Amreeka

Amreeka (Cherien Dabis, USA/Canada, 96 minutes, in English and Arabic with English subtitles) In this heart-warming tale, an accomplished feature debut by Palestinian/Jordanian filmmaker Cherien Dabis, a courageous and resourceful single mother leaves the West Bank with her son for a new life in America. More Information

Our Feelings Took the Pictures: Open Shutters Iraq

Our Feelings Took the Pictures: Open Shutters Iraq (Maysoon Pachachi, Syria/UK, 2008, 102 minutes, in Arabic with English subtitles) Iraq-born Maysoon Pachachi’s latest film documents project in which a group of women refugees from five cities in Iraq living in Syria learn to take photographs and present their lives to each other.

Women Without Shadows

Women Without Shadows (Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia, 2005, 44 minutes, in Arabic with English subtitles) This documentary by Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker addresses important issues faced by women in Saudi society and beyond. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion. More Information

Barakat! (Enough!)

Barakat! (Enough! ), Djamila Sahraoui, Algeria/France, 2005, 95 minutes, in French and Arabic) In this beautifully observed drama set during the Algerian Civil War, a doctor sets out, with assistance of an older woman (and no help from the authorities), to find her missing journalist husband.

Umlando – Through My Father’s Eyes

Free public screening of “Umlando – Through My Father’s Eyes” featuring legendary South African musician Hugh Masekela and his American-born son Salema, an ESPN reporter for FIFA World Cup. Together they explore the people, culture and inspiring landscape of South Africa and the nation’s history. This 10 part series was featured during 2010 FIFA World Cup.
45 minutes

Co-sponsored by UMass Fine Arts Center, The Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series and the Department of Sports Management.
Then come experience Hugh Masekela in concert on Wednesday, October 13 at 7:30pm in Bowker Auditorium. $30, $20; Five College/GCC/STCC students and youth $10. 1-800-999-UMAS or www.fineartscenter.com

Bedwin Hacker

Bedwin Hacker (Nadia El Fani, France/Morocco/Tunisia, 2003, 98 minutes, in Arabic and French with English subtitles) In this sexy and savvy thriller, a politically motivated Tunisian pirate hacks into French satellites to broadcast her messages.

Sleeping Child

Sleeping Child (Yasmine Kassari, Morocco/Belgium, 2005, 110 minutes, in Berber, Arabic, and French with English subtitles) In Yasmine Kassari’s lyrical feature debut, women carry on living in the absence of their husbands who seek employment opportunity abroad, including performing a folk ritual called the “sleeping child.”

Who Does She Think She Is?

Wednesday, September 30
7:00 pm
Screening of the film “Who Does She Think She Is?” cosponsored by Everywoman’s Center and Women of Color Leadership Network. For more information call (413) 545-0883.

Let us know what you thought about it!

Upcoming events

AmericAura officially opens today, Monday, December 3rd at the Hampden Gallery here at the lovely UMass Amherst Campus. It’s “an exhibition of contemporary works on paper by fifty U.S. artists addressing the notion of national identity. The group includes emerging and professional artists, and enables the diversity of ethnic, racial, gender, philosophical, and political views to shine!” Go! Have fun!

And after having fun at the Hampden Gallery, why not visit the Augusta Savage Gallery? Their new exhibit just opened as well called “the the the is” and it’s “An installation inspired by John Coltrane, the shape of broccoli, Jean Micheal Basquiat, and Mohandas K. Ghandi.” It’s only here until December 7th to catch it before it goes!

Anyone interested in jazz, saxophones, music and/or is free Wednesday night on December 5th at 8:15pm should attend the Fred Anderson/Chad Taylor Duo concert happening at Bezanson Recital Hall. General tickets are ten bucks and students are FIVE! It’s practically a steal because where else can you hear live jazz saxophone music for five to ten bucks with Fred Anderson and Chad Taylor. “Fred Anderson is a commanding tenor saxophonist, and a leader of Chicago’s jazz community for over 30 years. Percussionist Chad Taylor formed the Chicago Underground Ensemble with Rob Mazurek in 1996, has worked with Peter Brotzmann, Leroy Jenkins and Joe McPhee, and is part of Chicago’s post-rock scene, where he has collaborated with Brokeback, Mouse on Mars, StereoLab, Tortoise and Jim O’Rourke.”

Take advantage of what the Fine Arts Center has to offer and enjoy yourself in this holiday season.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

The film called Little Red Flowers is playing at School of Management Room 137 on Wednesday, December 5, 7:00 pm. It’s in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. “A defiant kindergartener in 1950s Beijing refuses to conform in this effective and naturalistically acted cultural allegory.”

The art galleries hold their monthly Amherst Art Walk/UMass Art Hop on
Thursday, December 6 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

And, don’t forget to grab tickets for Cherish the Ladies for Wednesday, December 12 at the Concert Hall at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $35, $25, $15; Five College Students $15, $10, $7; Youth 17 and under $12. If you want to hear a sample: click . here

Have a wonderful week and stay safe on those icy streets.

AACP film Buffalo Boy

I went to Buffalo Boy last night, the New Asia Cinema film for this week (Wednesdays at 7pm at SoM!)…. and it was amazing. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was captivated from the first moment to the very end.

I got a glimpse of what life in South Vietnam might be like. They vacillate between droughts and heavy rains, and I would NOT like being cold and wet most of the time. At one point, when the house they were in was torn apart by a storm and they went drifting away in half a house, I thought, “I got nothin’ to complain about!”

The cinematography was amazing. I was especially struck by the rain being captured on the water… first they showed it coming down really hard, then lighter and lighter, until it was finally still. Very cool.

Another interesting aspect was how they bury their dead there. When there is no land exposed for miles on end (or for months on end), how do they bury a body? Things that make you go, “Hmmmm…..”

I am definitely going to go back to another one of these films. It was very well done and more than worth the price of admission (just kidding… it’s FREE!!)