Author: mara.ahmed

high falls 2009: laila’s birthday

many reviews describe “laila’s birthday” as funny and humorous. some go so far as to compare the film’s lead actor mohamed bakri to buster keaton. i got a different vibe from the film.

filmed in ramallah, in the west bank, “laila’a birthday” is subtle. it cannot help but deal with life in the occupied territories and the director is not shy about exploring its grim side, but he does so with a quiet elegance that sidesteps what could have been much more heavy-handed, graphic content. at the same time, the film is immensely skilful in conveying a sense of weariness and frustration that comes from lack of control over one’s life. abu laila is a judge yet he cannot find a job, so he drives his brother-in-law’s taxi. every morning he goes to the ministry of justice to plead his case but he is met with bureaucratic inefficiency and indifference. he is devoted to his daughter laila, who is turning ten. abu laila’s mission on her birthday is to buy a cake and present and be home on time.

as his day unfolds we drive through overcrowded streets (the west bank and gaza are some of the most densely populated areas in the world), we hear about a missile attack on a car which killed the man inside, we learn about people queuing up at checkpoints where abu laila refuses to drive his passengers because he is afraid for himself and for his taxi, we see people get in line wherever they see a line in hopes of getting some food, we hear the constant sound of helicopters hovering overheard and much more. but the film is not bitter or depressing. it keeps its focus on how life continues to function under these circumstances and pokes some fun at how people cope.

being a judge, abu laila is a firm believer in the rule of law. he is moral, upright, and yearns for order. his character’s struggles are effectively contrasted with a society so dominated by unpredictability, that the pursuit of law and order become meaningless. but as the ending of the film shows, sometimes randomness can lead to a happy resolution. directed by rashid masharawi.

p.s. discovered palestinian actor saleh bakri in this movie. he’s mohamed bakri’s son and has a tiny role in the film (a passenger who travels briefly in abu laila’s taxi). he is probably one of the most stunning actors i have ever seen and (based on what i read online) is considered a heartthrob in much of the middle east!

high falls 2009: tulpan

shot in southern kazakhstan, “tulpan” has the feel of a documentary. it proceeds at a languorous pace, exploring in great detail the life of nomadic sheepherders, etched against the vastness of the kazakh steppe. tulpan means tulip. it is the name of a young girl asa wants to marry. the marriage will enable him to move out and start his life – get his own sheep, his own yurt, his own piece of heaven. there is a lot charm and humor in the film. directed by sergey dvortsevoy.

tulpan

Afghan Villagers Describe Chaos of U.S. Strikes

wish we would channel the passion and energy aroused by the torture photographs into stopping the horrible war in afghanistan – thousands of civilians killed (including large numbers of children), more than 1.3 million people displaced and turned into refugees in pakistan. will it take graphic pictures to create some interest and revitalize the anti-war movement?

Afghan Villagers Describe Chaos of U.S. Strikes – NYTimes.com

more on the torture pictures

to stop torture, people who legalized it must be held accountable. to hold them accountable, civil rights lawyers must be able to build a case. to build a case, lawyers need evidence – all evidence – to prove that this was not an isolated, abu ghraib only, bunch of free lancers scenario. torture was widespread and systemic. what part of this are we finding confusing???

We wouldn’t want to inflame anti-American sentiment – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com

Dave Lindorff: Obama Channels Cheney

“The truth is always better than a cover-up, and what we now have the president advocating is a cover-up of American torture. But that’s only part of the president’s slide into Cheneyism. We have the president now calling for the possible indefinite detention of terror suspects–an idea that only insures that there will always be an incentive for recruiting more terrorists (to avenge those in captivity)–and that makes a joke of our own Constitution, which guarantees everyone–not just citizens–the right to a trial, the right to a presumption of innocence, and protection from “cruel and unusual punishment,” which indefinite detention certainly is.” Full article.

humanitarian crisis in swat, pakistan

i don’t know how the so-called war on the taliban is going to rein them in (probably not imho) however, it has created a huge humanitarian crisis. all those advocating for military action in swat should now be doling out some money to help the half million or so people who have actually been affected! the edhi foundation is also accepting donations for the swat crisis.

the end of america

last section of an 8 part series, “the end of america”, written by naomi wolf. on the loss of civil liberties: “civil liberties don’t swing back like other issues. civil liberties is a v precious commodity, when u lose them, it tends to run out of ur hand like sand and it’s hard to get it back” (jonathan turley, constitutional law expert).