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 Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Synopsis: Welcome to the world of Dunia. A student of poetry and belly dancing, whose artistic expression is inhibited because she cannot experience desire. Mentored by the ardent public intellectual Dr. Beshir, Dunia begins an all-consuming search for ecstasy in poetry, dance, and music–taking us into her world of a society that both fetishizes and oppresses female sexuality. Ultimately, Dunia must confront the traditions that have destroyed her capacity for pleasure before she can experience it.
Hazami Barmada, President & Executive Director of the Progressive Muslim Network (PMN) and active member of the Muslim Women in the Arts organization, spoke about the Arts at the screening. To read her captivating talk, click here .
There was also a special Belly Dance performance by Katarina Gala.
About the Filmmaker:
Born in Beirut in 1948, Jocelyne Saab was originally a journalist and war-reporter in the Arab world and Iran. After assisting to Volker Schlöndorff she started to make her own movies. Her first, 'Une vie suspendue, was selected for Cannes in 1985 and in 1990 she realised a docu-fiction, 'Il était une foisBeyrouth', while her documentary 'La dame de Saïgon' was awarded the best French documentary. After five years prepairing she made her fist feature 'Dunia'.
She has directed about 20 documentary films shown worldwide by French and European channels, NBC in the United States and NHK in Japan. Distributed in France. So far she has shot in Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Kurdistan, Ex-Spanish Sahara, and Vietnam. She has written all of her films except "Suspended life" written by Gerard Brach.
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