To mark the 2nd anniversary of Israel's brutal war on the people of
Lebanon, Alwan for the Arts and Deep Dish TV present three evenings of films from Deep Dish TV's new eight part television series NOTHING IS SAFE. A sneak preview of Jawad Metni's new film "Lebanon Cluster Bomb" will also be shown.

July 23, 2008 Program

Free and Open to the Public

July War by Brandon Jourdan and Francesca Caporali (58 min)
A Summer Not to Forget by Carol Mansour (28 minutes)
Interview with Carol Mansour by Suzy Salamy (10 minutes)
Letters From Beirut by Big Noise Films (35 min)

ABOUT THE FILMS:

JULY WAR by Brandon Jourdan and Francesca Caporali (58 min)

A powerful, in-depth look at the 2006 Lebanon War, known in Lebanon as the July War. The movie weaves various strands of this complex war's devastating impact on Lebanon's people, economy, and environment July War documents the destructiveness of the Israeli offensive, the resilience of the Lebanese people, and examines the root causes of the conflict. The documentary chronicles the war from beginning to end, noting important events during the war, such as the bombing of Lebanese factories and power plant, and only international airport, which is backed by testimony from people who lived through the events. It then deconstructs the reasons behind the war and examines the impact of the war on all parties involved. As analysts break down the war, sad yet beautiful stories of human suffering and perseverance show the reality of life during wartime. The film includes exclusive interviews with key figures involved in the conflict and attempts to bring information about this massive invasion back onto the screens and consciousness of the United States' public.

About the Filmmakers

Award winning independent filmmaker Brandon Jourdan's films on Iraq ( The Real Face of Occupation 2005 and Fallujah 2006) have been widely screened, including at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and in the 2006 Whitney Biennial. Jourdan has contributed to Reuters, NHK Japan, Democracy Now!, Deep Dish TV, the Independent Media Center, Now with Bill Moyers, Foreign Exchange, Free Speech Television, the INN World Report, and to Amnesty International video projects.

Francesca Caporali is a Brazilian artist based in Brooklyn. Francisca's
videos have been shown in over 50 different festivals and exhibitions, and she has received several awards with "The same old choice" and "The Quiet and Subtle Cyclone".

A SUMMER NOT TO FORGET by Carol Mansour (28 min)

Mansour's film doesn't seek to explain the war or set it in context. Her
first-person narration runs throughout but sticks by and large to facts and figures. The film is not for the faint of heart. Through powerful and
disturbing images, the documentary tells the story of yet another war on
Lebanon. It is a revealing chronicle of the brutalities of war and the
plight of people as they deal with loss and destruction. A plea against
inevitable tides of amnesia. This time do not forget. Do not let these
images fade.

About the Filmmaker

Tough-minded documentaries are Palestinian/Lebanese
filmmaker Carol Mansour's forte. In 2003, she made "100 Percent Asphalt," about abandoned street kids in Cairo who are left to fend for themselves against violent crime and drug addiction. In 2005, she made "Invisible Children," about the tragedies and triumphs of the youngsters who constitute the child labor workforce in Lebanon, and "Maid in Lebanon," about migrant workers from Sri Lanka who are recruited into domestic servitude in Lebanon and then treated, more often than not, like dirt or worse.

INTERVIEW WITH CAROL MANSOUR by Suzy Salamy (10 min)

The filmmaker talks about her experience of the war and the choices she made in making the documentary.

About the Filmmaker

Suzy Salamy is co-director/co-producer of "About Baghdad" and co-producer of "Until When."She produced "Erasing Memory: The Cultural Destruction of Iraq" for the 2005 Deep Dish TV series "Shocking and Awful-A Grassroots Response to War and Occupation." She is the producer of Deep Dish TV's current series: Nothing is Safe: Israel's 2006 War on Lebanon.

LETTERS FROM BEIRUT (THE WAR OF 33) by RICK ROWLEY JACQQUIE SOOHEN (35 min)

An intimate, personal and powerful telling of the story of the 2006 war in
Lebanon. A series of letters written by Hanady Salman - a mother living
through the war in Beirut - carve a narrative arc through the intense and
haunting images of conflict. She tells the stories of her family and the
people she lives the war with: the refugees, the wounded, and the everyday Lebanese, struggling to maintain their sanity and their humanity during a time of war. The War of 33 is more than a document of a particular historical experience. What emerges is a universal story, a complex picture of love, pain, resistance and survival in the face of uncertainty and violence

About the Filmmakers

Rick Rowley and Jacqquie Soohen are co-founders of Big Noise Films. They have reported from Chiapas, Mexico, South Africa, Iraq, Palestine, Iran, New Orleans and Jena Louisiana. Big Noise Films include: Deserter, the journey a deserting soldier and his young wife as they flee across the country to seek refugee status over the Canadian border.; The Jena 6, the story of hidden racial inequality and violence becoming visible. It is a powerful symbol for, and example of, how racial justice works in America - where the lynching noose has been replaced by the DA's pen; Fouth World War reports from the front-lines of conflicts in Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Palestine, Korea, 'the North' from Seattle to Genova, and the 'War on Terror' in New York, Afghanistan, and Iraq.. It is the story of men and women around the world who resist being annihilated in this war. To order a copy of Letters and other Big Noise Films: http://www.bignoisefilms.com.

Last updated: 2008-07-18 14:55:10