[Sci-tech-public] January Events sponsored by History at MIT

[Margo Collett]

"Iran Through the Lens of History"

Lecture and movie series deals with contemporary issues pertaining to  
Iranian politics, cinema, society and culture. The lectures will be  
delivered by Prof. Hamid Dabashi, a world renowned expert of Iranian  
history and Iranian cinema. The movie series that depict the multi- 
faceted aspect of Iranian cinema present the works of the most  
important Iranian directors.
Contact: Bedross Der Matossian, E51-178, 617-253-9621, bedross at mit.edu


     "Obama's Iranian Problem"
     Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies  
Columbia University, Middle East and Asian Languages and Culture
     The presidency of Barack Obama will probably face one of its most  
daunting foreign policy tests with the Islamic Republic of Iran and  
its nuclear project. What are the terms and conditions of this fateful  
encounter between a widely celebrated and globally popular American  
president and a beleaguered Islamic republic?
     Tue Jan 6, 04:30-06:30pm, Room 2-105

     "Gabbeh"
     Bedross Der Matossian
     In this poetic film by Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, an  
elderly couple is involved in the ritual of cleaning their gabbeh, a  
beautiful intricately designed rug. Suddenly, a woman resembling one  
of the figures on the carpet emerges from the gabbeh. She recounts the  
history of her nomadic clan and the story of her love for a man  
outside her tribe. This magical musing on love and art won numerous  
film festival awards.
     Wed Jan 7, 06:30-09:30pm, Room 3-270

     "Prelude to Kiarostami's Meditative Camera"
     Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies  
Columbia University, Middle East and Asian Languages and Culture
     Over the last half century Abbas Kiarostami has worked through a  
deeply meditative camera he has taught to probe the inner anxieties of  
a world otherwise covered by the placid paucity of entirely vacated  
signs--how does this camera work, and what does it reveal?
     Thu Jan 8, 06-08:00pm, Room 3-270

     "The Wind Will Carry Us" (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002)
     Bedross Der Matossian
     This film's abstract, symbolic plot follows a man named Behzad  
and two colleagues as they travel from Tehran, Iran, to the tiny  
village of Siah Dareh, located on a dry, barren mountainside. There  
they observe the harsh life and everyday activities of the villagers.  
Technology -- or the lack thereof -- figures prominently in this film,  
which is considered director Abbas Kiarostami's most socially critical  
work.
     Tue Jan 13, 06:30-09:30pm, Room 4-231

     "Turtles Can Fly" (Bahman Ghobadi, 2004)
     Bedross Der Matossian
     Residents of an Iraqi Kurdistan village await the violent arrival  
of the invading U.S Army. A young boy named Satellite (Soran Ebrahim)  
helps clear minefields and installs equipment that brings in news from  
the outside world. Meanwhile, three orphans wander aimlessly, the  
victims of tragic happenstance. As Saddam is removed from power, these  
innocent children confront the harsh reality that awaits them.
     Tue Jan 20, 06:30-09:30pm, Room 2-105

***************************************************************

NOUR in Concert
     Bedross Der Matossian
     Fri Jan 23, 07:30-11:00pm, Killian Hall-14W-111

     Single session event

Features the NY based musical group NOUR. NOURishing itself from  
Middle Eastern polyglot folk traditions, NOUR means pomegranate in  
Armenian, divine light in Arabic. Songs in Armenian, Kurdish, Turkish,  
Ladino, Arabic, Hebrew, Assyrian and Greek. Pomegranate is the  
heavenly fruit of the old world symbolizing fertility, abundance, and  
sanctity. In line with its pomegranate nature, NOUR is rich in anti- 
oxidants and enhances its audience's cardio-vascular health. EX  
ORIENTE LUX concert illuminates the New World with the divine light  
that NOUR brought from the Old one.
     Ayda Erbal - lead vocals, daf, dumbek, percussions
     Ozan Aksoy - vocals, saz, kaval, ney, percussions
     Bedross Der Matossian - keyboards, shvi, duduk, percussions, vocals
     Z. Umut Turem- oud, vocals
     Mustafa Avci - vocals, saz
     Gabrielle Clark - violin
     Contact: Bedross Der Matossian, E51-178, 617-253-9621, bedross at mit.edu

*******************************************************************

For an MIT campus map please go to whereis.mit.edu

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/sci-tech-public/attachments/20081216/f7d3c850/attachment.htm