Middle East Film Season at the Filmhouse
From 7 February - 11 March the 4th Annual Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace (MESP) will bring together people from a wide range of spiritual backgrounds, educators, teachers and scholars, people from artistic and cultural backgrounds and people from diverse cultures and traditions, in the spirit of promoting dialogue and mutual understanding.
This year’s film programme celebrates this diversity, with films covering the popular music scene in Turkey; the creation of the multi-cultural East-West orchestra; the haunting voice of Lebanese singer Fairuz; pilgrimages to the Hajj and the Mosque in Jerusalem; Iranian family law; the life and times of Al-Ghazali; and the hardships of Palestinian olive farmers. As different as all of these films are from each other, they have one common bond – a celebration of the beauty and strength of the human spirit, often in adverse circumstances, and in this respect act as a counterweight to the morass of negative publicity that helps encourage a climate of intolerance.
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Wed 7 Feb at 5.45pm
Fatih Akin • Germany/Turkey 2005 • 1h29m • 35mm • English, German and Turkish with English subtitles • 12A • Documentary
Multi-award-winning director Fatih Akin returns from the success of Head On with a musical odyssey following Alexander Hacke, musical director on Akin’s previous film and bassist with experimental punk outfit Einstürzende Neubauten, around Istanbul recording the city’s eclectic music scene. Hacke meets hairy rockers, fervent buskers, wrecked Romanies, persecuted Kurds and crinkly popsters, as well as some of the nicest – yet still credible– rappers you’re ever likely to encounter. The film is an absorbing portrait of the city that bridges Europe and Asia, and an exploration of the musical concept of east-meets-west.
Divorce Iranian Style
Fri 9 Feb at 5.45pm
Ziba Mir-Hosseini & Kim Longinotto • Iran/ UK 1998 • 1h20m • BETA SP • Persian with English subtitles • PG • Documentary
A fascinating portrait of Islamic family law that succeeds in challenging prevailing stereotypes about women and Islam, by utilising a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ approach and following a number of couples through the divorce courts. The universal themes of marriage, divorce and the fate of children cut across cultural and social barriers and present an engaging portrait of the Iranian legal system.
Fairuz, We Loved Each Other So Much
Fairuz, we hielden zoveel van mekaar
Sat 10 Feb at 1.00pm
Jack Janssen • Netherlands 2003 • 1h20m • BETA SP • Arabic with English subtitles • PG • Documentary
Prior to the civil war, Beirut was known as a free port, a place where all different sorts of factions, whether ethnic, religious or ideological, could live together in peace. It was a place where refugees from other parts of the Arab world could find safety and where a person’s religious beliefs were irrelevant. The music of Fairuz still embodies that idyll and in that respect she has become an icon of unity within a divided nation. This insightful documentary charts her fifty years as one of the Arab world’s truly great popular musicians and, through her music and lyrics, indirectly tells the moving story of her beloved city of Beirut.
Hajj – The Journey of a Lifetime
Sun 11 Feb at 1.15pm
Ovidio Salazar • Britain 2001 • 55m • BETA SP • PG • Documentary
The film follows in the footsteps of three British pilgrims – a policeman, a neurologist and an undergraduate – as they join a half million Muslims undertaking the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca.
PLUS SHORT
The Furthest Mosque
Ovidio Salazar, Britain 2006, 25m, BETA SP, PG, Documentary
This films sets out to discover the reasons why the Mosque at Jerusalem holds such an important place in the hearts of Muslims everywhere.
Knowledge is the Beginning
Wir konnen nur den Hass verringern
Wed 14 Feb at 6.00pm
Paul Smaczny • Denmark 2005 • 1h30m • BETA SP • English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles • PG • Documentary
World-renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinian writer and activist Edward Said generated both controversy and admiration when they founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999. This Emmy-nominated documentary follows this unique musical collaboration from its inception. Comprised of Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians, it is a living expression of its aim to further peaceful co-existence in the Middle East.
Part of the seeds of Reconciliation programme, sponsored by the Kobler Trust.
Print provided courtesy of the UK Jewish Film Festival.
Al-Ghazali: The Alchemist of Happiness
Thu 15 Feb at 5.45pm
Abdul Latif Salazar • Britain 2004 • 1h20m • BETA SP • English and Persian with English subtitles • 12A
Cast: Abol Reza Kermani, Mitra Hajjar, Dariush Arjmand.
This film explores the life and impact of the greatest spiritual and legal philosopher in Islamic history. Examining his existential crisis of faith that arose from his rejection of formal book-based learning in favour of direct experience, it reveals profound parallels with our own times. Ghazali became known as the Proof of Islam, and his path of love and spiritual excellence overcame the pitfalls of the religious fanaticism of his day. As a result of his efforts, Sufism was integrated into the wider body of Islamic teachings.
The Olive Harvest
Sat 17 Feb at 1.00pm
Hanna Elias • Palestine 2003 • 1h29m • 35mm • PG
Cast: Raida Adon, Mohammed Bakri, Samiah Kazmouz.
Hanna Elias’ feature length debut subtly integrates a romantic tale about tradition and family loyalty with the broader issue of expanding Israeli settlements. The beautiful cinematography, script and meticulous attention to the rituals of daily life are filled with the character of the Palestinian countryside and her people.
After the screening, director Hanna Elias will be present to take part in a Q&A session.
TICKET DEAL
See any three films in the Middle East Season for £12/£7.50 concessions, or all seven for £21/£14 concessions. Tickets must all be bought at the same time.
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