Being Osama
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Indonesia
Thursday November 26, 2009
Screening begins 19h00
Venue: Importal : Jl.Singosari 2 no.12 Semarang, Jawa-Tengah
First Film:Being Osama
An intimate exploration of six men with highly diverse backgrounds, interests and personalities, united by their first names...
Mahmoud Kaabour & Tim Schwab / Canada / 2004 / 45 min
Shot against the cultural backdrop of Montreal, the film follows the six Osamas from the time of the American invasion of Iraq in March of 2003 to the anti-WTO demonstrations in late July of the same year. Touching on subjects as diverse as Arab names, rock-n-roll, religion, Middle East politics, weddings, funerals and the meaning of identity, Being Osama is a sensitive and thoughtful portrait of six unique individuals and of the new Canada in which they live.
Through a series of interviews and by observing their daily lives, the film explores how sharing a first name with the world's most notorious terrorist can shape perception and prejudice. Touching upon such subjects as Arab names, rock-n-roll, religion, stereotypes, Middle East politics, marriage, mortality and the meaning of identity, BEING OSAMA is a sensitive and thoughtful portrait of these six unique individuals.
"The film depicts the diversity of Arabs and Arab cultures as well as the contradictions with the stereotypes...a serio-comic documentary with an authentic voice." --The Montreal Mirror
Credits
Directed by
Mahmoud Kaabour
Tim Schwab
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Mahmoud Kaabour writer
Produced by
Ari A. Cohen .... producer
Original Music by
Sam Shalabi
Cinematography by
Andrei Khabad
Film Editing by
Yurij Luhovy
Awards & Festivals
2004 Winner, Big Muddy Film Festival at Southern Illinois University, Best Documentary
2004 Winner, Canadian National Youth Film Festival, Aurora Award
Film site & Reviews
Second Film: Leila Khaled: Hijacker
A Palestinian female hijacker challenges our assumptions about those who resort to violent means in response to oppression.
Lina Makboul / Sweden / 2005 / 58 min
In 1969 Palestinian Leila Khaled made history by becoming the first woman to hijack an airplane. As a Palestinian child growing up in Sweden, filmmaker Lina Makboul admired Khaled for her bold actions; as an adult, she began asking complex questions about the legacy created by her childhood hero. This fascinating documentary is at once a portrait of Khaled, an exploration of the filmmaker’s own understanding of her Palestinian identity, and a complicated examination of the nebulous dichotomy between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter."
When Makboul tracks Khaled down, she finds Khaled living an ordinary life in Jordan, still firm in her belief that her actions were necessary and fully justified. The film weaves together scenes with Khaled, archival footage, and interviews with the people who were on the planes Khaled hijacked. Makboul searches for a way to reconcile her understanding of the Palestinian national narrative - which now includes Khaled’s actions - with the negative image she encounters from the rest of the world of Palestinians as bloodthirsty terrorists. At the same time, she comes to know Khaled for the very real person that she is as they talk, travel together, and share meals. The result is a multi-dimensional film unlike any other in its skillful handling of the complexities that arise when liberation movements incorporate violence as a tactic.
Credits
Director: Lina Makboul
Producer: Robert Danielsson
Creative Producer: Marcos Hellberg
Editor: Andreas Jonsson
Photography: Jallo Faber, Åke Wehrling
Produced by Tussilago
Co-producers: Swedish Television and Nederland’s NPS
Awards & Festivals
2006 Winner, Tempo Film Festival Stockholm, Lena Hellman Memorial Fund Award
2007 Winner, Tri Continental Film Festival, Grand Jury Award
2007 Winner, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Full Frame Spectrum Award
2007 Winner, Nöjesguiden, Best Film
Film site & Reviews
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