Dariush Mehrjui Film Premiere, Chinese Feature Film: Dam Street and More!

Dariush Mehrjui Film Premiere, Chinese Feature Film: Dam Street and More!       Santouri                   New York Film Premiere Directed by Dariush Mehrjui Iran. 2007. 106min. 35mm Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 pm Free for Asia Circle Members  Celebrated Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui (The Cow, The Pear Tree) will premier his latest film Santouri. Originally approved by the Iranian authorities and shown at the government-sponsored Fajr Film Festival, Santouri won the Best Actor and Audience Award. Yet it was banned indefinitely before its scheduled opening in Tehran. The film features two popular stars, Bahram Radan and Golshifteh Farahani (Body of Lies), as a musician couple whose deep love for each other is no match for a devastating addiction to heroin.  (In Persian with English subtitles) "Santouri the Music Man, a harrowing account of a greatly gifted artist's slide into heroin addiction, is another sweeping yet incisive film from Dariush Mehrjui, one of Iran's most accomplished and courageous filmmakers for four decades."  Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times   Q&A with Dariush Mehrjui moderated by Jamsheed Akrami, Film Professor, William Paterson University after the screening, followed by reception. With support from the Iranian-American Society of New York and The NY Persian Parade Dam Street               Directed by Li Yu. China. 2005. 93 min. Friday, November 21 at 7pm Free for Asia Circle Members   In the early–1980s, Xiao Yun—a sixteen year–old girl living in small riverside town—discovers she is pregnant. The local community is stunned, her family loses face and she and her boyfriend are expelled from school. In the aftermath, she gives birth and is forced to put her child up for adoption. Ten years later, her relationship with her family strained and ostracized by residents of the town, Xiao Yun is reduced to working as a singer in a song and dance troupe. Her only real companion is Xiao Yong, a fiercely affectionate boy who protects her from the critical eyes of the community until a marriage proposal discovers the limits of their friendship. (in Mandarin with English subtitles) "Beautiful cinematography and outstanding performances! Dam Street is an immensely touching and captivating story of love and marginalization created with Li's skilled, caring directorial hand. MASTERFUL!" - Toronto International Film Festival "Reminiscent of Zhang Yimou." - Eye for Eye (UK) WINNER! GRAND PRIZE - BEST FILM, Deauville Asian Film Festival; WINNER! JURY PRIZE, Venice Film Festival Co presented with the Global Film Initiative   Writing the Sacred Word Lecture Monday, December 1 at 7:00 pm   World-renowned master calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya will talk about the historic roots and religious significance of the art of calligraphy. Over the last five decades Zakariya, a native of California, has traveled extensively in the Muslim world in pursuit of the venerated Islamic art form that has become his métier.   This program is part of Creative Voices of Islam in Asia, and is made possible, in part, by generous funding from the Doris Duke Foundation of Islamic Arts.  The Fish Fall in Love (Mahiha Ashegh Mishavand)  Directed by Ali Raffi. Iran. 2006. 96 min.  Tuesday, December 2 at 7:00 pm  Free for Asia Circle Members When Atieh's former lover Aziz re-appears after a 20-year absence, he tries to close her popular restaurant. Atieh fights back with what she knows -- food -- and prepares his favorite dishes, one after the other, in a determined attempt to convince him otherwise. Loosely based on the Persian fable of Shahrazad and the Thousand Myths (A Thousand and One Nights), director Ali Raffi's film uses the language of food to paint a richly-textured portrait of life on Iran's Caspian coast. ( in Persian with English subtitles) Discussion with magazine food editor Mimi Sheraton and film critic Katayoun Beglari after screening. Reception follows.   Co-presented with Global Film Initiative   Click Here to Watch Movie Clip The Five Directions -- A Meeting of Korean and American MusiciansPerformance by Jeong Heo, Kwon Soon Kang, Young Chi Min, Erik Friedlander, Satoshi Takeishi and Ned Rothenberg Thursday – Saturday, December 4-6 at 8:00 pm Consisting of three Korean traditional musicians and three American musicians, Tori, the World Music Project Ensemble, pushes the boundaries of east and west to offer a fresh sound with interactive collaborations. At the center of their musical activities are: Korean vocal and instrumental forces, including bamboo flute, daegeum, and the six-string zither, geomungo, along with Western instruments such as flute, clarinet, cello, and percussion sounds. This diversity is reinterpreted, embracing traditional korean music as well as jazz. Musicians include Yoon Jeong Heo (geomungo-zither), Kwon Soon Kang (Korean traditional voice), Young Chi Min (daegum, chang-go flute/drum), Erik Friedlander (cello), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) and Ned Rothenberg (clarinets and shakuhachi). The music of The Five Directions -- obang, describes the basic formation of the universe, the cosmic dual forces, in/yang, and the five physical elements, ohyeng, metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Please note: three performances: Thursday, December 4; Friday, December 5; Saturday, December 6.   Co-presented by The Korean Cultural Service New York; made possible by generous support from The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of South Korea.