In Collaboration with the Kevorkian Center, NYU. With the support NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, Office of Academic and Student Life . Copresented by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC)

The Location of Independent Documentary Cinema in the Middle East

Sat, Nov 5, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Silver Center, NYU, 100 Washington Square East, New York City

This full-day program of panel discussions and film screenings examines the recent fast growing role, location and social life of documentary cinema in the Middle East with the emergence of independent production and the booming of news satellite television stations seeking programming. The panel hosts independent filmmakers and producers from a variety of countries across the region who will critically reflect on questions of official and alternative narratives, the “truth” of documentary, taboos and censorship and the challenges of documentary filmmaking in the region.

First Session: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Documentary Cinema in the Middle East: Unearthing Collective Memory of Trauma and Challenging the Boundaries of the Public Sphere.

Moderator: David Slocum (NYU)
Azza el-Hassan, independent filmmaker, Palestine
Rachida Lledo, independent filmmaker, Algeria (Nawel Films)
Berke Bas, independent filmmaker, Turkey

Lunch Break: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Film Screening: 1:30-2:30 p.m. FREE
Take Me (Ghaeir Khodoni) by Tamer el-Said. Egypt/UAE, US première
Silver Center, NYU, 100 Washington Square East

Second Session: 2:45-4:15 p.m.
The Social Life of Documentary Cinema in the Middle East: Underground Networks, Solidarities and Public Engagement.

Moderator: Shiva Balaghi (NYU)
Hala Galal, independent filmmaker and producer, Egypt (SEMAT Films)
Rachid Kasmi, independent filmmaker, producer and festival organizer, Morocco
Marjaneh Moghimi, independent producer, US and Iran (Butimar productions)

Film Screening: 4:30-5:30 p.m. FREE
Roundabout Shatila (Dawar Shatilah) by Maher Abi Samra. Lebanon, NY première
Silver Center, NYU, 100 Washington Square East

Cinema and Trauma: Roundtable discussion

Sun, Nov 6, 2–4 p.m.
Kevorkian Center, NYU, 50 Washington Square South, New York City

This roundtable discussion focuses on cinema and trauma and the growing role of fiction film in representing and narrating national trauma in the Middle East and North Africa. It examines how the genre has become a site for challenging official or dominant representations of recent turbulent history in the region. The guise of fiction and the construction of drama and characters has allowed filmmakers to represent taboos, and revisit once "forbidden" narratives.

Moderator: Ann Kaplan, Stonybrook University
Fatih Özgüven, film critic, Turkey
Hammadi Gueroum, film critic, Morocco
Oussama Fawzi, filmmaker, Egypt. (I Love Cinema)

Screenings and Talks with directors Elia Suleiman

October 21st
The NYU Cinema Studies Student Colloquium Committee presents: A Conversation with Filmmaker Elia Suleiman moderated by Professor Hamid Dabashi.

Reception to follow
4-6 pm
Cinema Studies, Tisch School of the Arts
Room 656, 6th Floor
721 Broadway

October 22nd
No Visa Required: Films from the Middle East. A special film series of Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with ArteEast. Screening: Chronicle of Disappearance.
Followed by a discussion with the filmmaker moderated by Peter Scarlet.

November 2nd
The Council on Middle East Studies at The Yale Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University presents: Screening: Divine Intervention
followed by a discussion with Elia Suleiman, moderated by Professor Hala Nassar.

Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium
53 Wall Street, New Haven CT
Sponsored also by The Film Studies Program and The Arab Students' Association.