Art as Sin: The Middle East and Freedom of Expression
12-16 March 2012
Novelists Ron Leshem and Daniel Mueenuddin, along with filmmaker Behram Beyzaie and many other prominent Middle Eastern artists, will headline a multi-day festival at Brown University celebrating the literature and culture of Iran and the Middle East.
For artist bios, click here.
Monday, 12 March
8 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
My Entire Being is a Dark Verse: a celebration of and tribute to Forough Farrokhzad
Readings of her poems, videos, showing of her film "The House Is Black." Introduced by Sara Khalili.
Tuesday, 13 March
2 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
What Tyranny Is This: a freedom of expression panel.
4 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Of This Longing: Readings by Joumana Haddad (Lebanon) and Masha Hamilton (Afghan Women Writers). Performance by Sondos Shabayek (Egypt).
8 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Women Without Men: Reading from “Women Without Men” by Shahrnush Parsipur (Iran; with Sara Khalili). Film: “Women Without Men,” introduced by Shahrnush and director Shirin Neshat with Q&A after.
Wednesday, 14 March
2 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
The New Generation: "Modernity Modernism and the Aesthetics of Dissent in Contemporary Iran" - a lecture by Professor Abbas Milani of Stanford, followed by a roundtable on the contemporary art and culture of Iran, including the poetry of Pegah Ahmadi and her generation.
4 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Writing the Wounded Memory: Readings by Pegah Ahmadi, Shahriar Mandanipour, Sheida Mohamadi, Shahrnush Parsipur (with Sara Khalili).
8 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Bashu, Little Stranger: The director Bahram Beyzaie (Iran) will introduce the film and respond afterward to questions from the audience.
Thursday, 15 March
2 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
New Writing in the Middle East, a panel discussion Daniyal Mueenuddin, Ron Leshem, Sondos Shabayek (Egypt).
4 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Readings by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Pakistan) and Ron Leshem (Israel).
8 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Paradise Now: a screening of the Israeli-Palestinian production.
Friday, 16 March
2 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
This is Not a Film: a tribute to Filmmaker Jafar Panahi: a screening of Panahi's “This Is Not a Film,” “White Balloon,” “Offside,” “The Circle.”
8 pm, Martinos Auditorium 154 Angell Street
Concert: Mohsen Namjoo (Iran).
See New York Times article: "Iran’s Dylan on the Lute, With Songs of Sly Protest"