World Nomads Lebanon May 2010

Transcription

1 World Nomads Lebanon May

2 2 World Nomads World Nomads, FIAF s annual exploration of transculturalism in the 21st century, is intended as a forum for dialogue between cultures. It returns this May for its third edition to focus on Lebanon, a country whose rich heritage has long captivated imaginations around the world. All across the globe, members of the extraordinary Lebanese diaspora have broadened the cultural landscape and enriched international discourse. The powerful interplay between memory of homeland and life in new societies has shaped the work of important contemporary Lebanese artists. World Nomads Lebanon presents a month-long series dedicated to some of the preeminent Lebanese artistic voices active in the fields of music, cinema, literature, architecture, theater, and the visual arts in the world today. As with its previous editions, World Nomads Lebanon is created with luminary curators thanks in particular to Rasha Salti and presented in partnership with esteemed New York-based cultural organizations, which this year include Alwan for the Arts, Architizer, ArteEast, Kleio Projects, and PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature.

3 Nabil Nahas, Untitled

4 Music 4 5 Opening Concert Bassam Saba Ensemble Saturday, May 1 at 8pm To kick off World Nomads Lebanon, the acclaimed Bassam Saba Ensemble brings their unique sound a mix of classical and folk Arabic music combined with classical western influences to FIAF for an evening of performance and celebration. Led by the Lebanese-born Bassam Saba, a leading figure in Arabic music and worldrenowned virtuoso of the nay, the Ensemble is known for enormous skill and passionate, electrifying performances. Florence Gould Hall FIAF Members $20 Non-Members $25 Bassam Saba

5 Literature 6 7 Elias Khoury Sunday, May 2 at 1pm Rawi Hage Sunday, May 2 at 3pm Alexandre Najjar Sunday, May 2 at 5pm Meet the Writer... en français! Alexandre Najjar Monday, May 3 at 4:30pm Renowned Lebanese author Elias Khoury will present selections from his newly published book White Masks. Since 1975, Khoury has been an integral part of the Beirut vanguard of modern Arabic literature. Khoury is the author of twelve novels, including Gate of the Sun, Yalo, Little Mountain, and City Gates. Gate of the Sun was named a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year and a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, and was awarded Le Monde Diplomatique s Book of the Year. Award-winning author, photographer, and visual artist Rawi Hage will discuss his approach to writing and the ways in which his multicultural background has influenced his voice. His debut novel, De Niro s Game (2006), has garnered several literary awards, including the 2008 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the McAuslan First Book Prize, and the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. Alexandre Najjar, one of the most noted Lebanese novelists of his generation, will speak about his multi-faceted career and read from some of his award-winning works. Born in Lebanon, Najjar now splits his time between Paris and Beirut, and serves as director of Beirut s French-language monthly L Orient littéraire. Najjar s work has earned him recognition including the Lauréat de la Bourse Ecrivain of the Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère, the Prix Méditerranée, and the Grand prix de la francophonie Hervé Deluen awarded by l Académie Française. Meet Alexandre Najjar when he returns to FIAF for a second talk, in French. He will speak about his work and writing process, discussing specifically his role as a writer investigating the historical past and present of Lebanese culture. All Sunday talks in English Le Skyroom Free & open to public Tickets distributed first come, first-served Presented in partnership with Meet the Writer en français! Haskell Library Seating is limited FIAF Members Free Non-Members $15 Reservation required Call Special thanks to the Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère for their generous support

6 8 Theater 9 Wajdi Mouawad Wednesday, May 19 at 7pm Staged Reading: Wajdi Mouawad & Jane Birkin Friday, May 21 at 7pm Celebrated author, director, actor, and storyteller Wajdi Mouawad comes to FIAF for an evening dedicated to his brilliant and poetic work. Born in Lebanon, Mouawad was forced to flee as a child, travelling first to France and then to Montreal, where his career began and developed. His work will be presented at the Festival TransAmériques in Montreal in June. Acclaimed author Wajdi Mouawad will be joined by his dear friend, actress and singer Jane Birkin, for a special reading of his work. When Birkin and Mouawad first met, they immediately shared a strong bond of mutual respect and admiration, both as artists and humanitarians. Birkin and Mouawad will read Mouawad s The Sentinel a personal work written for Birkin among other pieces. Special thanks to the Délégation Générale du Québec à New York for their generous support. Wajdi Mouawad In French with English supertitles Le Skyroom Free by reservation only Call to reserve Mouawad & Birkin In English & French with English supertitles Florence Gould Hall Free by reservation only Call or fiafprog@fiaf.org to reserve Wajdi Mouawad

7 Architecture Bernard Khoury Thursday, May 6 at 7pm Public Space: Memory, Boundary, Catastrophe Thursday, May 13 at 7pm Attend a lecture by Beirut-based architect Bernard Khoury. Khoury will present his built works in Beirut, as well as his conceptual projects. Following the lecture, Khoury will lead a conversation about the philosophy behind his work, which seeks to reflect elements of the national character and respond to the landscape, as well as the cultural and economic climate of the city. FIAF welcomes Roldolphe el-khoury, Canada Research Chair in Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Toronto; Hashim Sarkis, the Aga Khan Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism in Muslim Societies and the Director of the Aga Khan Program at Harvard University Graduate School of Design; and architects Makram el Kadi and Ziad Jamaleddine of the New York Citybased design collective L.E.FT. Panelists will address questions of memory and urban trauma as they relate to divisions in the city and diminishing conditions for public space in Beirut. Series curated by Benjamin Prosky and Beth Stryker Special thanks to Architizer Bernard Khoury In English Tinker Auditorium Public Space In English Le Skyroom B018 Beirut, Lebanon, built 1998

8 Architecture Modern Architecture in Beirut: Reconstruction and Cultural Identity Thursday, May 20 at 7pm Architects George Arbid, Associate Professor of Architecture at the American University of Beirut; Steven Holl, Professor at Columbia University s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; and WORK Architecture Company co-founders Amale Andraos and Dan Wood will participate in the final discussion in this series. In moderated conversation, speakers will explore post-civil-war planning and reconstruction, addressing questions such as historic preservation, conservation, and the conflicts inherent in the present reconstruction of Beirut. Modern Architecture in Beirut In English Le Skyroom Single Event FIAF Members $15 Non-Members $20 Full 3-Event Series FIAF Members $30 Non-Members $40 Renewal Saifi Village, 2008

9 CinémaTuesdays World Nomads Lebanon: Cinema Tuesdays, May 4 25 It can be argued that the generation of Lebanese filmmakers who experienced the country s civil war ( ) also saw the country s cinema come into its own as a medium for artistic expression and exploration. The lived experience of violence and the trauma of a civil conflict inspired the emergence of a politically-engaged auteur cinema where subjectivity rather than objectivity found a voice, a language in film. The films in this program illustrate how filmmakers from this and subsequent generations have attempted to transpose the complexity of experience through the singular poetics of film. In partnership with Special thanks to Rasha Salti and Livia Alexander, ArteEast, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Co-curated by Marie Losier and Rasha Salti Hippolyte Girardot in Out of Life

10 CinémaTuesdays Out of Life Hors la vie Tuesday, May 4 at 12:30, 4 & 7pm Maroun Bagdadi, Color. 97 min. Rafic Ali Ahmad, Hippolyte Girardot Rasha Salti, film curator and Creative Director of ArteEast, will introduce the 7pm screening. Bagdadi is one of Lebanon s pioneering filmmakers. Out of Life, one of his most accomplished films, is the deeply emotional, real-life story of the capture and captivity of a French journalist by Lebanese militias during the war. Once Upon A Time: Beirut Kan Ya Makan Beirut Tuesday, May 11 at 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm Jocelyne Saab, Color. 101 min. With Emile Accar, Michèle Tyan, Myrna Maakaron This imaginative exploration of history follows two women in post-civil war Beirut, whom upon meeting a film collector, sift through movies and reconstruct a vision of their now devastated city. The One Man Village Sema an bel Day a Tuesday, May 18 at 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm Simon El-Habre, Color. 86 min. With Simon El-Habre A compelling portrait of the director s uncle and his village that was nearly destroyed during the war, this documentary examines the repercussions of the conflict. Four Short Films Tuesday, May 25 at 4pm Total screening length 72 min. A quartet of acclaimed shorts from a newer generation of Lebanese filmmakers that represent the ever-evolving vision of a national cinema. These films embrace the everyday, the extraordinary, and what lies between. Tripoli Quiet Trablos Al-Hada Rania Attieh min. Tomorrow 6:30 Bokra Sitteh W Noss Gilles Tarazi min. A Sheherazade Tale Rami Kodeih min. Wednesday Talal Khoury. 2009, 19 min. Double Screening Tuesday, May 25 at 12:30 & 7pm The Road North Carlos Chahine, Color. 25 min. With Fadi Abi Samra, Carlos Chahine The Last Man Atlal Ghassan Salhab, Color. 101 min. With Carlos Chahine, Raia Haidar Around Town The Calm After the Storm: Classic and Contemporary Lebanese Cinema Film Society of Lincoln Center and ArteEast Acclaimed Lebanese actor Carlos Chahine directed this affecting tale of a man who returns to his homeland to properly bury his father, years after his death in the civil war. Using the motif of vampirism, this fascinating film is an allegorical exploration of a society recovering from war. A forensics expert inspects a series of murders until he finds himself stricken with symptoms that suggest he might have succumbed to vampirism himself. Born under the shadow of the civil war that savaged the country from 1975 to 1990, Lebanese cinema has emerged in the past decade as perhaps the most respected and provocative cinema in the Arab world. From May 5 to May 15, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and ArteEast will present a remarkable selection of key films from Lebanon, ranging from a rousing Fairuz musical (Youssef Chahine s The Ring Seller) to recent international film favorites such as West Beirut, Falafel, and Caramel. Also included will be special tributes to Maroun Bagdadi and Randa Chahal. Films from this series will be screened at the Walter Reade Theater at 165 West 65th St. Visit filmlinc.com or arteeast.org for complete details. Films are in French and Arabic with English subtitles, unless otherwise noted Florence Gould Hall FIAF Members Free* ($2 advance tickets) Non-Members $10 Students w/id $ 7 Cinéma at FIAF is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.

11 Visual Arts Nabil Nahas Cedrus Libani: Roots & Memory Saturday, May 1 Saturday, May 29 Lebanese-American artist Nabil Nahas, whose work has been exhibited all over the world, brings his striking, large-scale works including a few new pieces to FIAF s Gallery. Nahas s pieces reflect both western modernism and classic Islamic art, and explore the concept of order emerging from disorder through color, texture, patterns, and abstract images. Inspired by the beauty of nature and the rich complexity of Middle Eastern culture, Nahas uses natural elements such as trees in particular the cedar, symbolizing Lebanon to present his personal vision of his homeland. Nabil Nahas FIAF Gallery Tuesday Friday: 11am 6pm Saturday: 11am 5pm Free and open to the public Untitled 2009, Nabil Nahas

12 Visual Arts My Umi Said... New Work from Lebanon Friday, May 7 Friday, May 28 This intimate group exhibition presents new pieces by five progressive Lebanese artists: Ginou Choueiri, Youmna Chlala, Lina Hakim, Randa Mirza, and Amahl Khouri. Through their work, these artists will explore issues pertinent to Lebanon s current social and political landscape in inventive, playful, and surprising ways. Using painting, mixed media installation, video, and photography, each artist will challenge themes related to identity by exploring the ways in which it is considered in Lebanon, a country celebrated for its rich diversity. My Umi Said... aims to create a starting point for alternative discussions and critical thinking about modern Lebanon. My Umi Said New Work from Lebanon Kleio Projects 153½ Stanton Street Tuesday Sunday: 12 7pm For more info, visit kleioprojects.com Cool Cat by Ginou Choueiri

13 Special Event An Evening with Carlos Ghosn Monday, May 24 at 7pm Brazil-born French and Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn comes to FIAF for a special World Nomads-themed talk. Currently Chairman and CEO of Renault Nissan Alliance, a global organization, Ghosn has been recognized as one of the world s most important business leaders by Time magazine, CNN, the Financial Times, and European CNBC. In this intimate evening, business luminary Ghosn will speak about how his successful career has been shaped by his global outlook. In English Le Skyroom FIAF Members $30 Non-Members $40 Foot Prints, Bourj Hammoud, 2009

14 Calendar of Events May 2010 Locations & Ticketing Saturday 1 Opening Concert: Bassam Saba Ensemble 8pm p.4 FGH Saturday 1 Cedrus Libani: Roots & Memory Exhibition Opens p.18 GAL Sunday 2 Talk with Elias Khoury 1pm p.6 SKY Sunday 2 Talk with Rawi Hage 3pm p.6 SKY Sunday 2 Talk with Alexandre Najjar 5pm p.7 SKY Monday 3 Meet the Writer en français! Alexandre Najjar 4:30pm p.7 HL French Institute Alliance Française FGH Ticketing / fiaf.org Information Subway 4, 5, 6 to 59th Street / N, R to 5th Avenue E to 53rd Street & 5th Avenue Follow FIAF on Twitter fiafny Become a Fan on Facebook Florence Gould Hall 55 East 59th Street (between Madison and Park avenues) Tuesday 4 Out of Life 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm p.16 FGH Thursday 6 Bernard Khoury 7pm p.10 TKR SKY Le Skyroom 22 East 60th Street (between Madison and Park avenues) Friday 7 My Umi Said... Exhibition Opens p.20 KP Tuesday 11 Once Upon a Time: Beirut 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm p.16 FGH Thursday 13 Public Space: Memory, Boundary, Catastrophe 7pm p.10 SKY Tuesday 18 The One Man Village 12:30, 4 & 7:30pm p.16 FGH Wednesday 19 Talk with Wajdi Mouawad 7pm p.8 SKY GAL HL FIAF Gallery 22 East 60th Street (between Madison and Park avenues) Hours: Tuesday Friday, 11am 6pm / Saturday, 11am 5pm John & Francine Haskell Library 22 East 60th Street, 2nd Floor Hours: Monday Thursday, 11:30am 8pm / Saturday, 9:30am 3pm Thursday 20 Modern Architecture in Beirut 7pm p.12 SKY Friday 21 Staged Reading: Wajdi Mouawad & Jane Birkin 7pm p.8 FGH TKR Tinker Auditorium 55 East 59th Street (between Madison and Park avenues) Monday 24 An Evening with Carlos Ghosn 7pm p.22 SKY Tuesday 25 Double Screening: Road North & Last Man 12:30 & 7pm p.16 FGH Tuesday 25 Screening of Four Short Films 4pm p.17 FGH Off-site Locations KP Kleio Projects 153½ Stanton Street (between Clinton and Suffolk streets) Hours: Tuesday Sunday, 12 7pm Information kleioprojects.com Subway F, M, J, Z to Essex/Delancey Street Around Town The Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater 165 West 65th Street, upper level (between Broadway and Amsterdam avenues) Tickets by phone Tickets online ticketing.filmlinc.com Subway 1 to 66th Street Lincoln Center

15 World Nomads 2010 Sponsors 26 Co-presenters 27 Lead Sponsors Premier Sponsors Patron Sponsors Alwan for the Arts Alwan for the Arts serves The official airline of FIAF Samantha and Nabil Chartouni Joseph Audi The Raymond Debbane Family Foundation Nada and Elias Doumet Fund Yervant Demirjian the Arab community and educates the public by showcasing cultural events, thereby enriching the cross-cultural and artistic encounter. Alwan is committed to maintaining a space for reflection, dialogue, and growth in the arts and cultures of the peoples of the Middle East, North Africa, and the diaspora. Visit alwanforthearts.org for info. Architizer Architizer is a new way for architects, clients, and fans to interact, show work, and discover architecture on the web. Visit architizer.com for more info. ArteEast ArteEast, a New York-based international nonprofit organization established in 2003, supports and promotes artists from the Middle East and its diasporas by raising awareness of their most significant and groundbreaking work through public events, exhibitions, screenings, a dynamic online gallery, and a resource-rich website. Visit arteeast.org for info. Friends Dr. Edgard El Chaar Mark Hachem Karim Tabet Haleem and Denise Zihenni Special Thanks Social and Economic Action for Lebanon (SEAL). FIAF s Spring 2010 Sponsors American Airlines, the official airline of FIAF; the Cultural Services of the French Embassy; Culturesfrance; the Florence Gould Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. Kleio Projects Located on the Lower East Side, Kleio Projects is an exhibition and cultural events space dedicated to promoting cutting-edge contemporary Middle Eastern art. It aims to foster open dialogue and cultural debate through diverse programming of international and local artists at the forefront of cultural practice. Visit kleioprojects.com for more info. PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature A week-long celebration of books and writing from around the globe, featuring over 50 events, 150 writers, and 40 countries. Don t miss this exciting crosscultural literary exchange including conversations, panel discussions, readings, a translation slam, and an allstar Cabaret! New York City, April 26 May 2, Visit pen.org/festival for more info. Credits Design: Philippe Apeloig, Alexandra Brand, and Damien Saatdjian Copy Editing: Julia Foster and Chris Schimpf Cover: Recycled Wall, Achrafieh Rhea Karam p.2: Christoph Knoch p.5: Courtesy of Bassam Saba p.8: Jean-Louis Fernandez p.11: DW5 / Bernard Khoury p.12: Rhea Karam p.15: Maroun Bagdadi p.18: Christoph Knoch p.21: Courtesy of Ginou Choueiri p.22: Rhea Karam Sponsors as of March 23, 2010 Caption

16 Join Us Become a FIAF Member 28 3 Individuals (100% tax-deductible) $35 Youth $70 Seniors/Academics $90 Adults Family (100% tax-deductible) $100 Senior/Academic $140 Family Benefits Free weekly film screenings Member discounts to all FIAF cultural events Access to the largest private French library in the U.S. Opportunities to network and socialize en français Invitations to special events Premier Membership Contributing $250 ($210 tax-deductible) FIAF Membership Benefits plus Two free tickets to a FIAF event Two yearly guest passes to CinémaTuesdays Invitations to events exclusively for Premier Members Supporting $750 ($ tax-deductible) Contributing Benefits plus Two additional tickets to a FIAF event 90-minute private language class for one VIP seating and early ticketing Patron $1,500 ($1,150 tax-deductible) Supporting Benefits plus Four additional tickets to a FIAF event Four yearly guest passes to CinémaTuesdays Two 90-minute private language classes for the price of one For more information, visit fiaf.org or contact the Membership Office or membership@fiaf.org

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