Thursday, January 16, 2014

Alif Mabrouk to Oscar nominated Omar's Square Wall!

Okay, so I'm making a little play on words of the three movies representing the Arab world at the Oscars, but I'm actually quite besides myself with the news.

Can you imagine my joy at seeing not one, not two, but three films on the short list of Oscar nominations today that actually show people that look like me on the screen?

For many that know me, I love movies.  If you'd like to see what Arab movies I recommend, please visit my Arab movies I ♥ board on Pinterest. 

I see, on average, about ten movies a week.  This week I've watched Soap Dish, Harold, Saving Mr. Banks, Cake, August: Osage County and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend and Tara Road already.  And it's only Thursday. 

I love to go to the theater, and I always have a movie going while I'm making art in my studio.  It inspires me to think about all that people that had to work together to get that one scene on the screen.

I look forward to watching these movies and adding them to my board.  I also can't wait to see them win on Oscar night, so alif mabrouk (1,000 congratulations) to the nominees!

Here is a little more detail about the movies:

Karama Has No Walls
Director: Sara Ishaq

'Karama has no walls' is set amidst Yemen's 2011 uprising. The film illustrates the nature of the Yemeni revolution in stark contrast to the gross violations of human rights that took place on Friday, March 18th 2011. Juma'at El-Karama (Friday of Dignity) marks a turning point in the Yemeni revolution as the tragic events that took place on this day -when pro-government snipers shot dead 53 protestors - shook the nation and propelled hundreds of thousands more to flock to the square in solidarity with their fellow citizens. Through the lenses of two cameramen and the accounts of two fathers, the film retells the story of the people behind the statistics and news reports, encapsulating the tragic events of the day as they unfolded.

Omar
Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Omar is a Palestinian baker who routinely climbs over the separation wall to meet up with his girl Nadja. By night, he's either a freedom fighter or a terrorist -- you decide -- ready to risk his life to strike at the Israeli military with his childhood friends Tarek and Amjad. Arrested after the killing of an Israeli soldier and tricked into an admission of guilt by association, he agrees to work as an informant. So begins a dangerous game-is he playing his Israeli handler, or will he really betray his cause? And who can he trust on either side?

The Square
Director: Jehane Noujaim

The Square is an intimate observational documentary that tells the real story of the ongoing struggle of the Egyptian Revolution through the eyes of six very different protesters. Starting in the tents of Tahrir in the days leading up to the fall of Mubarak, we follow our characters on a life-changing journey through the euphoria of victory into the uncertainties and dangers of the current 'transitional period' under military rule, where everything they fought for is now under threat or in balance.
             

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