Third Annual Lake Shore Arabic Film Festival

Mon. Nov. 6th through Fri. Nov. 10th

Presented by
International Film and Media Studies
Loyola University Chicago

Monday Nov. 6

7:00 opening: Free Middle Eastern Buffet
Provided by: The Middle East Bakery

8:00 Screening: Le Grand Voyage
By: Ismael Ferroukhi

Le Grand Voyage (2004) Feature Film. A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Reda finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. The wide cultural and generational gap between the two is worsened by their lack of communication. Reda finds it hard to accommodate his father, who demands respect for himself and his pilgrimage. Avoiding the hackneyed theme of the return to the homeland, the film uses the departure to renew a connection between two generation. Winner - Best First Film - 2004 Venice Film Festival. 108 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles.

Tuesday Nov. 7

7:30 screening: Struggle on the Nile
By: Atef Salem

Struggle on the Nile (Seraa fil Nil) ( 1959) Feature Film. Omar Sharif stars in this wonderful masterpiece of Egyptian cinema playing naïve young Muhasab, who is asked to accompany his more dependable friend, Mujahed, on a voyage up the Nile to Cairo. Once there, they will sell their boat, the "Bride of the Nile," in order to buy a barge that will make their village elders more competitive in business and trade. But a ruthless business rival is determined to see that the men never reach Cairo. Matters become even more complicated when Nargis, a scheming carnival, is discovered hiding out in the cargo hold of the "Bride of the Nile." 120 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles.

Wednesday Nov. 8

7:00 screening: Until When
By: Dahna Abourahme

Until When (2004) Documentary. Set during the current Intifada, this documentary follows four Palestinian families living in Dheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem. Fadi is 13 and cares for his 4 younger brothers, the Hammashes are a close-knit family who pass on the lessons of life with humor and passion, Sana is a single woman who endures long commutes to do community work, and Emad and Hanan are a young couple trying to shield their daughter from the harsh realities of the occupation. They talk about their past and discuss the future with humor, sorrow, frustration and hope. Until When paints an intimate in-depth portrait of Palestinian lives today. Official Selection in 2005 S.N.O.B Film Festival, 2005 Yamagata Doc Festival, 2005 Delta Film Festival, 2005 Chicago Int’l Documentary Film Festival, 2004 Vancouver Int’l Festival, 2004 Three Continents Human Rights Festival, 76 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles.

9:00 screening: Paradise Now
By: Hany Abu-Assad

Paradise Now (2005) Feature Film. The story places two close friends, Palestinians Said and Khaled, recruited by an extremist group to perpetrate a terrorist attack in Tel-Aviv and become martyrs. The film follows their final days, as they grapple with their consciences and prepare for the attack. They find both practical and emotional issues stand in their way, leading to an anguished and entirely moving finale to Abu-Assad’s film. Best Foreign Language Film - 2005 Golden Globes, 91 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles.

Thursday Nov. 9

7:00 screening: Viva Laldjerie
By: Nadir Nadir Mokneche

Viva Laldjerie (2003) Feature Film. This movie portrays three women living in today's Algeria between modern society and Islamic fundamentalism, self-determination and dependence. Goucem, a young photographer and mistress of a rich businessman, her mother Papicha, a former cabaret star, and her best friend Fifi, a prostitute, all live in a hotel in the city center of Algiers. Their difficult personal situation and the growing influence of Islam lead to dramatic consequences. 113 minutes, French with English subtitles.

Friday Nov. 10

7:00 screening: Being Osama
By: Mahmoud Kaabour and Tim Schwab

Being Osama (2004) Documentary. Being Osama is an intimate exploration of six men with highly diverse backgrounds, interests and personalities, united by their first names and their experiences as Arabs living in Canada in the post-9/11 world. Shot against the cultural backdrop of Montreal, the film follows the six Osamas from the time of the American invasion of Iraq 2003 to the anti-WTO demonstrations of the same year. Touching on subjects as diverse as Arab names, rock-n-roll, religion, Middle East politics, weddings, funerals and the meaning of identity, Being Osama is a sensitive and thoughtful portrait of six unique individuals and of the new Canada in which they live. Winner - Best Documentary, 2004 University Film/Video Association, 45 minutes, English.

8:00 screening: Summer In La Goulette
By: Ferid Boughedir

A Summer in La Goulette (Un ete a La Goulette) (1996) Feature Film. Youssef (a Muslim), Jojo (a Jew), and Giuseppe (a Catholic) are best of friends until each of their daughters swears to lose her virginity by a certain date. To make matters worse, each daughter sets her sights on a boy of a different religion, thus challenging an inviolable taboo and causing a rift between their fathers. As the families resolve their differences, the Six Day War breaks out in the Middle East, which will divide Jews and Arabs the world over. Winner - Golden Bear, 2006 Berlin International Film Festival, Nominated - Golden Spike, 1996 Valladolid International Film Festival, 100 minutes, French and Arabic with English subtitles.

All Films will be screened, in video, on Loyola University Chicago’s Lakeshore Campus in the Sullivan Center’s Galvin Auditorium at 6339 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60626. Parking is available on campus at the parking garage for $5.00

All screenings are FREE and open to the public.

Sponsored by: International Film and Media Studies program of Loyola University Chicago, LuCine, the SAF, Loyola Campus Greens, MESA, CLUB, and the Unity in Diversity Fund.

For more information contact Jeff Harder at (773) 508 3725 or Jharder (at) luc.edu.