Seattle Arab Film Festival: Luck of the Draw (shorts)
2023-05-14 17:15 - 18:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 2, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States
This pair of films invites us to consider the role of chance, fortune, and belief in our lives. Ranging from the absurd to the poignant, together, these films promise to surprise and provoke.
TRT: 23 min

16mm

(Abdallah Gad, Egypt, 2023, 14 min)
A mother’s support of her son’s dreams of becoming a filmmaker continue to shape his life as an adult.

The Luck of the Turtles
(Buthaina Al Nasiri, Egypt, 2023, 9 min)

A road trip takes an unexpected turn once the family encounters a tortoise they interpret as a lucky omen.

Sam Kigar and Rokiatou Soumaré, “Translation as Territorialization: Language and Belonging in Modern Africa” | A Translation Studies Hub Colloquium
2023-05-16 11:30 - 13:00 | University of Washington – Communications Building, UW Campus, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
“Against Translation as Metaphor: Sultanic Languages of Sovereignty in Late 19th Century Morocco”
Sam Kigar (Islamic Studies, Department of Religion, University of Puget Sound) challenges a scholarly tradition of describing religions as languages that can be translated into one another. He examines the translation of two letters by Sultan Hassan I (r. 1873-1894) about his journeys to the Sūs region of southern Morocco. The Sultan was not translating forms of Islamic sovereignty into “foreign” territorial terms, instead, he was participating in the territorialization of the Sūs.
“Decentering French to re-center Wolof: Translation as a Nationalist Performance in Boubacar Boris Diop’s Work”
Rokiatou Soumaré (French and Francophone Studies, University of Puget Sound) proposes that Senegalese novelist Boubacar Boris Diop positions himself in his work as a nationalist linguistic activist by writing in Wolof instead of French, Senegal’s lingua franca. For Diop, translating these essential pieces initiated an ambitious political project that aligns with his nationalistic views, and his rejection of French hegemony.

EVENT INTERVAL
Single day event

CAMPUS LOCATION
Communications Building (CMU)

CAMPUS ROOM
202

EVENT TYPES
Lectures/Seminars

EVENT SPONSORS
Simpson Center for the Humanities, humanities@uw.edu, 206.543.3920
Department of French and Italian Studies

AANM’s Arab Film Festival 2023
2023-05-17 - 2023-05-21 | WA
Wednesday, May 17 – Sunday, May 21, 2023
AANM’s Arab Film Festival
AANM proudly hosts the annual Arab Film Festival (AFF) featuring the best of critically acclaimed and award-winning Arab American and Arab world films, many of which are unlikely to reach traditional American commercial theaters and often make their regional or national debut at AFF. This year, the festival will take place virtually and in-person, May 17-21, 2023!
AFF showcases Arab and Arab American films for fans of Arabic-language movies and adventurous art-film lovers seeking new perspectives and outside-the-box thinking. We pride ourselves on creating a safe space, a platform for Arab and Arab American films and filmmakers and to give a voice to Arab and Arab American artists and their stories.

Virtual Movies Showing

Under the Fig Trees

Among the trees, young women and men working the summer harvest develop new feelings, flirt, try to understand each other, find – and flee – deeper connections.

You Resemble Me

When two sisters are abruptly separated, the eldest, Hasna, struggles to find her identity and place in the world.

Shorts Program: An Ode to Our Collective Memory

This shorts program highlights films that recall and pay homage to our past while also carving out our current identities.

Hanging Gardens

When a young Iraqi rubbish picker rescues an American sex doll from the Baghdad dumps, he crosses into a perilous red zone, where friends become enemies and nothing is certain in an explosive mix of love, war and madness.

The Taste Of Apples Is Red

Syrian director Ehab Tarabieh’s The Taste Of Apples Is Red which is set against the background of the director’s native Golan Heights and revolves around two brothers who are reunited after 47 years apart.

Doc Block: Palestine
Shorts Programs

This block of documentaries highlights the life, struggles, joy and stories from Palestine.

Kahlil Gibran ~ In Search of a Prophet
2023-05-17 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual
This event commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.
Join Paul-Gordon Chandler in conversation with Q&A about his new book, In Search of a Prophet: A Spiritual Journey with Kahlil Gibran, exploring the all-embracing spirituality of Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese born Arab-American poet-artist, mystic and best-selling author of The Prophet.
In Search of a Prophet is a fascinating journey through the spiritual life of Kahlil Gibran. Paul-Gordon Chandler explores this beloved writer and artist, a mystic who sought to build bridges and tear down walls.
In Search of a Prophet is not a traditional biography, but a compelling spiritual journey through Gibran’s writings, art, and the places he lived. From his birthplace village high in the snowy mountains of Lebanon, Chandler leads us through his emigration to Boston, art training in Paris, career in New York, and to the far reaching places of influence his writings and art have traveled, from Cairo to Mexico City.

SUPER-UW Conversation: how to discuss Palestine with different audiences and age groups
2023-05-18 18:00 - 19:30 | UW-Seattle
Join SUPER-UW for a conversation with Laila Taji, Dr. Alice Rothchild, and Prof. Nada Elia on the ways in which we discuss Palestine with different audiences and age groups.

UW Electrical & Computer Engineering, Room 037
from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Arabic Chat Hour
2023-05-18 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-05-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Virtual
Whether you’re a native speaker or learner, this is a great chance to practice listening and speaking in Arabic!
Zoom room number provided upon registeration.

Seffarine
2023-05-19 20:00 - 22:00 | Fremont Abbey, 4272 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98103, United States
Antonio Rey: Flamenco Guitar Master from Spain

Seattle, WA
Guest artists in Seattle concert by maestro Antonio Rey. Antonio Rey is considered by many flamenco aficionados to be the heir apparent to Paco de Lucia’s throne. His career began at the age of ten, soon performing on international stages and winning prestigi…

Opening Ceremony for Palestine Museum Exhibit in Venice (virtual)
2023-05-20 09:30 - 10:30 | Virtual
You are invited to attend the opening ceremony of the exhibit on Saturday May 20th at 12:30 US EDT; 18:30 in Italy; 19:30 in Palestine. You can attend in person in Italy or via Zoom remotely. Here is the link for more information and to get a ticket for Italy or register for Zoom.
Palestinian musician Ronnie Malley will perform on oud Palestinian and North African songs.

SUPER Palestinian Cultural Resistance Festival
2023-05-20 16:00 - 18:00 | University of Washington wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House, 4249 Whitman Court NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
Join SUPER-UW and SeattleU-SJP for our annual Palestinian Cultural Resistance Festival to celebrate Palestinian resilience through food, music, dance, and art! Our featured guests include singer Mary Hazboun, musician Yousef Abuhashem, and the Shamiat Dabke Team. CultureFest will also feature local Palestinian cuisine and Palestinian artisans! You won’t want to miss it!
Ticketing and more event information will be available shortly, so make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.”
@seattleusjp and @super_uw
Palestinian Cultural Resistance & Solidarity Festival with Seattle U SJP & SUPER UW
Date & Time: Saturday, May 20th, 4-6pm
Location: University of Washington wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House
4249 Whitman Court NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Seattle PAMA Fundraising Dinner
2023-05-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Muslim Assocation of Puget Sounds (MAPS), 17550 NE 67th Ct, Redmond, WA, 98052, United States
Join the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) in its first benefit dinner in Seattle area to support our efforts to improve the Palestinians healthcare sector.
This fundraiser will benefit a number of programs that PAMA is conducting such as:
Student scholarship
Autism and disabilities
Zakat
Breast cancer awareness and early detection
Psychosocial rehab of children
Cochlear implants
Congenital surgery project
Cornea transplant project
* Note: Free Babysitting is available.
Hemodialysis machines/Chairs
PAMA medical mission to Gaza and West Bank
PAMA Teleconference education program
Physician subspecialty project
Note: Free Babysitting is available.

Voices from the Holy Land: Online Film Salon
2023-05-21 12:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Two documentary films, Voices across the Divide and Born in Deir Yassin, pull back the carefully constructed curtain of “a land without people for a people without a land.” Since 1948, a monumental effort has been made to promote a romantic mythology of Israel’s creation and to hide the brutal violence. But firsthand accounts by both the oppressor and the oppressed, the expeller and the exiled, reveal the ongoing wounds. Nothing is resolved by dialogue alone, yet nothing will be resolved without it. Any hope of coexistence begins when the historical truth is rediscovered and acknowledged. It begins here.
Watch the film for free at your convenience; then join the Q&A Discussion with:
Alice Rothchild: Author, filmmaker, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School (Retd.)
Emad Moussa: Palestinian-British journalist, researcher, and human rights activist
Huda Giddens: Palestinian American educator, Nakba survivor
Ahlam Muhtaseb (moderator): Author, filmmaker, and Professor of Media Studies at CSUSB
You must register to join the discussion & receive access to the film: Tinyurl.com/VFHL-May2023
Watch the Trailers: 1) vimeo.com/818747654 2) vimeo.com/818744242
How this will work:
1 – Register here for the Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon:
Tinyurl.com/VFHL-May2023
2 – Once you register, you will get a confirmation email from Zoom with a link to the meeting and a link with to watch the film. (Save this confirmation letter as the meeting link is unique to your email and you must have this to participate.)
3 – Watch the film at your convenience before the event. Then join us with your thoughts and questions for our speakers at the Q&A Discussion on Sunday May 21, 2023 at 3 pm ET/ 12 noon PT.

Anees: Lebanese-Palestinian Rapper
2023-05-21 20:00 - 22:00 | The Showbox, 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
ANEES IS AN INDEPENDENT SINGER-RAPPER FROM THE WASHINGTON D.C. AREA.
HIS MUSIC IS A GENRE-LESS TREAT OF EAR CANDY MELODIES, SUBLIME RHYME-SCHEMING AND VULNERABLE LYRICISM. HIS RARE FUSION OF POP AND HIP-HOP WITH AN R&B TONE OFTEN DRAWS COMPARISON TO ARTISTS SUCH AS MAC MILLER, RUSS, AND CHANCE THE RAPPER.
ANEES WRITES SONGS WITH FINE-GRAINED INTENTION. HIS LYRICS ARE CRARFTED TO INSPIRE INTROSPECTION AND GOOD VIBES. HE BELIEVES PASSIONATELY THAT MUSIC IS MEANT TO HELP OTHERS HEAL.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/who-is-anees-the-palestinian-lebanese-rapper-featured-on-justin-bieber-s-instagram-1.1201220

Book Talk with Dr. Jenny Lynn Kelly
2023-05-22 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
We are writing to invite you to a special virtual event and ask you to mark your calendar to join us on May 22, 2023, at 7:00PM EST for a book talk with Dr. Jenny Lynn Kelly. Dr. Kelly is a former Eyewitness Palestine delegate, faculty member at the University of California Santa Cruz, and author of the recently-released Invited to Witness: Solidarity Tourism Across Occupied Palestine. The event will be hosted via Zoom and donors of an eligible amount will receive a signed copy of Dr. Kelly’s book, so keep an eye out for the registration link coming soon!

Town Hall Seattle: Raja Shehadeh — 'We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir'
2023-05-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
About the event. . .
In his life, Aziz Shehadeh was many things — among them a lawyer, a political detainee, and the father of activist and author, Raja Shehadeh.
Raja’s latest book, We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I, is a subtle psychological portrait of a complicated father-son relationship. Set against the backdrop of continuing political unrest, Raja describes his failure as a young man to recognize his father’s courage as an activist, and, in turn, his father’s inability to appreciate Raja’s own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. Then in 1985, Aziz Shehadeh is murdered, and Raja undergoes a profound and irrevocable change.
We Could Have Been Friends acts in part as the story of Palestine’s continual fight against multiple foreign powers, but at its core presents a poignant unraveling of a complex father-son relationship, unlike many we have seen before.

The Presence + Absence of the Palestinian Archive: Mizna Film Series
2023-05-25 - 2023-05-28 | Virtual
The 2023 Mizna Film Series highlights archival works and initiatives that document Palestine’s struggle for liberation.
In May we present The Void Project by Palestinian filmmaker Azza El Hassan. Founded in 2018, The Void Project explores the presence and absence of visual archives as a discourse in wartime narrative formation.
Jerusalem Flower of All Cities and Palestine in the Eye, two Palestinian films restored by The Void Project and The Making of a Revolutionary Film aka The Place 2 as well as Kings and Extras: Digging for a Palestinian Image, films by El Hassan herself, will screen both in-person and virtually this month. Learn more about the films.
Watch IN PERSON on May 24, 2023 at 7pm at Trylon Cinema.
Watch WORLDWIDE VIRTUALLY May 25–28, 2023.

Other People’s Children (Moroccan-French actor)
2023-05-26 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-26 19:15 - 21:30, 2023-05-27 13:45 - 15:30, 2023-05-27 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-27 19:15 - 21:30, 2023-05-28 13:15 - 15:30, 2023-05-28 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-28 19:15 - 21:15 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N,, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
What does it mean to care for another person’s child? A single 40-year-old high school teacher must ask herself this question when she falls in love with Ali and especially his four-year-old daughter in the latest from Rebecca Zlotowski (An Easy Girl).

Book Reading Event with Wagih Abu-Rish
2023-05-27 16:00 - 19:00 | Cherry Street Village, 720 25th Avenue, Seattle, WA, United States
Book Reading Event with
Wagih Abu-Rish
The latest novel by Wagih Aburish is a story of love,
determination, and political intrigue: Nad of Nadide
reveals that love, whether between two of the same
ethnicity, or between lovers who never expected to
cross ethnic boundaries, is one worth fighting for, at
the cost of defying all norms and challenges.
Wagih’s debut novel is a sweeping story of love, loss,
and the power of loyalty in the face of conflicting
ideologies and religious beliefs.
“Deftly crafted with impressive attention to historical
detail and context, Replenishing the Sea of Galilee is
an inherently riveting read and one that will prove to be
an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to
community library General Fiction in general, and
Jewish/Palestinian Historical/Cultural Fiction
collections in particular.”
—Midwest Book Review
Cherry Street Village
720 25th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122
May 27, 2023 | 4-7pm
Appetizers, discussion, Q&A

Northwest Folklife Festival
2023-05-27 18:00 - 2023-05-30 21:00 | WA
The schedule isn’t out but I’m not going to hold my breath that they will have any Arab performers. If I am pleasantly surprised I’ll post it here . . .
UPDATE: No surprise: three belly dancing acts one of whom is possibly of Middle Eastern descent. WTF!
But it’s May 27 at 6:30 if you want to go.
https://nwfolklife.org/festival/schedule/in-person-schedule.html
If you are not a fan: here are some great articles for you to enjoy:
https://www.salon.com/2014/03/04/why_i_cant_stand_white_belly_dancers/
https://www.salon.com/2014/03/18/i_still_cant_stand_white_belly_dancers/
I ❤️ Randa Jarrar

Arab board games at Mox Boarding House Cafe
2023-05-28 16:00 - 18:00 | Mox Boarding House – on Leary, 5105 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA, 98107, United States
Let’s bring this winter weekend to live in this get together to play boardgames at Mox boarding house cafe. This place is amazing and has street parking available. Best of all it’s free on Sunday.
The Cafe offers hot and cold beverages and light food. They have a 100s of board games to choose from.
Bring your best game and let’s go for it together.

Tinariwen at the Showbox
2023-05-31 20:30 - 22:00 | The Showbox, 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The new album by Tinariwen could well have been called Exile on Main Street. But other people have already thought of that. It also could have been called A la recherché du pays perdu (‘Remembrance of a lost country’). Except that would have been a tad Proustian for musicians who grew up pretty much between a rock and a sand dune, in the midst of their goat herds and camel caravans. But the idea is apt. As is the painful paradox, if you consider that while Tinariwen were busy criss-crossing the globe on their recent triumphant tours (160 concerts played in the past three years), expanding their audience on all five continents, becoming one of the latest musical phenomena of truly universal calibre, the frontiers that encircle their desert home were closing down and double-locking, forcing them into exile to record this their 8th album.

Reem x mamnoon Takeover
2023-06-01 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-06-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Mamnoon, 1508 Melrose Ave, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States
Join us as Chef Reem Assil takes the helm for a special mamnoon “takeover” event. Indulge in a family-style tasting menu crafted by chefs Reem Assil and Nicco Muratore, showcasing their culinary expertise and passion. This meal will be accompanied by a selection of unique by-the-glass wine options and flights, including gorgeous Lebanese library wines and other unique selections from surrounding regions we’ve been holding onto in anticipation of this night! This event is priced at $125 per person.
All proceeds benefit The White Helmets and Karam Foundation.

book now

Thursday June 1: Reem x mamnoon Takeover

Seatings: 5:00 pm, 6:30 pm, and 8:30 pm
