proudly present

Middle East Movie Night – Real vs Reel (Farsi)

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 third double-bill of films this year feature films from the region of Farsi (Persia). The documentary we are showing from this region is from Director, Hamid Rahmanian, entitled: Shahrbanoo.

Shahrbanoo

Director: Hamid Rahmanian | 2002 | Iran | 57mins |
Documentary | Persian with English Subtitles | PG-13

Shahrbanoo is the story of an American woman’s encounter and growing friendship with a traditional Muslim family living in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Tehran, Iran. When Melissa, a liberal American woman, travels to Tehran to visit her new husband’s family there, she befriends their housekeeper, Shahrbanoo. Without her own family’s knowledge, Shahrbanoo has been moonlighting as Melissa’s mother-in-law’s housekeeper for more than a quarter of a century. Shahrbanoo invites Melissa – and her filmmaker husband, Hamid, with camera in tow – to a family gathering where she is treated to an intense cultural exchange involving subjects ranging from religion to relationships, from a woman’s place in society to American foreign policy. At the center of the film, however, is the close relationship that develops between Melissa and Shahrbanoo. Their friendship transcends stereotypes and offers a heart-warming testimony to the hidden bonds that can bring people together in spite of vast cultural differences.

 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.
• You can only submit a maximum of 2 registration forms under one name. This is because, due to limited seats, registrations have to be capped at a maximum of 2 seats per participant name.
• 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.
• 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.