Brooklyn Academy of Music To Screen Vital New Films From The Middle East And North Africa

Returning to BAM for a fourth year, the beauty, complexity, and diversity of Arab culture takes center stage in Contemporary Arab Cinema. Featuring stories of unlikely female friendship in Morocco, forbidden romance in Saudi Arabia, and political defiance in Algeria, this series of vital new works from the Middle East and North Africa's boldest filmmakers is curated by Lina Matta.

Film Descriptions:

Daughters of Abdulrahman (2021) Dir. Zaid Abu Hamdan. Four estranged sisters who return home to search for their missing father in a patriarchal Arab society confront family and individual truths in this Cairo International Film Festival Audience Award winner. In Arabic with English subtitles. Fri, Sep 23 at 7pm. Opening Night. Director in attendance!

A Second Life (2021) Dir. Anis Lassoued. After a car accident, twelve-year-old Gadha and his mom are taken in by a generous wealthy family, where they find friendship and a fresh start-until Gadha discovers his new family's secret. In Arabic with English subtitles. Sat, Sep 24 at 3pm

Memory Box (2021) Dirs. Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige. A box containing family secrets and long-buried memories of wartime Beirut resurfaces in this poignant and heartwarming film about women coming of age and the complexities of displacement and loss. In Arabic and French with English subtitles. Sat, Sep 24 at 6pm. Director in attendance!

Papicha (2019) Dir. Mounia Meddour. As terrorists push for an Islamic state in 1990s Algeria, a young woman puts together a fashion show in a defiant assertion of women's right to control their bodies, clothing, and lives. In Arabic and French with English subtitles. Sat, Sep 24 at 9pm

TV Society (2020) Dir. Robert Cremona. A struggling actor decides to host an Arabic dating show featuring a panel of competing women-and becomes a hated figure when the show is met with public outrage. In Arabic and English with English subtitles. Sun, Sep 25 at 2pm

Amira (2021) Dir. Mohamed Diab. Conceived with the smuggled sperm of her incarcerated father, a Palestinian teenager faces a crisis of identity and family when she discovers the man she idolizes is not her biological father. In Arabic with English subtitles. Sun, Sep 25 at 5pm

Adam (2019) Dir. Maryam Touzani. A single mom reluctantly takes in an unmarried pregnant woman looking for work in this tender drama of family and friendship. In Arabic with English subtitles. Sun, Sep 25 at 8pm

The Gravedigger's Wife (2021) Dir. Khadar Ahmed. This poetic study of love and the power of fleeting moments follows a gravedigger in Djibouti City determined to save his sick wife. In Somali with English subtitles. Mon, Sep 26 at 7pm

The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania. A Syrian refugee inadvertently winds up selling more than just his skin when he allows his back to be used as the canvas for a famous artist. In Arabic with English subtitles. Tue, Sep 27 at 7pm

Huda's Salon (2021) Dir. Hany Abu-Assad. During a trip to a Jerusalem hair salon, a young mother is blackmailed and forced to choose between protecting her family and betraying her people in this fast-paced thriller. In Arabic and English with English subtitles. Wed, Sep 28 at 9:30pm

The Tambour of Retribution (2020) Dir. Adbulaziz Alshlahei. The story of a forbidden romance between an executioner's son and a wedding musician's daughter paints a nuanced portrait of community, class, and love in turn-of-the-century Saudi Arabia. In Arabic with English subtitles. Thu, Sep 29 at 7pm

Carona (2021) Dir. Shady Hanna. A Lebanese family retreats to their dilapidated country house to avoid Covid and winds up rediscovering their roots in this family comedy. In Arabic with English subtitles. Thu, Sep 29 at 9:30pm

For additional information, please contact Lindsay Brayton at lbrayton@bam.org

Since 1998 BAM Rose Cinemas has been Brooklyn's home for film. Combining new releases with year-round repertory and specialty programming, the mission of BAM Film is to present nimble, responsive, and engaged film programming that centers marginalized artists and challenges prevailing narratives. The program continues BAM's tradition of presenting bold and adventurous work from adventurous artists to adventurous audiences. The four screen venue hosts festivals of films from around the world, often with special appearances by directors, actors, and other guests. BAM has programmed major retrospectives of filmmakers like Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Marlon Riggs, Jonathan Demme, and Claire Denis. Since 2009 the program has also produced BAMcinemaFest, New York's home for vital new work in American independent film.

Credits:

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Leadership support for BAM Film provided by the Ford Foundation and The Thompson Family Foundation

BAM is a recipient of a U.S. Small Business Administration Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, made possible by the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Charles D. Schumer.

BAM Rose Cinemas would like to acknowledge the generous support of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Estate of Richard B. Fisher, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and Bloomberg.

The BAM facilities are owned by the City of New York and benefit from public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support from Mayor Eric Adams; the New York City Council including Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, and the Brooklyn Delegation of the Council; and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. BAM would also like to thank the Brooklyn Delegations of the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate, Assembly member Phara Souffrant Forrest, and Senator Jabari Brisport.

For ticket information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100, or visit BAM.org.

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