Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival March 30-April 2, 2017
MICHIGAN
The AAPFF will be held from Thursday, March 30- Sunday, April 2, 2017
The 6th Annual Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival (AAPFF), http://www.aapalestinefilmfest.com is back with another set of incredible Palestinian films that reflect all aspects of Palestinian life!
Since its first debut in spring 2009, the 6th annual Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival is back and ready for its season: Thursday, March 30- Sunday, April 2, 2017.
FOR INFORMATION AND TICKETS–CLICK HERE
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DAY 1: Opening night, Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 8:00 pm
Rackham Amphitheater
915 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
“THE WARREN”, a short movie directed by James Adolphus
This short depicts an Israeli army midnight raid on a refugee camp known as THE WARREN in this high-stakes thriller about conflict, escalation, and the terrifying moments between life and death.
“JUNCTION 48” is the feature film by Udi Aloni
Junction 48 is the love story of two young Palestinian hip-hop artists who use their music to fight against both the external oppression of Israeli society and the internal repression of their own crime-ridden, conservative community. It depicts a new generation of young Arabs who seek normality through their love and music – and against all odds.
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DAY 2: Friday, March 31, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Rackham Amphitheater
915 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
“SOLOMON’S STONE”, a short film directed by Ramzi Maqdisi
Ramzi Maqdisi’s black-comedy short, “Solomon’s Stone,” could be considered a parable of present-day Jerusalem and the nationalistic politics fueling the violent dynamic between Israel and the Palestinians, occupier and occupied.
“GAZA SURF CLUB” is the feature film directed by Philip Gnadt and Mickey Ymaine
Trapped in “the world’s largest open-air prison” and ruled by war, a new generation is drawn to the beaches. Sick of occupation and political gridlock, they find their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean – they are the surfers of Gaza.
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DAY 3: Saturday, April 1,2017 at 4:30 pm MATINEE
Rackham Amphitheater
915 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
“GAZA, A GAPING WOUND”, a short film directed by Anne Paq of Obliteratedfamilies.comThe stories of families whose lives were shattered during the 2014 Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
“YALLAH! UNDERGROUND”, a feature film directed by Farid Eslam
In a region full of tension, artists in the Middle East have struggled for years to express themselves freely and to promote more liberal attitudes within their societies.
Yallah! Underground follows some of today’s most important and progressive Arab underground artists through years of rapid change from 2009 to 2013.
RACKHAM AMPHITHEATER
7:00 PM
Reel Stories
(2 student-directed Shorts)
Presented by Dave Serio
Followed by a “Talk Back”
with Reel Stories student directors
Speed Sisters
(Feature)
Directed by Amber Fares
The Speed Sisters are the first all-woman race car driving team in the Middle East. Grabbing headlines and turning heads at improvised tracks across the West Bank, these five women have sped their way into the heart of the gritty, male-dominated Palestinian street car-racing scene. Weaving together their lives on and off the track, SPEED SISTERS takes you on a surprising journey into the drive to go further and faster than anyone thought you could.
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DAY 4: Sunday, April 2, 2017
1:00 PM – FREE MATINEE
University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)
Helmut Stern Auditorium
“I’M NOT AFRAID OF THE SOLDIERS”, a short film by Rinske Bosch
Can a story on a poster change your life? Yazan (13) lives in a Palestinian refugee camp near to Bethlehem on the West Bank and is confronted with the Wall and the presence of Israeli soldiers every day. Then he decides to confront the soldiers with the story of his life. He starts drawing.. ‘I’m not afraid of the soldiers’ is a film about freedom, friendship and the power of stories. It’s a small story about a great and complicated conflict.
“NATION ESTATE”, a short film directed by Larissa Sansour.
The Nation Estate project explores a vertical solution to Palestinian statehood. Palestinians have their state in the form of a single skyscraper: the Nation Estate. One colossal high-rise houses the entire Palestinian population- now finally living the high life.
“A MAN RETURNED”, a short film directed by Mahdi Fleifel
Reda’s dreams of escaping the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain El-Helweh ended after being deported from Greece. He returned with a heroin addiction. The camp was being torn apart by internal strife. Against all odds he decides to marry his childhood sweetheart. A love story, as bittersweet as the camp itself.
“SEAMSTRESS”, a short film directed by Donia Jarrar
Followed by a “Talk Back” with Director Donia Jarrar
Seamstress, a documentary song-cycle composed and produced by Donia Jarrar, and based on the collected oral histories of Palestinian women, premiered on April 7 and 8, 2016 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Conducted by Arianne Abela, and choreographed by Maher Shawamreh and Meropi Makhlouf, the piece is dedicated to my former student Ibrahim who was shot and killed by the Israeli army last November. He was 16 years old.
Tickets are $8/day for students and $10/day for others
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THE 2017 ANN ARBOR PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL IS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS:
Central Student Government (SOFC funding), Residential College, Department of Anthropology, Department of Sociology, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of Screen Arts and Culture, Center for World Performing Studies, and Arab and Muslim American Studies.
FOR INFORMATION AND TICKETS–CLICK HERE
