May 7, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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went to see BeeEye at the imagine festival at rit on may 4th, 2013. it’s a wonderful video installation by my friend, artist and filmmaker cat ashworth. talking about the disappearance of honeybees, one of the beekeepers called it a … Continue reading
April 23, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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april 22, 2013: just saw “bidder 70″ a doc about environmental activist tim dechristopher’s bid to save 22,000 acres of land in utah from oil and gas extraction. he was imprisoned for disrupting an auction, even tho the auction was … Continue reading
April 23, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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yesterday, on april 21st 2013, i went to see “divine milieu: the last confession of teilhard de chardin” at the space theatre in rochester. pierre teilhard de chardin (1881 – 1955) was a french philosopher and jesuit priest, a paleontologist … Continue reading
February 16, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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i can deal with american obamatrons who buy msm propaganda and quote the NYT as if it were the voice of a prophet, but i really cannot abide pakistanis who see their world (and indeed themselves) based on the latest … Continue reading
February 14, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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2/9/2013: saw margaret atwood’s “the penelopiad,” a nightwood theatre production performed at buddies in bad times theatre, in toronto. it’s a feminist take on homer’s odyssey, in which penelope’s story becomes front and center, haunted by the shocking hanging of … Continue reading
January 12, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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was interviewed by andrea gordon at TV apex studios in essex yesterday about my film work and activism. it was a lot of fun. in the evening we saw “the silence of the sea”, a powerful three character play about … Continue reading
January 10, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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today “uncle vanya” at vaudeville theatre, a reception at the w hotel near leicester square and then matilda, the musical. not sure about matilda, altho i’m told it’s thrilling.
January 10, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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twelfth night and richard III at the apollo theatre yesterday – a transfer from shakespeare’s globe, “original practices” and all male cast, mark rylance and stephen fry, complete fidelity to the original text. simply magnificent.
January 7, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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saw this wonderful ballet yesterday, along with two other plays. loved what matthew bourne did with sleeping beauty. he gave agency to aurora, who is an energetic and passionate young woman in love with a working class lad, leo the … Continue reading
January 5, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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had lunch at the british library yesterday. the cheese cake with berry compote was delicious but not so much the quikes cheddar, tomatoes and rocket sandwich. dinner was out of this world at this small lebanese joint. i had chicken … Continue reading
January 4, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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went to see “mughal india: art, culture and empire” at the british library today. it’s an excellent exhibit of art, some objects, and a lot of books – on astronomy, medicine, mathematics, literary classics like the poetry of hafiz and … Continue reading
January 2, 2013
by mara.ahmed
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saw strindberg’s “dance of death” today at trafalgar studios. small theater. i was sitting in the front row, almost inside the set, an unwitting part of the conjugal storm exploding on stage. modernized to accommodate a strong, equally devious woman, … Continue reading
December 30, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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attended sunday mass at westminster abbey this morning. have seen the mind-blowing, multi-media “experience” that’s “the master and margarita” (based on the book by bulgakov), “the magistrate” (a victorian farce with john lithgow), “a chorus of disapproval” directed by the … Continue reading
December 28, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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went to see this exhibit at the british museum today. was amused by a print, by one of goya’s contemporaries. the time is early 1800s, during the french occupation of spain. the print shows a “spanish patriot” defecating (literally) on … Continue reading
December 28, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched michael haneke’s “amour”: unflinching, unsparing, intelligent, deeply moving. it’s about marriage and debilitating old age – the dissolution of love and life and its reduction to unadorned pitiful survival. there was complete silence in the theater after the film … Continue reading
November 26, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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murderous attacks against shias all over pakistan during the month of muharram – more than 300 shias have been killed this year in sectarian violence inside pakistan, according to human rights groups. all the analysis i’ve read so far talks … Continue reading
November 20, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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my thoughts today: this is so scripted it isn’t even corny. escalating violence in order to provoke a reaction then exaggerating that reaction in order to simulate a state of war. one of the best equipped armies in the world … Continue reading
November 4, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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this is the first collage in the new series inspired by my filmwork on the partition of india and by the idea of bearing witness as a dynamic act. that’s my maternal grandfather in the foreground. he went to aligarh … Continue reading
October 26, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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just came back from a screening of “the muslims i know” at an OASIS community class called “the descendants of abraham.” the class is taught by jewish, christian and muslim instructors. extremely excited that they’ve been using my film in … Continue reading
October 21, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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melancholia: sadness, lugubriousness, moroseness, wistfulness. “an oppressive sorrow, which, to wit, so weighs upon man’s mind, that he wants to do nothing.” (thomas aquinas) “the height of joy, the moment when the world can improve no further, is both the … Continue reading
October 19, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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went to see “freud’s last session” yesterday. written by mark st germain, the play is based on an imaginary meeting between freud and c.s. lewis. lewis is a young professor at oxford. freud is in his 80s and dying of … Continue reading
October 11, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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the attack on 14 year old malala yousafzai by a criminal gang in swat is repulsive. it’s even more repulsive that the pakistani govt will be incapable of apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. there is no accountability … Continue reading
October 11, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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another misguided, “topsy-turvy” piece from kristof. micro-finance is NOT what it’s made out to be in western media. have u read about india’s micro-finance suicide epidemic? get real dude. typical nyt reporting – we know what’s best for u and … Continue reading
October 3, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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i will miss sabiha phuppo – her wit, her elegance, her wonderful kindness. only a woman of her confidence and independent mind could have raised daughters like asma jahangir and hina jilani. i gravitated towards her lively, intelligent presence as … Continue reading
October 3, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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“The touchiness of Muslims about assaults on the Prophet Muhammad is in part rooted in centuries of Western colonialism and neo-colonialism during which their religion was routinely denounced as barbaric by the people ruling and lording it over them.” — … Continue reading
September 28, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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i’ve always found the pakistani newspaper “dawn” to be disturbing in its greedy embrace of american imperialism. now i’m more sure than ever that dawn is just a sad pakistani version of the NYT. i commented on this article “power … Continue reading
September 14, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “terra blight” today, at the greentopia film festival. it’s an extremely informative documentary about how e-waste (e.g. most of the 100 million computers discarded each year in the u.s. alone) is being shipped to developing countries like ghana where … Continue reading
September 13, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “detropia” today at the greentopia film festival. a lesson in filmmaking. by constructing a gradual, deliberate visual tapestry of the city of detroit as it stands today, accompanied by a compelling musical score, the filmmakers capture the saga of … Continue reading
September 13, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “chasing ice” at the greentopia film festival yesterday. gorgeous, surreal cinematography. disturbing message about global warming, presented with undeniable visual evidence. must see for all citizens of the globe, esp those who contribute most to climate change. we’re close … Continue reading
August 21, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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heard this ridiculous debate on NPR about how people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (like james holmes) cannot have their gun rights revoked just because they could possibly pose a threat to the public. a couple of points about that: … Continue reading
August 21, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched abbas kiarostami’s “certified copy” and loved it. it’s an intellectual and visual treat (set in tuscany, it’s about art and authenticity, love and marriage, illusion and reality) and yes, juliette binoche is one of the most stunning women on … Continue reading
July 25, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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for years i have followed arundhati roy’s political writings – her moral courage and eloquence are a constant inspiration. i finally finished reading her only book of fiction “the god of small things” and once again i am inspired. the … Continue reading
July 12, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “to rome with love” – except for some sharp repartee between woody allen himself and the topnotch judy davis, the film sags and eventually fizzles out with too many great actors who don’t have nearly enough to do. the … Continue reading
June 21, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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attended a wonderful event at RIT today. it started with the splendid shahin monshipour giving us some background on mevlana jalaluddin rumi’s early life and his mind-blowing encounter with shams-i tabrizi. she went on to play some “ney” (long reed … Continue reading
May 9, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “hiroshima, mon amour” last night and loved it. it’s about war and peace, about love and loss, about forgetfulness and remembrance, all intertwined in a poetic combination of script and cinematic imagery, musical patterns and physical synchronicity. alain resnais … Continue reading
May 7, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched “the most dangerous man in america: daniel ellsberg and the pentagon papers” last night and this is exactly what i was thinking. things are much worse now – for freedom of speech, for whistle blowers, for anti-war activists, for … Continue reading
April 4, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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the most stunning thing about werner herzog’s “cave of forgotten dreams” is the exquisite art. by using uneven cave surfaces, dripping water and the transient light and shadows created by fire, artists endowed their work with life-like texture, movement and … Continue reading
March 25, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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finally saw bergman’s “the seventh seal” – visually stunning and profound. no wonder it’s considered one of the best films ever made. the film is ground-breaking. it’s one of bergman’s earliest films i believe and it shows us many things … Continue reading
January 14, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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loved the film. its perfectly framed shots, impeccably choreographed scenes, spare dialogue and quiet moments of brilliance r like a visual poem. by creating physical, mental and emotional space around his narrative, elia suleiman imbues his palestinian characters with elegance … Continue reading
January 7, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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watched françois truffaut’s l’enfant sauvage (the wild child) again last night. what an exquisite film. the black and white cinematography is gorgeous, antonio vivaldi’s sublime music forms the film’s entire musical score, truffaut’s performance as the real-life dr itard is … Continue reading
January 6, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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finally saw miral. the film’s content is fine, except perhaps the oslo accords which r presented as a viable solution to the occupation. a map of what was proposed would be useful as it would be a visual recap of … Continue reading
January 6, 2012
by mara.ahmed
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occupied minds: a candidate for the palestinian film festival we’re organizing in rochester. the film touches on many important issues, it’s personal and therefore easier to watch and access. it tries to be balanced (which can be a problematic word … Continue reading
December 23, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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in her article “occupy the holidays” (the nation, january 2, 2012) katha pollitt’s first recommendation for donating to worthwhile causes is an organization called “women living under muslim laws”. no kidding, there is a non-profit by that name. pollitt’s articulation … Continue reading
September 23, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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“It has always been a struggle for me to explain myself, who I truly am, and how I should or shouldn’t act in culturally diverse situations. Occasionally I feel confused, proud, and even awkward about how to deal with the … Continue reading
September 7, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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watched a few episodes of “the tudors.” it’s a sexed up, soap opera-ish account of henry VIII’s travails, with awful digitally-generated sets. what struck me most (apart from the obscene disconnect b/w ruler and subject and the sad results of … Continue reading
August 20, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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read an excerpt from sadegh hedayat’s “the blind owl” – it’s considered to be one of the classics of iranian (nay human) literature. it’s dark, poetic, layered, circular, intense, nightmarish – full of symbolism and human psychology. hedayat was one … Continue reading
August 20, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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lakshmi chaudhry argues that women have come a long way since the lovelorn vulnerability of marilyn monroe and princess diana. now we have the “skank posse” (paris, britney, lindsay) rich and powerful women who r unapologetic about their sexual appetites/need … Continue reading
August 1, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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August 1, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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saw “the fighter” last night. full of energy, sometimes to the level of camp. christian bale is totally out there, channeling the crack-addicted dicky eklund. mark wahlberg provides a nice counterpoint to his frenetic restlessness. melissa leo is their mother … Continue reading
August 1, 2011
by mara.ahmed
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interesting coverage by the nyt here. it’s not just that mr breivik is never described as a terrorist. there’s much more. my comments below. … “The police identified him as a right-wing fundamentalist Christian, while acquaintances described him as a … Continue reading