Muslim Film Festival DC

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
Tuesday, April 19
6pm
West End Cinema
2301 M Street NW, Washington DC (Located at 23rd st nw, between M St and N St)

In the face of sweeping government crackdowns and condemnation, 2009 Grand Prix winner at the Cannes Film Festival "No One Knows About Persian Cats" tells the story of a group of indie rockers who organize an underground artistic uprising in Iran. Through their musical protests they find themselves living in constant fear of being imprisoned, and yet these young Iranians remain resolute as they pursue their dreams. Bare witness to the film that's production mirrored the world it unmasks, both the plot and the actual film attempt to open up the struggle young Iranians face in their quest to produce music. Space is limited, RSVP here.

MAKING OF
Wednesday, April 20
6pm
EQB Lounge at American University

“Making Of” won awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actor at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Director Nouri Bouzid offers a controversial story about how a young man named Bahta turns to a life of radical Islam when his artistic dreams are crushed by the repressive Tunisian regime. Bahta’s inner revolution takes off as he begins to identify
more with the potential of extremism and violence than following his passion for dance. Disturbing, yet powerful, the film charts the gripping account of how Bahta is consumed by anguish when the society’s opportunities lose their faint allure and prove hopeless. Space is limited, RSVP here.

THE TAQWACORES
Thursday, April 21
6PM
Wechsler Theater at American University (on the third floor of the Mary Graydon Center)
Post-screening exclusive discussion with the Director Eyad Zahra and actor Volkan Eryaman

The Taqwacores was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The film, based on the 2003 novel by Michael Muhammad Knight, tells the story of a group of young punk Muslim-Americans in upstate New York who struggle to identify with their diverse larger Muslim community. As they find new ways to express themselves
artistically, intellectually and religiously, they develop a vibrant underground subculture. Provocative, yet profound, the film explores how different traditions can spark new movements. Without losing track of their Muslim identity, the characters forge a new community to include the individuals society seems to have forgotten. Directed by Eyad
Zahra, see the movie that has helped spark the real punk Islam movement it depicts. Following the screening there will be an exclusive discussion with the Director Eyad Zahra and "Amazing Ayyub" aka Volkan Eryaman. Space is limited, RSVP here.

SHAHADA
Monday, April 25
6PM
Butler Boardroom at American University

Shahada was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. Directed by Burhan Qurbani, the film exposes how cultural taboos between tradition and modernity clash in contemporary German society. The characters represent diverse ethnic backgrounds, and yet are each forced to endure the common challenge
of embodying the often asked question of whether Islamic and Western cultures are compatible. As the characters try to reconcile ideological differences between religious expectation and personal choice, they find themselves overcome with the complex question of how to conceive their identity. Space is limited, RSVP here.

UN PROPHETE
Wednesday, April 27
6PM
West End Cinema
2301 M Street NW, Washington DC (Located at 23rd st nw, between M St and N St)

Un Prophete was a 2010 Oscar Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year as well as numerous other international awards and won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Director Jacques Audiard delves into a troubling story of how foreigners exist in French prisons and are coerced in to xenophobic groups to protect
themselves. Struck by the false-notion that the main character Malik must either belong to the Corsican or Arab gangs within the prison, the film offers a unique perspective on the shortcomings even criminals face assimilating into French society. A compelling arrangement emerges when the young Malik is forced to risk his future release in order to ensure his survival, as he cautiously submits to perilous obligations as the story turns when he is allowed to temporarily escape prison-life. Space is limited, RSVP here.