SUNY Fredonia is sponsoring a Middle Eastern Film Series next week that will feature four critically-acclaimed foreign films. All screenings are free and open to the public, and will feature commentaries by professors Nefin Dinc (communication department) and Iclal Vanwesenbeeck (English department).
“The Syrian Bride,” directed by the Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis, will be shown at 7 p.m. in McEwen Hall Room 202 on Monday, Dec. 4. Shot on location in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights,The Syrian Bride looks at the Middle East conflict through the story of a family divided by political borders, and explores how their lives are fractured by the region's harsh political realities. The film has garnered critical acclaim and has won or been nominated internationally for several notable awards.
“Eskiya (The Bandit)” (1996), directed by Turkish filmmaker Yavuz Turgul, will be shown at 7 p.m. in Jewett Hall Room 101 on Tuesday, Dec. 5. An action film focusing on the sole survivor of a gang who is released after 35 years in prison, the film portrays honour, corruption, solidarity and betrayal. The director mirrors the bandit's displacement with irony as he playfully transposes elements of mythic and American cinema into Turkey's contemporary urban reality.
“Broken Wings” (2002), a poignant story of a grieving family in crisis, will be shown Thursday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Jewett Hall Room 101. The writer and director of the film is Israeli filmmaker Nir Bergman, who won the John Schlessinger Filmmaker Prize at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for this work. The film took the Grand Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2002.
"A New Day of Old Sana'a" (2005), directed by Bader Ben Hirsi, will be shown Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. in McEwen Hall Room 202. This was the first feature film ever shot in Yemen. The film won the Arab Film Prize at the Cairo Film Festival in 2005. In this romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana'a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her. Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family's honor.
The series is sponsored by FSA, the Women's Studies Program, and departments of English and Communication.
