NEW MIDDLE EAST CINEMA

26-29 October 2015



The Cinema Studies Program, the Jewish Studies Program, the Middle East Center, and the Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations Department at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival and International House Philadelphia, present the 2015 edition of NEW MIDDLE EAST CINEMA. Recently released feature films have been selected to represent Middle Eastern societies and cultures through cinema. Each film will be introduced by a presenter with special knowledge of the country, culture, and issues addressed in the film.

Our festival is free-admission and open to all.

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Monday, 26 October @ 5:30pm | SYRIA

Presenter : Maya Alkateb-Chami (Community Arts Initiative)



The Shebabs of Yarmouk (Axel Salvatori-Sinz, 2013, 78 min)

In Yarmouk (Syria), the Shebabs, a small group of boys & girls, have been friends since they were teens.

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Monday, 26 October @ 8:30pm | JORDAN

Presenter : Sean L. Yom (Temple, Political Science)



Theeb (Naji Abu Nowar, 2014, 100 min)

In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming of age.

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Tuesday, 27 October @ 5:30pm | ISRAEL

Presenters : Nili Gold (Penn, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations) & Chantal Low (Penn, Nursing)

Zero Motivation (Talya Lavie, 2014, 97 min)

A unit of female Israeli soldiers at a remote desert base.

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Tuesday, 27 October @ 8:30pm | IRAN

Presenter : Mahyar Entezari (Penn, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations)

Boys With Broken Ears (Nima Shayeghi, 2013, 78 min)

A look at the hopes and struggles of a handful of young Iranians wrestlers as they prepare for the biggest event of their lives.

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Wednesday, 28 October @ 5:30pm | LEBANON

Presenter : Sara Mourad (Penn, Annenberg School for Communication)

Ghadi (Amin Dora, 2013, 100 min)

Ghadi is different from other kids… Could he be an angel?

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Wednesday, 28 October @ 8:30pm | MOROCCO

Presenter : Brahim El Guabli (Princeton, Comparative Literature)

Traitors (Sean Gullette, 2013, 83 min)

Malika is the leader of the all-female punk rock band Traitors.

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Thursday, 29 October @ 8:30pm | TURKEY

Presenter : Ekin Pinar (Penn, History of Art and Cinema Studies)

Sivas (Kaan Müjdeci, 2014, 97 min)

11-year-old Aslan saves an injured Kangal sheepdog named Sivas.

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