proudly present

Middle East Movie Night – Real vs Reel (Khaleej)

The Middle East Institute and The Arts House are proud to present our fourth run of the Middle East Movie Nights. This year, audiences will get to be even closer to the Middle East when they attend the film screenings. Under the theme of Reel vs Real, we will not only present various regions of the Middle East via the artistic expressions of movie-makers, we will also showcase how everyday people in the regions live and express themselves via factual documentaries. Each double-bill, which will be screened in two consecutive nights, will consist of a feature movie on the first night and a documentary on the second night. As per previous runs of the series, audiences can share their opinions of each film and ask questions about the films during the post-screening discussion segment which will be facilitated by Middle East Studies experts provided by the Middle East Institute.

The last double-bill of films this year feature films from the region of Khaleej (The Gulf). The documentary we are showing from this region is the Iraqi award-winning documentary: Salaam Dunk.

Salaam Dunk

Director: David Fine | 2011 | Iraq | 78mins
Documentary | Arabic and English with English Subtitles | PG-13
Winner of Best Documentary in Chicago International Film Festival 2011

In the West, we are often bombarded with dramatic and horrifying images of a violent and war-torn Iraq. This makes it easy to forget that people there do “regular” things… like play basketball. Salaam Dunk follows the American University of Iraq – Sulaimani (AUIS) women’s basketball team as they discover what it means to be students, athletes and friends. This is a story of triumph in the face of chaos and a testament to the perseverance of a handful of young Iraqi women. It shows us how sports can help build bridges of shared values, and potentially lead us toward a future of understanding within Iraq as well as abroad. Above all, Salaam Dunk is a film about basketball, friendship and the pain of losing those we love. From the joy of the team’s first win to the pain of losing their coach forever, the film gives us an intimate glimpse into an Iraq we don’t see on the news.

There will be a post-show discussion conducted by a Middle East studies expert provided by the Middle East Institute.

Registration Desk opens from 7:00pm. Screening begins at 7.30pm. Please arrive early in order to avoid delay of the screening.

Free Admission via compulsory registration HERE

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Each registration form submitted represents ONE seat.
• Due to limited seats, you can only submit a maximum of 4 registration forms under one email address.
• Any subsequent registrations under the same name will not be taken into account.
• Submission of registration form does not guarantee you a seat. You are confirmed a seat, only when you receive an email confirmation from MEI Event.
• You must register via the MEI website in order to get a seat. Indication of attendance via Facebook’s events’ page will not be considered as a valid registration.
• The allocation of seats is on a first come first served basis (free seating) so do come early if you want to make sure you get to sit next to your friends.
• No reserving (chope) of seats is allowed.
• No eating and drinking is allowed inside the Screening Room.