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The 5th Annual Middle East Film Festival
Origins. Exile. Refuge.
Jan 30–Feb 13

All films are free, open to the public and located at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. For screen times, guest speakers and location visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame. For more information call (360)867-6724, sesame@evergreen.edu. For a complete festival guide visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame.

This week's films and speakers:

BATTLE OF ALGIERS
Gillo Pontecorvo / 1966 / Algeria / 121 min
Wed., Jan 30, 7 pm, Lecture Hall 1

One of the most influential political films in history, Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers vividly recreates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. Shot in the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them.

Partly based on the real-life experiences of Algerian resistance leader Saadi Yacef (who served as a consultant to the film and also starred in the film as himself), the Battle of Algiers reportedly became study material for the Black Panther Party and the IRA. It was also studied by the FBI and the US Army in the 1960s. Moreover, Newsweek warned that the film could provide a blueprint for a future "Negro" uprising in the US. Now the Pentagon has studied it for its value in counterinsurgency tactics.

Followed by Q&A with Mohammed Bentlemsani. Born in 1950, Mohammed Bentlemsani's childhood was during the French occupation and the Algerian resistance movement. Born in a town 30 miles south of Algiers in Medea Mohammed witnessed the murder of his cousin by the French occupation forces in November of 1961.

See more descriptions:

BREAKING RANKS
Michelle Mason / 2007 / Canada & USA / 55min
Friday, Feb 1, 7 pm Lecture Hall 1

Support our troops...in Canada! Breaking Ranks is a moving documentary that examines the current phenomena of US soldiers seeking refuge in Canada. With intimate access to four American military "desert­ers," their lawyer and families, this film documents their experiences as they try to exercise their consciences amidst profound emotional, ethical and international consequences.

Followed by guest speaker, Chanan Suarezdiaz Chanan Suarezdiaz is president of Seattle Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War. After his deployment in Iraq in 2005-2006, he was honored with a Purple Heart and Navy Commendation Medal with Valor.

Co-sponsored by the Women's Resource Center

VOICES IN EXILE
Joan Mandell / 1988 / USA / 30 min
Saturday, Feb 2, 7 pm, Lecture Hall 1

Since 9-11 and the passage of the USA Pa­triot Act, balancing civil liberties with na­tional security is a major concern. VOICES IN EXILE follows an astonishing 20-year deportation case against Palestinians in Los Angeles that foreshadows current government use of "secret evidence." This riveting video examines plans for rounding up Arab Americans, reminiscent of the WWII internment of Japanese Americans.

Guest Speakers: Joan Mandell (Filmmaker)& Michel Shehadeh (LA 8 Defendant) Michel Shehadeh is one of the leading respondents in the landmark Los Angeles Eight case, the longest running political immigration case in US history. Recently all charges were dropped by the government against the LA 8 after twenty-one years of legal struggle. His writings appeared in many publications such as the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Al-Jazeera net and Al-Adab magazine.

Joan Mandell award-winning films, Tales from Arab Detroit, Gaza Ghetto, and Voices in Exile are widely taught on US college campuses. As a university educator, Joan Mandell has taught film and video production, international film history and media literacy at the Univer­sity of California/Irvine and the College for Contemporary Studies, Detroit.