The legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine will be remembered with a special program at the 2008 Arab Film Festival November 14-16, 2008. It’s the fourth annual film festival presented by the Arab American National Museum, 13624 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn , Michigan .

Chahine, who died last summer at age 82, left behind a monumental body of work beloved by Arab World moviegoers but unfamiliar to most other audiences, despite international critical acclaim.

Youssef Chahine

The 2008 Arab Film Festival presents two Chahine classics – from 1958 and starring Chahine himself, The Cairo Station, winner of the Golden Bear Award at the ’58 Berlin International Film Festival; and The Destiny, from 1997, a Palme d’Or nominee at the Cannes Film Festival (Package D, noon & 1:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16).

Captain Abu Raed (Package C, 8:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14) is the first film ever submitted by the kingdom of Jordan in response to an invitation from the Academy Awards for its Best Foreign Language Film category. This 2008 film took the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and just won the $100,000 grand prize for best dramatic feature at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis. Its director, Amin Matalqa, received Variety’s Middle East filmmaker of the year award during Abu Dhabi ’s Middle East International Film Festival.

Slingshot Hip Hop (Package A, 7:20 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14) braids together the story of young Palestinians living in Israel , Gaza and the West Bank as they discover hip hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. Featured artists include DAM (who played a red-hot show at a recent AANM Global Thursdays performance), PR (Palestinian Rapperz), Abeer and Mahmoud Shalabi. This film was an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. New York-based director/producer/editor Jackie Salloum leads a post-film discussion.

Following Slingshot Hip Hop at 9:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, festival goers are invited to continue their exploration of issues raised by festival films during Kunafa Night. For just $5, movie lovers can enjoy conversation along with freshly brewed coffee and from Masri Sweets in Dearborn, fresh kunafa – a tasty cheese pastry topped with a flaky crust and an infused syrup.

Each of the festival’s five film packages includes a short subject and a feature-length film (except Package D, which includes two Chahine features); tickets for individual packages are $6 for Museum Members and $7 all others. A Weekend Festival Pass is available for $25 for Museum Members; for $35, non-members get the weekend pass plus a one-year individual Membership to the AANM. Tickets for Kunafa Night are $5.

Festival goers are encouraged to purchase advance tickets and Weekend Festival Passes – available online ONLY at www.arabamericanmuseum.org – to ensure seating. No advance tickets or passes are available for sale by phone or in person. Tickets and Weekend Festival Passes will be for sale at the door during the festival.

All screenings take place in the 156-seat Auditorium on the Museum’s Lower Level. The festival schedule is subject to change. Call 313.624.0215 or click HERE for further information.

The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue , Dearborn , MI , 48126 . Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday (10 a.m.-6 p.m. May-August); noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.

“The Red Thread” provides a rare intimate look into the heart and minds of four Detroit artists. The play uses personal narrative to honor individual journeys while revealing social interconnectedness. An ancient Chinese proverb speaks of an invisible red thread of destiny, which connects all humans to each other. It is said that this magical cord may tangle or stretch but will never break.

During the course of the play, the four members of the Story Owners Collective fuse their writing, acting and dance talents into an interwoven solo performance collage. Cara Graninger dances her story, “All Over The Map”. Peter Putnam performs “The Love Song Of Father-Son”, Parts 1 and 2. Julie Rosier presents “Sheroes, Voices And Bliss”, an autobiographical one-woman show. And, Ce’Ann Yates combines selections from her fictional show, “Tick Tock”, with autobiographical monologue in, “When Breath Was Automatic”.

The Story Owners Collective premieres “The Red Thread”: Interwoven Performance Portraits on November 20 and 22, 2008, Thursday and Saturday, 7:30PM, at The Marlene Boll Theatre, located inside the Boll Family YMCA, at 1401 Broadway, Detroit. Both showings are open to the public and FREE of charge.

The Story Owners Collective explores the intersections of human experience in The Red Thread: Interwoven Performance Portraits. Clockwise: Peter Putnam, Julie Rosier, Ce’Ann Yates, Cara Graninger. Photo: Soh Suzuki

Story & Photos by William E. Graham

The transformation of Motown into the new MovieTown continues with the premiere of Director Shawn Woodard’s film, “Darling Nikki”. “We were inspired to do something different and to make history not only in Detroit, but also in the independent film industry,” said Kharisman Brown, Executive Producer. The stars, producers, directors and film lovers turned out to celebrate this latest work at Bert’s Warehouse Theatre in Eastern Market.

The setting of “Darling Nikki” takes place near the infamous 8 Mile area where hip hop mogul Eminem recorded his hit blockbuster “8 Mile” and vividly captures the essence of the city of Detroit. Affluent with scenes from local bars and strip clubs, this motion picture is a true to life depiction of the urban community and intensely reveals one individual’s story of his struggle to escape the ghetto. Essentially the plot is centered on a college football star destined for fame, but whose fate abruptly befalls victim to street-life when he involves himself with a stripper, Nikki.

A gritty, uncompromising look at what can happen when you mix the lure of the streets with a promising athletic career; “Darling Nikki” showcases the talents of many actors from the Detroit area. It is one in a growing line of urban dramas that have been coming out of Detroit in recent years. Many big-budget projects from Hollywood have been shooting in the Detroit area recently, among them films from Clint Eastwood, Drew Barrymore, and currently shooting in the Greektown section of downtown, Rob Schneider’s latest comedy, but this is a homegrown product from the creative team of Shawn Woodard and Kharisman Brown.

Mr. Woodard has been able to produce and direct some of the area’s finest movies including his film “Office Outbreak” released two years ago. The lack of mainstream financing hasn’t stopped him or producer/writer Kharisman Brown. They have recruited some high profile actors to fill the most crucial roles in the film. Fredro Starr (Save the Last Dance, The Wire, Moesha) and Noel “G” Guglielmi (Bruce Almighty, Old School, and Training Day) provide big screen power along with veteran of the stage & screen Mike Allen (A Woman like Ruth, Soul of Music, and Murder Next Generation). Newcomers include Sasha Farrha Goree’, Jala Parks, Drina Harris, the Mix 92.3’s Keil Lamont, and the hilarious comedian “Clipperman” who also was MC for the evening.

Fredro Starr, Jala Parks and Kharisman Brown

With a capacity crowd filling Bert’s Warehouse Theatre, including filmmakers Marshalle Montgomey of Blue Sky Films, Rod Oliver of Rod Oliver Productions, and Rocky & Janaya Black of Black-Smith Enterprises, it was a special night for everyone. RanDee Henry of WGPR and the Cypher Chronicles was on the scene getting interviews from all the major players from the film, which you can view at http://www.cypherchronicles.com.

Marshalle Montgomey of Blue Sky Films and Rocky & Janaya Black of Black-Smith Enterprises

There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America – a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. The Future Of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.
 
From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.
 
Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world’s food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.

After the film, Lisa Forzley and Gregg & Angela of Detroit Evolution Laboratory will provide an update on genetically modified foods and facilitate discussion on this important topic. Using a projector, large screen and PA system everyone will be able to relax and enjoy the show. Though some chairs will be provided, it is advised to bring a folding or camp chair. The screening is held in Eastern Market’s enclosed and heated Shed 5, but it is a large and airy space so sweaters and blankets are recommended too. The screening is open to the public and free. Those attending are asked to RSVP with an email to movienight@detroitevolution.com. This movie night will be held Wednesday, November 19th at 7 pm. Eastern Market’s Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to Shed 5.

Review by Heather Bonner

It all came back to me when I saw the tree. That heavily pruned trunk with sparse clumps of leaves and the knot in the side brought it all to the forefront of my mind: a rush of familiar mental images, emotions, and revelations—all the things I had experienced when I read To Kill a Mockingbird so many years ago. As I sat in the Marlene Boll Theatre at the YMCA in Detroit on Saturday night, I was surprised at how quickly those memories returned. I had hoped the Matrix Theatre Company’s production of the play would inspire in me those same feelings and reflections the book once had. It did—and it was a wonderful and unforgettable experience to finally relive them in a tangible, visual medium after all this time.

The town of Maycomb, Alabama, steeped in the idiosyncrasies of segregation during the Great Depression, is rent in two. Atticus Finch (Daniel A. Jaroslaw), a well-respected lawyer, has been assigned to take the case of a black man, Tom Robinson (Renell Michael White), who has been accused of raping a young white woman, Mayella Ewell (Shannon Ferrante). Most of the townsfolk are critical of Atticus’ part in the case and everyone in the Finch Family feels pressure from the residents of Maycomb.

When Tom is moved to the local jail, Atticus goes to the jail that same night and guards the door. Just as he expected, a mob of angry men shows up, ready to lynch Tom before he can go to trial. Intrigued by Atticus’ late disappearance, his two children, Jem (Jared Helman Scherrer) and Scout (Rebecca Helman Scherrer/Meaghan Tilson), and their friend, Dill (Ethan Helman Scherrer), secretly follow him to the jailhouse. The children jump into the middle of the hostile crowd, appeal to one of the men to call off the mob, and the men begrudgingly disperse.

In court, Atticus attempts to defend Tom from the accusations of Mayella, her father, Bob Ewell (Alan Madlane), and their lawyer, Mr. Gilmer (Stephen Blackwell). After they make their adamant and emotional case, Tom is called to the stand, where he convincingly refutes everything the Ewells said under oath. With all the facts weighed, closing arguments made, and the jury’s verdict submitted, the sentence is pronounced and court is adjourned. The nerves of everyone involved are left raw and susceptible to unrestrained passion, and the most high-strung participants feel they need to take justice into their own hands, even at the peril of others.

Perhaps the most unique moment in the show is its opening. In pitch darkness, actors can be heard walking across the highest level of the three-tiered stage to their places, whistling like birds and crowing like roosters. When the blue light of the morning sky fades into view, the actors remain silhouetted in a line across the uppermost tier. Eventually, they are called forward by the narrator, Maudie Atkinson (Leah Smith), and descend, one by one, into the action of the play. It was an original and commendable piece of blocking by director Eric W. Maher that really showcased the smart layout of the stage.

The three-tiered stage setup helped to establish the separation between different areas within the town and could morph as the play evolved to include more and more places within Maycomb. Along with the three levels, a smaller, free-standing platform on each side of the stage facilitated the addition of two more locales, allowing for at least five separate parts of the town to come together at once. Even the wings were used as actors yelled to other townsfolk or motioned to events offstage, further increasing the scope of the playing area. The distinctions between these sections of town were enhanced by the well-executed lighting techniques of lighting designer Randy Mauck.

At the very back of the stage hangs a cyclone (a white screen), on which is projected the changing colors of the sky to reflect the emotion surrounding the actors or impending events. A couple feet forward, at the front of the highest of the three levels of the stage, hangs a scrim (a see-through screen that can be made almost invisible or opaque using different lighting). The scrim can allow for the third tier to disappear completely behind it, so an actor can get in place and suddenly appear on the stage when the lighting changes and scrim becomes invisible again. This is especially effective in the mob scene at the jail when Tom can only peek “through the bars” to see what is happening outside.

The unique, broad and dynamic use of the space implemented in the show allows the actors to really unleash their talent. They look more comfortable and less inhibited in that setting than is usually seen on a stage simulating a single room or house. Instead, this set emulates an entire town and it feels as though the actors know the ins and outs of it like they have been living there all their lives. This extends into their characters, as well, and all of the actors have a genuine grasp of whom they are portraying. Their parts seem to be made for them, which is not only the mark of careful, thoroughly considered casting, but also that of talented and devoted performers. It was a pleasure watching the characters, that I only knew in my head, come to life at the hands of skilled, capable people in such a multi-dimensional setting.

Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, was originally published in 1960 and adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel. A year after its publication, Lee received a Pulitzer Prize for her novel and the movie starring Gregory Peck was released in 1962. Lee began a second novel, The Long Goodbye, and played around with other potential plots for unnamed stories, but she never finished them and did not publish anything after her best-seller. Since 1964, she has avoided her fame and most of the interviews and publicity that comes with it. Luckily, the theatrical adaptation of her masterpiece can carry her legacy forward for her—especially if it continues to be handled with the care and enthusiasm that the members of the Matrix Theatre Company employ in performing and producing it.

To Kill a Mockingbird runs October 17 – November 16 at the Marlene Boll Theatre at 1401 Broadway in the YMCA in Detroit. Tickets are $15.00 and show times are 8pm on Fridays, 4pm & 8pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays.