Countdown to Opening Night!
Are you ready to fly to Dubai? We take off this Thursday night as the action-packed thriller City of Life launches the 2010 Arab Film Festival with fast cars, power, prestige and a stellar international cast. Meet filmmaker Ali Mostafa and dissect the movie afterwards at the opening night party as you enjoy live oud music with Mohamed Youssef and tasty Arab sweets. Book your tickets now!
After our stopover in Dubai we continue our journey across the Arab world – so strap on your seatbelt and stow your hand luggage. We are jam-packed with diverse Arab stories, from Morocco via Beirut, on the way through Kuwait, passing through Palestine and then across the Pacific to Australia. We bring you a collection of films – shorts, features and contemporary animations to share the stories and experiences of Arab people.
Spotlight on our Friday night feature…. 12 Angry Lebanese
If you know anything about Lebanon’s high-security Roumieh Prison, you know it is a brutal place. Surrounded in barbed wire and security checkpoints, the prison houses 4000 inmates and is infamous for its violent riots. But in 2009 an extraordinary project took place behind the high walls of Roumieh Prison, run by an extraordinary woman.
Everyone thought Zeina Daccache was crazy when she began a year-long theatre project with a group of prisoners to adapt Reginald Rose’s seminal play 12 Angry Men. In a thought-provoking role reversal, the actors portray a jury which must decide the fate of a boy accused of murder.
Daccache worked through a mountain of red tape to undertake the project, which was part therapy and part call for reform of the appalling prison conditions. Through the course of the production the actors draw on their own personal stories and conditions inside the prison – and their message is heard. They triumphantly perform their work for an audience of family, friends and representatives from Lebanon’s government and judicial system.
This moving film charts the course of the project and captures the heartfelt performances of the inmates-turned-actors. Some of them are on death row, one taught himself to read so he could participate, and all were deeply affected. Don’t miss this chance to meet the men inside Roumieh Prison.
