cinematic voices from the Middle East, North Africa and their diasporas to international crowds, the 2007 CinemaEast Film Festival selections continue to break new artistic and political ground.
October 1, 2007 - May 31, 2008 For close to a decade now, a generation of Turkish auteur filmmakers has been cultivating an increasing audience of admirers and followers, both homegrown and across the world. Their cinema is distinctly original while deeply conversant with master-filmmakers as diverse as Bresson, Bergman and Kiarostami, not claiming lineage from any school or filmmaker per se. The constellation of names that have acquired renown includes Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Zeki Demirkubuz, Reha Erdem, Dervis Zaim and Yesim Ustaoglu.
Seven Films by Breakthrough Turkish Director September 19 - 24, 2007 With seven films in thirteen years, Zeki Demirkubuz is already a major auteur in Turkish cinema. Tackling questions of morality and faith, Demirkubuz meditates on eternal themes through his characters and their intricate relationships of love and loss. This retrospective features all seven films. We are honored and delighted that Demirkubuz will join us throughout the week for several of the series’ screenings.
Short Videos from Lebanon September 15, 2007 - April 20, 2008 In the past few years digital video technology has been credited with quietly generating a revolution in film production. During the summer 2006 Israeli assault on Lebanon, it allowed filmmakers, artists and activists to record what they were witnessing and experiencing and offered a forum to create work immediately related to the war. The compulsion to construct an audio-visual document of the violence came not only from a desire for an alternative to broadcast media; but also from an eagerness to compile an archive of the assault, because both the 17-year civil war and the numerous Israeli military campaigns since the 1960’s have scant records.
