Levantine Cultural Center
Encyclopedia
Levantine Cultural Center
The Levantine Cultural Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in June of 2001. The center, located in West Los Angeles, champions a greater understanding of the Middle East and North Africa by presenting artistic and educational programs that bridge political and religious gaps. In a search for common ground, the Center fosters discussions amongst artists and thinkers and offers classes and workshops that serve diverse ethnic communities.
and North Africa
) regions for both the general public and the media. These programs address ethnic and cultural fears within the U.S., as well as the conflicts in the regions, including Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Iran
, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
.
The founding board members sought to connect the disparate arts and cultural groups scattered throughout Southern California and promote a better understanding and awareness of Middle Eastern cultures in the community at large. The Center has produced over 500 programs and co-produced another 75 since its inception; between 2001 and 2006 alone, LCC programs were attended by over 25,000 individuals.
, Sinan Antoon
, Reza Aslan
, Peter Cole
, Alev Croutier
, Nathalie Handal
, Tom Hayden
, Bana Hilal, Elias Khoury, Laila Lalami
, Mark LeVine
, Saree Makdisi
, Heather Raffo
, Ella Habiba Shohat and Sholeh Wolpé
.
, Sussan Deyhim
, Maz Jobrani
, Mohja Kahf
and Raya Meddine
. Also prominently active is Necar Zadegan
.
Most recently, the center's "Exiles", an Iraqi Exhibtion, showing the works of Paul Batou, and Faris Al-Saffar, New Voices in Middle Eastern Cinema Series, funded with support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
has presented several feature films and documentaries, including The Infidel
, The Taqwacores
, View From a Grain of Sand, Outside the Law
and Lebanon
.
One of the first galleries to explore contemporary art by Middle Eastern/American artists, who are both inside/outside the American mainstream, exhibitions include "Inside/Outside & Other Oxymorons", which in 2009 explored the work of three multicultural artists— Sama Alshaibi
, Vahé Berberian and Adnan Charara—whose lives of migration and experiences with war, displacement and political instability have given them a unique perspective on identity, culture and society. Their work is created and inspired from the space of the in-between; from the inside and outside of multiple cultures and perspectives. Using diverse mediums, these artists’ works are an expression of their respective journeys. The Inside/Outside Gallery at Levantine Cultural Center presented 30 of their works from June 20-July 31, 2009. This was the first time any of these works had been exhibited in Los Angeles. Other shows include "Baghdadisms" by Faris Al-Saffar (2009), "East-West Convergences," a two-woman show with 24 paintings by Kinda Hibrawi and Nouha Sinno (2010), and "Swimming Up the Nile," with 28 works by Olfet Agrama, an Egyptian American painter.
In December 2009, Levantine Cultural Center presented an extensive roster of artists and performers in "Artists for Iran," a celebration of the arts and human rights in conjunction with United4Iran.org, which coordinated related programs in 27 cities worldwide. Combining cultural diplomacy and human rights, the exhibit and performance art event came on the heels of International Human Rights Day.
Participating in the installation “It Is What It Is” (April/May 2009) and consulting for the Hammer Museum
, the Levantine Cultural Center assembled a unique cast of real Iraqi people
and Americans who served or reported from Iraq following the 2003 U.S. invasion.
The Levantine Cultural Center in association with The Writing Studio presented a series of four writing classes with Elana Golden:
and other partners. The LCC has partnered with independent distributors as well as the AFI International Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival, the Noor Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival
, and the South East European Film Festival, to further emphasize the LCC's commitment to support independent Middle Eastern filmmakers. Not only does the LCC provide logistical and promotional support to domestic festivals, it seeks to partner with festivals in the Middle East, helping them gain exposure. Further, the LCC reaches out to film commissions, broadening relationships and strengthening the bridge between Los Angeles and the Middle East. Some past film programs of the LCC are:
An image from the film "America So Beautiful" (91 ms) follows the odyssey of a group of Iranian immigrants in Los Angeles, trying to find their place in America amidst the unfolding of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis
. The film stars many well-known Iranian American actors in the community, among them Shohreh Aghdashloo
, Hooshang Touzie, and Fariborz David Diaan.
The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and Levantine Cultural Center presented a special Director's Screening of Karen Albou's "The Wedding Song," About Muslim and Jewish friends in Tunisia.
A post-film audience discussion was led by Levantine Cultural Center's artistic director, Jordan Elgrably, whose family emigrated from Morocco to France, and Pani Norindr, Associate Professor of French & Comparative Literature, and Chair of the department of Comparative Literature at USC. Dr. Norindr received his doctorate in Romance Languages and Literatures from Princeton University. He is the author of Phantasmatic Indochina: French Colonial Ideology in Architecture, Film, and Literature (Duke University Press). He focuses his research on French, Francophone, and Southeast Asian cinema. He has recently published an essay on Rachid Bouchareb's "Days of Glory" in Yale French Studies.
The conference included documentary and feature screenings, panels and symposia, and was organized by Levantine Cultural Center at the University of California, Irvine, with support from the Middle East Studies Student Initiative (MESSI). Cosponsored by the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies/UCI, American Friends Service Committee, LA Jews for Peace and supported by Diane and Jeanette Shammas, Lawrence Joseph, Kanan Hamzeh, Casey Kasem, Bana Hilal, Asad Farah and the Salaam-Shalom Educational Foundation.
The Middle East Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
This panel discussion and lecture series was sponsored by The Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania
, and explored the landscape of American Middle Eastern ethnic comedy and its intricate relationship with Islamophobia. Cosponsored by U Penn Jewish Studies, the South Asia Center, and African Studies.
Panel Members: Mucahit Bilici (Professor of Sociology at John Jay College-CUNY), Jordan Elgrably (Founder of Levantine Cultural Center, and the Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief) and Dr. Armat (of Kodoom Cultural Events Search Engine). Featuring the Sultans of Satire with Mike Batayeh, Elham Jazab, and Noel Elgrably, speaking before their shows in Philadelphia and Washington DC.
of southern Spain
and Morocco
to the Balkans
, Greece
, Turkey
and across North Africa and the Middle East as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan
. It includes the creative work of Arabs, Jews and other ethnic/religious groups with Mideast origins who are living in the West.
, Hammer Museum
, LACMA, Muslim Public AffairsCouncil, World Festival of Sacred Music
The Levantine Cultural Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in June of 2001. The center, located in West Los Angeles, champions a greater understanding of the Middle East and North Africa by presenting artistic and educational programs that bridge political and religious gaps. In a search for common ground, the Center fosters discussions amongst artists and thinkers and offers classes and workshops that serve diverse ethnic communities.
Stance on Middle East Peace
Many Israelis and Palestinians have come to the conclusion that there is simply no violent solution to the conflict, and that only a peaceful and just negotiated settlement will bring about change in the region. With them, Levantine Cultural Center supports only non-violent approaches to cross-cultural understanding.History
Founded in 2001 by a group of activists, artists and business professionals, the Levantine Cultural Center presents artistic, educational, and outreach programs to bridge political and religious divides, and provide a greater understanding of the MENA (Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
) regions for both the general public and the media. These programs address ethnic and cultural fears within the U.S., as well as the conflicts in the regions, including Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
The founding board members sought to connect the disparate arts and cultural groups scattered throughout Southern California and promote a better understanding and awareness of Middle Eastern cultures in the community at large. The Center has produced over 500 programs and co-produced another 75 since its inception; between 2001 and 2006 alone, LCC programs were attended by over 25,000 individuals.
National Advisory Board
The Levantine Cultural Center has a national advisory board with many prominent figures including Ammiel AlcalayAmmiel Alcalay
Ammiel Alcalay is an American poet, scholar, critic, translator, and prose stylist. Born and raised in Boston, he is a first-generation American, son of Sephardic Jews from São Tomé and Príncipe...
, Sinan Antoon
Sinan Antoon
Sinan Antoon is an Iraqi poet and novelist, he also featured in the film About Baghdad and Voices in Wartime.Antoon was born in Baghdad to an Iraqi father and American mother. After emigrating to the United States after the Gulf war, he studied English literature at Baghdad University, and...
, Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan is an Iranian-American activist, a nationally acclaimed writer of religions. He is on the faculty at the University of California, Riverside, and is a contributing editor for The Daily Beast...
, Peter Cole
Peter Cole
Peter Cole is an American Jewish poet who lives in Jerusalem and New Haven.-Early life:Cole was born in 1957 in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended Williams College and Hampshire College, and moved to Jerusalem in 1981.-Literary career:...
, Alev Croutier
Alev Croutier
Alev Lytle Croutier, known in Turkey as Alev Aksoy Croutier, is a writer based in San Francisco, US. Her books have been translated into 22 languages...
, Nathalie Handal
Nathalie Handal
Nathalie Handal is a French-American poet and playwright of Palestinian origin. She has lived in Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Arab world.-Biography:...
, Tom Hayden
Tom Hayden
Thomas Emmet "Tom" Hayden is an American social and political activist and politician, known for his involvement in the animal rights, and the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. He is the former husband of actress Jane Fonda and the father of actor Troy Garity.-Life and...
, Bana Hilal, Elias Khoury, Laila Lalami
Laila Lalami
Laila Lalami is a Moroccan American novelist and essayist.Lalami was born and raised in Rabat, Morocco, where she earned her B.A. in English from Université Mohammed V. In 1991, she received a British Council fellowship to study in England, and she went on to complete a M.A. in Linguistics at...
, Mark LeVine
Mark LeVine
Mark LeVine is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine. He is also a musician. He received his B.A. in comparative religion and biblical studies from Hunter College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University's Department of Middle Eastern Studies...
, Saree Makdisi
Saree Makdisi
Saree Makdisi is an American literary critic of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century British literature. He also writes on contemporary Arab politics and culture. Makdisi currently holds the title of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at...
, Heather Raffo
Heather Raffo
Heather Raffo is an Lucille Lortel Award-winning Iraqi American playwright and actress, best known for her leading role in the one-woman play 9 Parts of Desire.-Early life:...
, Ella Habiba Shohat and Sholeh Wolpé
Sholeh Wolpe
Sholeh Wolpe is a poet, literary translator, and visual artist.She was born in Iran, and has lived in Trinidad, England and United States.-Biography:...
.
Cultural Ambassadors
Among the center's cultural ambassadors are Ahmed AhmedAhmed Ahmed
-Early life:Ahmed Ahmed was born in Helwan, Egypt. His family came to the United States when he was one month old and he grew up in Riverside, California.-Career:...
, Sussan Deyhim
Sussan Deyhim
Sussan Deyhim is an Iranian singer, composer and dancer.Born in Tehran, her career began as a dancer with Iran's Pars National Ballet company...
, Maz Jobrani
Maz Jobrani
Maziar “Maz” Jobrani is an Iranian-born American comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted, on radio and in comedy clubs...
, Mohja Kahf
Mohja Kahf
-Biography:Kahf moved to the United States in 1971. Her family has been involved in Syrian opposition politics, a theme reflected in the life of her character Khadra of The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf.She received her Ph.D...
and Raya Meddine
Raya Meddine
Raya Meddine is an American actress. She is known for her role as Sabrina Costelana Newman on The Young and the Restless. Sometimes credited as Rana Alamuddin.-Personal life:...
. Also prominently active is Necar Zadegan
Necar Zadegan
Necar Zadegan is an Iranian Americanfilm, television actress and model. She is best known for her recurring role as First Lady Dalia Hassan on the eighth and final season of 24.-Life and career:...
.
Giving and Memberships
The Levantine Cultural Center is an independent not-for-profit organization, a 501(c)(3) that presents the arts and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.Artistic Programs
Levantine Cultural Center produces or cosponsors artistic programs that encourage cross-cultural and multidisciplinary collaborations, and that give voice to issues and experiences of underrepresented Middle Eastern communities in order to bring informative and alternative information on these communities to the American public and media. By curating public arts programs that integrate any number of genres, including literature, film, painting, photography, music, comedy, drama etc., the organization seeks to nurture emerging talent and foster discussions among artists and thinkers.Most recently, the center's "Exiles", an Iraqi Exhibtion, showing the works of Paul Batou, and Faris Al-Saffar, New Voices in Middle Eastern Cinema Series, funded with support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization composed of working journalists who cover the United States film industry for a variety of outlets, including newspapers and magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Today, the 90 members of the HFPA represent at least 55...
has presented several feature films and documentaries, including The Infidel
The Infidel (2010 film)
The Infidel is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Josh Appignanesi and written by David Baddiel. The film stars Omid Djalili, Richard Schiff, Yigal Naor and Matt Lucas and revolves around a British Muslim who goes through an identity crisis when he discovers he was adopted as a child and born...
, The Taqwacores
The Taqwacores
Knight originally self-published The Taqwacores in DIY zine format, giving copies away for free until finding distribution with Alternative Tentacles, the punk record label founded by Jello Biafra. After receiving an endorsement from Peter Lamborn Wilson , the novel was published by radical press...
, View From a Grain of Sand, Outside the Law
Outside the Law
Outside the Law can refer to the following:* Outside the Law , a 1920 film directed by Tod Browning* Outside the Law , a 1930 film, also directed by Tod Browning, and a remake of the 1920 film...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Past Projects
- "Inside/Outside Gallery"
One of the first galleries to explore contemporary art by Middle Eastern/American artists, who are both inside/outside the American mainstream, exhibitions include "Inside/Outside & Other Oxymorons", which in 2009 explored the work of three multicultural artists— Sama Alshaibi
Sama Raena Alshaibi
Sama Raena Alshaibi سما الشيبي to an Iraqi father and Palestinian mother. She is an artist and photographer, in which she uses her cultural heritage to reflect her work and help inform her audience of her identity....
, Vahé Berberian and Adnan Charara—whose lives of migration and experiences with war, displacement and political instability have given them a unique perspective on identity, culture and society. Their work is created and inspired from the space of the in-between; from the inside and outside of multiple cultures and perspectives. Using diverse mediums, these artists’ works are an expression of their respective journeys. The Inside/Outside Gallery at Levantine Cultural Center presented 30 of their works from June 20-July 31, 2009. This was the first time any of these works had been exhibited in Los Angeles. Other shows include "Baghdadisms" by Faris Al-Saffar (2009), "East-West Convergences," a two-woman show with 24 paintings by Kinda Hibrawi and Nouha Sinno (2010), and "Swimming Up the Nile," with 28 works by Olfet Agrama, an Egyptian American painter.
- "Artists for Iran"
In December 2009, Levantine Cultural Center presented an extensive roster of artists and performers in "Artists for Iran," a celebration of the arts and human rights in conjunction with United4Iran.org, which coordinated related programs in 27 cities worldwide. Combining cultural diplomacy and human rights, the exhibit and performance art event came on the heels of International Human Rights Day.
- [East/West Convergences featured artists from SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and highlighted the eloquence and interconnectedness of ArabArabArab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Western cultures.
- Hammer Museum’s “It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq”
Participating in the installation “It Is What It Is” (April/May 2009) and consulting for the Hammer Museum
Hammer Museum
The Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Culture Center, or the Hammer Museum as it is more commonly known, is an art museum in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, California...
, the Levantine Cultural Center assembled a unique cast of real Iraqi people
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
and Americans who served or reported from Iraq following the 2003 U.S. invasion.
- The Immigrant Experience Workshop
The Levantine Cultural Center in association with The Writing Studio presented a series of four writing classes with Elana Golden:
Author Talks
Many authors, as well as artists, have collaborated with The Levantine Center, 2001-2010.Film Series
The Levantine Cultural Center produces the monthly New Voices in Middle Eastern Cinema series, cosponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press AssociationHollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization composed of working journalists who cover the United States film industry for a variety of outlets, including newspapers and magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Today, the 90 members of the HFPA represent at least 55...
and other partners. The LCC has partnered with independent distributors as well as the AFI International Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival, the Noor Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
, and the South East European Film Festival, to further emphasize the LCC's commitment to support independent Middle Eastern filmmakers. Not only does the LCC provide logistical and promotional support to domestic festivals, it seeks to partner with festivals in the Middle East, helping them gain exposure. Further, the LCC reaches out to film commissions, broadening relationships and strengthening the bridge between Los Angeles and the Middle East. Some past film programs of the LCC are:
- NiloofarNiloofarNiloofar is an Iranian movie, filmed in 2007 by the Lebanese director Sabine El Gemayel. The movie was launched in 2008.The movie poetically focuses on a young girl just entering puberty...
, a film by Sabine El Gemayel | Mobina Aynehdar as Niloofar. El Gemayel discusses the challenges of shooting on location in Iran in 2008 with Jordan Elgrably - artistic director for the Levantine Cultural Center, and the screening cosponsor. This Franco-Iranian production includes Roya Nownahali, Shahab HosseiniShahab Hosseini-Early life:Shahab Hosseini was born on 3 February 1974 in Mirdamad, Tehran. Once a psychology student at the University of Tehran, he dropped out to emigrate to Canada. Instead, he ended up as a radio host in Iran. This was followed by hosting a TV show for the youth audience and some small acting...
, Hengameh Ghaziani, Mobina Ayenedar, Amir Aghai, Sadegh Safai, and Fatemeh Motamed Aria.
An image from the film "America So Beautiful" (91 ms) follows the odyssey of a group of Iranian immigrants in Los Angeles, trying to find their place in America amidst the unfolding of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
. The film stars many well-known Iranian American actors in the community, among them Shohreh Aghdashloo
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Shohreh Aghdashloo is an Iranian American actress.After establishing a theatre and film career in Iran, Aghdashloo moved to England during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and subsequently became a citizen of the United States...
, Hooshang Touzie, and Fariborz David Diaan.
- The Wedding Song Le Chant des Mariées
The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and Levantine Cultural Center presented a special Director's Screening of Karen Albou's "The Wedding Song," About Muslim and Jewish friends in Tunisia.
- AmreekaAmreekaAmreeka is a 2009 American/Canadian/Kuwaiti independent film written and directed by first-time director Cherien Dabis. It stars Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Joseph Ziegler, and Miriam Smith....
, the Arabic word for "America" is now the name of an internationally acclaimed film. Levantine Cultural Center and community partners including the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Progressive Jewish Alliance, and the Network of Arab American Professionals-L.A]. joined forces on Monday evening, September 7, 2009 for a special director's screening of "Amreeka."
- "Laila's Birthday", written and directed by Rashid MasharawiRashid MasharawiRashid Masharawi, film artist, born in Gaza in 1962 to a family of refugees from Jaffa. He grew up in the Shati refugee camp....
, was presented by the Levantine Cultural Center on September 18, 2009, followed by discussion with Palestinian writer/director Hanna Elias (The Olive HarvestThe Olive HarvestThe Olive Harvest is a 2003 Palestinian film directed by Hanna Elias. It won the "Best Arab film" award for 2003 at the Cairo International Film Festival, and it was Palestine's submission to the 77th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a...
), at Laemmle's Music Hall.
- The Levantine Film Circle was launched with new monthly series, beginning October 18, 2009 with two Los Angeles premieres - the feature "Driving to Zigzigland" and the short - "When the Voices Fade", to rally around the common commitment against clichés about Arabs and the Middle East.
- "La Graine et le MuletThe Secret of the GrainThe Secret of the Grain is a 2007 Franco-Tunisian drama film directed by Abdel Kechiche. The film stars Habib Boufares as an ageing immigrant from the Maghreb whose ambition to establish a successful restaurant as an inheritance for his large and disparate family meets sceptical opposition from...
" by Abdellatif Kachiche
A post-film audience discussion was led by Levantine Cultural Center's artistic director, Jordan Elgrably, whose family emigrated from Morocco to France, and Pani Norindr, Associate Professor of French & Comparative Literature, and Chair of the department of Comparative Literature at USC. Dr. Norindr received his doctorate in Romance Languages and Literatures from Princeton University. He is the author of Phantasmatic Indochina: French Colonial Ideology in Architecture, Film, and Literature (Duke University Press). He focuses his research on French, Francophone, and Southeast Asian cinema. He has recently published an essay on Rachid Bouchareb's "Days of Glory" in Yale French Studies.
- The Stoning of Soraya M.The Stoning of Soraya M.The Stoning of Soraya M. is a 2008 American drama film adapted from French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam's 1990 book La Femme Lapidée, based on a true story...
(USA, 116 ms), with director Cyrus NowrastehCyrus NowrastehCyrus Nowrasteh , born September 19, 1956, is an American screenwriter and director of theatrical films, television shows, and made-for-TV movies. He is best known for his involvement in the controversial docudrama The Path to 9/11.- Biography :...
and stars Mozhan Marnò and Navid Neghaban, along with David Diaan, were part of the Levantine Cultural Center's "New Voices in Middle Eastern Cinema" series.
Public Forums on Identity, Politics, and Culture
- "Whither the Levant?" The Crisis of the Nation-State: Lebanon, Israel, Palestine
The conference included documentary and feature screenings, panels and symposia, and was organized by Levantine Cultural Center at the University of California, Irvine, with support from the Middle East Studies Student Initiative (MESSI). Cosponsored by the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies/UCI, American Friends Service Committee, LA Jews for Peace and supported by Diane and Jeanette Shammas, Lawrence Joseph, Kanan Hamzeh, Casey Kasem, Bana Hilal, Asad Farah and the Salaam-Shalom Educational Foundation.
- American Arab/Muslim Comedy, A Panel Discussion at U Penn
The Middle East Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
This panel discussion and lecture series was sponsored by The Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and explored the landscape of American Middle Eastern ethnic comedy and its intricate relationship with Islamophobia. Cosponsored by U Penn Jewish Studies, the South Asia Center, and African Studies.
Panel Members: Mucahit Bilici (Professor of Sociology at John Jay College-CUNY), Jordan Elgrably (Founder of Levantine Cultural Center, and the Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief) and Dr. Armat (of Kodoom Cultural Events Search Engine). Featuring the Sultans of Satire with Mike Batayeh, Elham Jazab, and Noel Elgrably, speaking before their shows in Philadelphia and Washington DC.
Cultural Context
Levantine Cultural Center includes majority and minority cultures, stretching from the historical Al-AndalusAl-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
of southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and across North Africa and the Middle East as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It includes the creative work of Arabs, Jews and other ethnic/religious groups with Mideast origins who are living in the West.
Sponsors/Partners
Aslan Media, The Broad Stage, Code PinkCode Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
, Hammer Museum
Hammer Museum
The Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Culture Center, or the Hammer Museum as it is more commonly known, is an art museum in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, California...
, LACMA, Muslim Public AffairsCouncil, World Festival of Sacred Music