Lens on Syria: Thirty Years of Contemporary Cinema

February 5 - December 5, 2008

North America’s first ever showcase of feature, documentary and short films by Syria's most celebrated filmmakers and emerging independent young talent debuted at Lincoln Center in New York City in Spring 2006 and is now available on DVD format.

Lens on Syria: Thirty Years of Contemporary Cinema is a groundbreaking exploration of Syrian cinema that is available for touring on DVD format. The program showcases over 30 Syrian feature films, documentaries and shorts, several of the films have been digitally remastered and subtitled in English for the series.

The program premiered at the Film Society of the Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater on May 5th to the 18th in 2006, the series has traveled to The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago; The Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa; The Pacific Cinematheque in Vancouver; The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; The Pacific Film Archives in Berkley (organized in collaboration with The San Francisco Arab Film Festival); and The Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. It also screened at the Cinémathèque de Tanger (Morocco), Darat al-Funun in Amman (Jordan), at the What, How and for Whom collective in Zaghreb (Croatia).

Often described as Arab cinema's “best kept secret”, ArteEast's Syrian cinema series provides an unprecedented opportunity for audiences throughout North America to discover a politically timely and relevant program, ranging from nonfiction films and comedies to political dramas and historical epics, all representative of one of the richest--albeit lesser-known--of world cinemas.

One of the most compelling feats of Syrian filmmakers has been their ability to craft an unabashedly independent voice despite the fact that their films are produced by the state, a stellar achievement in Arab cinema. Films do not shy away from making poignant and social and political critique, far removed from dogma and didactism.
Syrian filmmakers have not only engaged with issues pertinent to Syria, they have also been profoundly engaged with the tragedy of Palestine. Premiering in the US in this program is Mohammad Malas' poignant documentary The Dream, filmed in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon just months before the notorious massacres took place. It is a unique document that has finally become available after digital remastering and subtitling.

Other films centered on the Arab-Israeli conflict include Tewfik Saleh's classic The Dupes, Mohammad Malas' The Night and Omar Amiralay's A Plate of Sardines-Or The First Time I Heard of Israel.

The program includes old cinematic gems that have been digitally remastered and subtitled in English specifically for this program, such as Omar Amiralay's 1974 documentary Everyday Life in a Syrian Village (which he co-authored with late Syrian playwright Sa'adallah Wannus), and his 1977 documentary, The Chickens that has received critical acclaim worldwide. Other digitally remastered films that are made available for the first time in North America is Oussama Mohammad's first short fiction film, Step by Step.

One of the highlights of Lens on Syria is a long-overdue tribute to master documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay. Winner of numerous international awards for his films, Amiralay was the subject of a special homage at the 2006 edition of the Cinéma du Réel Festival in Paris and 2007 edition of the Festival d'Automne at the Musé Jeu de Paume. While Amiralay's subject matter ranges across the entire Arab and Muslim world, his camera always finds its way back home. The series features some of the Amiralay's most renowned and compelling work, including two movies on the Euphrates Dam, the first 1970 film a homage to the Baath party's project, the second 2003 film documenting the flood caused by construction flaws and posing the event as a metaphor for the regime. The program also includes two documentaries that have received little attention, The Misfortunes of Some..., shot in 1981, it remains one of the most compelling documentaries on the Lebanese civil war and The Sarcophagus of Love, a documentary on the "liberal" opening of the Egyptian economy under Sadat in Egypt and the transformation of the role of women under that paradigm. These two films have been subtitled in English for the first time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM

Program Implementation and Terms:

ArteEast will be responsible for providing participating universities with all DVDs, program notes and publicity materials. ArteEast will post information on its website about screenings at participating institutions and provide links to screening schedules.

Please note that all films are in Arabic, and the DVDs we will be providing are subtitled in English.

Participating institutions will be responsible for covering the cost of shipping and insurance (DVDs will be shipped from, and returned to, New York), applicable screening fees, as well as an organizing fee owed to ArteEast in the amount of $250. Institutions will also be responsible for any damage to the DVDs while in their possession and during shipping. Please consult your insurance carriers for details and requirements.

All publicity materials for this program must include the following acknowledgement: This program is part of Lens on Syria: Thirty Years of Contemporary Cinema, a touring exhibition organized by ArteEast (www.arteeast.org).
ArteEast’s logo should be used on all publicity materials and should be no smaller than half an inch in size.

If you are interested in hosting the program, please contact Salima Semmar at filminfo@arteeast.org or call 718 282 5938 at your earliest possible convenience to secure dates and coordinate print traffic.

Our new publication, Insights into Syrian Cinema: Essays and Conversations with Contemporary Filmmakers, printed in conjunction with this tour, is now available for purchase from ArteEast through Rattapallax Press at www.rattapallax.com

We look forward to hearing from you

Rasha Salti                                       
Program Director, ArteEast

program 1:

Stars in Broad Day (Nujum an-Nahar), by Oussama Mohammad (Syria, 1988, 115 min, Color, DVD)
Screening Fee: Free

program 2:

Just Get Married! by Husam Chadat (Syria/Germany, 2003, 20 minutes, Color, DVD). Screening Fee: 75$

Verbal Letters (Rasa’el Shafahiyyah), by Abdullatif Abdul-Hamid (Syria, 1991, 105 min, Color, DVD).
Screening Fee: Free

program 3:

They Were Here (Innahum Kanu Huna) by ‘Ammar el-Beik (Syria, 2002, 12 min, Color, DVD). Screening
fee: $50

The Night (al-Leyl) by Mohammad Malas (Syria, 1992, 125 min, Color, DVD). Screening fee: $300

program 4:

Sacrifices (Sunduq al-Dunya) by Oussama Mohammad (Syria/France, 2002, 113 min, Color, DVD)
Screening Fee: Free

d o c u m e n t a r i e s

program 1:

Step by Step (Khutwa Khutwa) by Oussama Mohammad (Syria, 1977, 25 minutes, Black and White,
DVD). Screening fee: free

A Plate of Sardines (or The First Time I Heard of Israel) by Omar Amiralay (Syria/France, 1997, 18 min,
Color, DVD). Screening fee: $100

There Are Many Things Left I Would Like To Say… (Hunak Ashiya’ Kathira…) by Omar Amiralay
(Syria/France, 1996, 50 min, Color, DVD). Screening fee: $150

program 2:

Everyday Life in a Syrian Village (al-Hayat al-Yawmiyyah fi Qarya Suriyyah) by Omar Amiralay
(Syria, 1974, 90 min, b&w, DVD). Screening fee: $300

The Misfortunes of Some… (Massa’ibu Qawmen…) by Omar Amiralay (France/Lebanon, 1981, 52 min, Color, DigiBETA PAL). Screening fee: $150

The Sarcophagus of Love (Al-Hobb al-Maw’ood) by Omar Amiralay (France, 1983, 52 min, Color, DigiBETA PAL). Screening fee: $150

program 3:

The Chickens (al-Dajaj) by Omar Amiralay (Syria, 1977, 40 minutes, B&W, DVD). Screening fee: $150

Film-Essai on the Euphrates Dam (Muhawalah ‘an Wadi al-Furat) by Omar Amiralay (Syria, 1970, 10
minutes, b&w, DVD). Screening fee: Free

A Flood in Baath Country (Al-Tawfan) by Omar Amiralay (Syria/France, 2003, 46 min, Color, DVD).
Screening fee: $150

program 4:

The Wash by Hisham el-Zouki (Syria/Norway, 2005, 8 minutes, Color, DVD). Screening fee: $50

The Pot (al-Qarura)) by Diana el-Jeiroudi (Syria, 2004, 20 min, Color, DVD). Screening fee: $50

The Dream (Al-Manam) by Mohammad Malas (Syria, 1981, 45 min, Color, DVD). Screening fee: $150