FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2017

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HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I—Next month the Doris Duke Theatre joins theaters across the country in screening films from Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, and Syria, as part of “The Seventh Art Stand.” This national initiative aims to challenge Islamophobia by encouraging theaters nationwide to offer a platform for filmmakers from countries affected by the U.S. government’s travel ban, otherwise known as the Muslim ban.

“The museum’s Doris Duke Theatre is part of a working group of arthouse theaters across the country dedicated to addressing equity and diversity issues in film. The members of this group feel it is important to celebrate the films from these countries as a way to promote cultural understanding and community dialogue about tough, relevant issues,” says theater director Taylour Chang.

Highlights of the program include Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman, which won the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film—an award that Farhadi could not accept in person, as he decided to not travel to attend the ceremony in protest of the travel ban. Also screening is Fishing Without Nets, which beautifully tells the story of East African pirates from the Somali point of view. Director Cuttor Hodierne, writer John Hibey, and actress Idil Ibrahim will be in attendance of the screening, and lead a discussion after the film.

Each organization is responsible for programming its own films, and so far the Doris Duke Theatre and New York’s famed experimental film theater Anthology Film Archives are the only venues that have committed to showing films from all seven countries named in the original ban. Moreover, with 34 community partners, in-person and Skype-enabled discussions with filmmakers after almost every film, live musical and artistic performances, a one-on-one interview with Hawai‘i Attorney General Douglas Chin, tours of the Arts of the Islamic World Gallery after matinee screenings, and special workshops hosted by the ACLU of Hawai‘i and Amnesty International, the museum's programming is particularly robust.

The series opens Saturday, May 27 with an interview with Chin hosted by Honolulu Civil Beat. Chin—as many know—received national attention when filed the lawsuit that halted President Donald Trump’s revised executive order on immigration. Chin speaks with Civil Beat’s Yunji De Nies about Hawai‘i’s role in the travel ban. The interview is free to attend. Following the talk will be a reception where guests can enjoy food and wine, and learn more about the museum's community partners.

The program also includes live performances by artists from Syria. At 4 p.m. Saturday, May 27—immediately following the opening talk and reception with Attorney General Douglas Chin—Kevork Mourad, a Syrian-born, New York–based artist of Armenian heritage, paints live on stage to the music of Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Ignace (Iggy) Jang. The performance is presented in collaboration with Shangri La: A Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, where Mourad will be an artist in residence in April.

On June 3, the series closes with a violin performance and talk by Mariela Shaker. Born in Aleppo, Shaker was able to flee the war in 2013 when she was awarded a music scholarship by Monmouth College in Illinois. “I feel powerless to change the current tragedy ongoing in my country,” says Shaker. “However, I believe so much in the power of music to remove barriers between people and nations.”

Full Schedule
The Seventh Art Stand
May 27-June 7, 2017
The Seventh Art Stand is a nation-wide series of films presented by movie theaters and community centers across the U.S. as an act of cinematic solidarity against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism. The Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) joins U.S. theaters in this effort to showcase films from the countries affected by the travel ban and to elevate the stories of our friends and filmmakers abroad.

In conjunction with the film series, the museum will offer tours of its Islamic gallery and special exhibition Shazia Sikander: Parallax after matinee screenings.

The short film Letters From Camp, directed by Frank Chi and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, will precede all film screenings.

Media Sponsor Honolulu Civil Beat

Supporting sponsor American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i

The museum wishes to thank its community partners:
Hawai‘i Coalition for Civil Rights, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, William S. Richardson School of Law, Muslim Association of Hawai‘i, Shangri La: A Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, SILAH, Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, Persian Language, Linguistics, and Culture Program at UH Mānoa, The Interfaith Alliance of Hawai‘i, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, Amnesty International Hawai‘i Chapter, Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Hawai‘i Chapter, Japanese American Citizens League Honolulu Chapter, The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People Hawai‘i Chapter, African American Lawyers Association, Hawai‘i Chapter, American Immigration Lawyers Association of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association, Filipino American Advocacy Network, Filipino American Citizens League, Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i J20+, Honolulu Biennial, Department of Art and Art History at UH Mānoa, Hawai‘i International Film Festival, Artists for Social Justice, Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Chamber Music Series, Na Mea Hawai‘i, and Art + Flea.

Opening talk: An interview with Hawai‘i Attorney General Doug Chin
Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m.
Hosted by Honolulu Civil Beat
Free admission, ticket required
Honolulu Civil Beat presents a one-on-one interview with Hawai‘i Attorney General Doug Chin, who drew national attention for filing the state’s lawsuit that ultimately halted President Donald Trump’s revised executive order on immigration.

Audiences can take advantatge of this rare community talk-story with your attorney general, as we spotlight Hawai‘i’s role in the national conversation about the travel ban. This intimate conversation, moderated by Civil Beat's Yunji De Nies, will serve as a jumping-off point for further discussions throughout the Seventh Art Stand.

Opening reception in the Luce Pavilion. After the talk, guests can enjoy food and wine and learn more about what local organizations are doing in the community to help the islands’ immigrant and refugee populations. The reception will lead into the opening-night concert featuring Syrian visual artist Kevork Mourad at 4 p.m.

Opening concert: Syrian artist Kevork Mourad with Ignace Jang
Saturday, May 27 at 4 p.m.
$25 general admission, $20 museum members
In collaboration with Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art is proud to kick off the Seventh Art Stand by showcasing the work of Syrian visual artist Kevork Mourad. Mourad will paint live on stage in collaboration with Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra's Concertmaster and premiere violinist Ignace Jang. Through Mourad's live drawing and animation, audiences can witness the destruction of historic sites that have disappeared and of the mass exodus of people forced out of their homes. Mourad is a Shangri La artist in residence May 22-29.

The Salesman (Forušande)
Directed by Asghar Farhadi. Iran/France. 2017. 125 min. Persian with English subtitles.
Sunday, May 28 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m.
Oscar®-winning director Asghar Farhadi’s latest was one of the most highly anticipated films at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Actor and Best Screenplay awards. The Salesman won the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film; however, Farhadi did not attend the 89th Academy Awards® ceremony in protest of the U.S. Executive Order 13769. The Salesman tells the story of a young Tehran couple, both amateur actors in a production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. When their Tehran flat is damaged, Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are forced to move into a new apartment. An incident linked to the previous tenant of their new home dramatically changes their lives.

Read the New York Times review.

May 28 at 3 p.m.: Post-screening talk: Women's rights in Iran: A post-screening talk about women's rights in Iran with Professor of Persian Language and Culture at UH Mānoa Ladan Hamedani, and professor of philosophy from Certificate of Islamic Studies at UH Mānoa Tamara Albertini

Under the Shadow (Zir-e Sayeh)
Directed by Babak Anvari. UK/Jordan/Qatar. 2016. 84 min. Persian with English subtitles.
Thursday, June 1 at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, June 2 at 9:30 p.m.
Shideh and her family live amid the chaos of the Iran-Iraq war (known colloquially as The War of the Cities). Accused of subversion by the post-Revolution government and blacklisted from medical college, she falls into a state of malaise. Conscripted to the army, her husband is sent to the frontlines, leaving Shideh all alone to protect their young daughter Dorsa—all the while Tehran is under the constant threat of aerial bombardment. Not long after, a missile hits their apartment building and while failing to explode, a neighbor dies in mysterious circumstances. Following this, Dorsa’s behavior becomes increasingly disturbed and Shideh is slowly drawn into a mania in which she struggles to cling onto what is real and what is not. Searching for answers, Shideh learns from a superstitious neighbor that the cursed, unexploded missile might have brought with it Djinn—malevolent Middle-Eastern spirits that travel on the wind. Convinced that a supernatural force within the building is attempting to possess Dorsa, Shideh finds she has no choice but to confront these forces if she is to save her daughter and herself.

A New Day on Old Sana'a
Directed by Bader Ben Hirsi. Yemen. 2005. 86 min. English and Arabic with English subtitles.
Tuesday, May 30 at 1 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.
In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana'a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her. Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family’s honor. Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana'a, this exquisite film is the first feature ever to come out of Yemen.

A Skype discussion with director Bader Ben Hirsi follows the film.

Fishing Without Nets
Directed by Cutter Hodierne. USA/Kenya/Somalia. 2014. 109 min. English, Somali, and Arabic with English subtitles.
Friday, June 2 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, June 3 at 1 p.m.
Shot in East Africa using Somali non-actors, Fishing Without Nets tells the mesmerizing and sobering story of the pirates from the Somali point of view. First-time feature filmmaker Cutter Hodierne combines the epic cinematic vision of a glorious action-thriller with intimate, textured qualities of an art film, humanizing the pirates by bringing us inside their moral dilemmas and gut-wrenching struggles.

A discussion with director Cutter Hodierne, writer John Hibey, and actress Idil Ibrahim follows the film.

The Dark Wind (Reşeba)
Directed by Hussein Hassan. Iraq. 2016. 92 min. Kurdish and Arabic with English subtitles.
Sunday, May 28 at 4 p.m.
Sunday, June 4 at 1 p.m.
The Dark Wind is the first feature narrative dealing with the genocide against the Yazidi people living in the Kurdish Shingal region through the so-called Islamic State. A young Yazidi couple, Reko and Pero, get separated when the Islamic State attacks their village in the Shingal region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Many of the villagers become casualties under the attack and the young women, including Pero, are captured and sold as slaves. Reko searches endlessly for Pero until he finally finds her in Syria. They find shelter in a refugee camp, but Pero is deeply traumatized by her ordeal and the future of their love is uncertain.

A Skype discussion with filmmakers follows the film.

House Without Roof
Directed by Soleen Yusef. Germany/Iraq (KRG)/Qatar. 2016. 117min. German and Kurdish with English subtitles.
Sunday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.
House Without Roof tells the story of siblings Alan, Jan, and Liya who were born in Iraqi Kurdistan but grew up in Germany. The three want to fulfill their mother's last wish and bury her in their home village next to their father who died in war. During this fraught Kurdish odyssey they are not only confronted by their big Kurdish family, which doesn't accept their mother's wish, but also by themselves. During the last years the distance between the family members has increased, each lives their own life and when they talk to each other it soon becomes dominated by mutual accusations. At the same time, a terrible conflict is rising in their home country and first no one recognizes the dimensions of this conflict.

A Skype discussion with filmmakers follows the film.

Last Men in Aleppo
Directed by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen. Syria. 2017. 104 min. Arabic with English subtitles.
Saturday, June 3 at 4 p.m.
Sponsored by Hawaii J20+ and the Still and Moving Center
Free admission
In the middle of the night a red fire truck rushes through the streets. We meet Mahmoud and Subhi inside the car engaged in discussion: Are we going to die now? They follow the smell of what they fear is a chemical bomb attack. This is Aleppo, where death surrounds you. Dark and empty with deserted buildings, telling the story of a thousand disrupted lives. Through this trip, searching for survivors, viewers experience the personal story behind the war. Khalid, Subhi and Mahmoud—all founding members of the White Helmets in Aleppo, a group of ordinary citizens who are the first to enter the destroyed buildings and scour through the rubble in search of bodies and signs of life—are now living more or less under siege and constant bombing together with the remaining 350,000 civilians in Aleppo.

A panel discussion in collaboration with Hawaii J20+ follows the film.

After Spring
Directed by Chris McShand and Ellen Martinez. USA. 2016. English, Korean, and Arabic with English subtitles.
Friday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m.
With the Syrian conflict now in its sixth year, millions of people continue to be displaced. After Spring is the story of what happens next. By following two refugee families in transition and aid workers fighting to keep the camp running, viewers will experience what it is like to live in Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees. With no end in sight for the conflict or this refugee crisis, everyone must decide if they can rebuild their lives in a place that was never meant to be permanent. Executively produced by Jon Stewart (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart).

A special Skype introduction with the filmmakers precedes the film.

God Grew Tired of Us
Directed by Christopher Quinn. USA. 2007. English.
Wednesday, May 31 at 1 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.
In 1987, Sudan’s Muslim government pronounced death to all males in the Christian south: 27,000 boys fled to Ethiopia on foot. In 1991, they were forced to flee to Kenya; 12,000 survived to live in a U.N. camp in Kakuma. Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees—Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach, and Panther Bior—as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

A Skype discussion with the filmmakers follows the film.

Read the New York Times review.

Libya in Motion
Thursday, June 1 at 1 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.
From Tripoli to Benghazi, meet a grandmother sowing the national flag with relish, a young woman determined to become a film director, a fisherman philosopher, illegal migrants caught in limbo in a detention center, a group of young filmmakers trying to fund their fiction film and many others. This omnibus feature is a collection of brief insights into the lives of people trying to find normality in a world of chaos, Filmed over three years by emergent Libyan filmmakers in post-revolution Libya, the film is a testament to the courage and resilience of the filmmakers.

A Skype discussion with the filmmakers follows the film.

Program:
Tripoli (2012)
Grannys Flags – Directed by Naziha Arebi
Graffiti – Directed by Ibrahim El Mayet & Anas El Gomati
The Secret Room – Directed by Ibrahim Y. Shebani

Benghazi (2012)
The Salesman – Directed by Ibrahim Algouri
Poet of the Sea – Directed by Farag Akwedir
The Driving Lesson – Directed by Omar Bushiha

From Tripoli (2014-2015)
The Mosque – Directed by Farag Al-Sharif
The Runner – Directed by Mohannad Eissa
The Sandwich Maker – Directed by Samer S. Omar
Land of Men – Directed by Alaa Hassan Saneed & Kelly Ali
Dead End – Directed by Ahmed Aboub
Drifting – Directed by Samer S. Omar
Mission Impossible – Directed by Naimi Own

Closing-night Concert: Syrian violinist Mariela Shaker
Saturday, June 3 at 8 p.m.
$25 general admission, $20 museum members
Mariela Shaker, violin virtuoso from Aleppo, Syria, shares her story and music to promote peace and raise awareness for the plights of the Syrian people. Mariela was born in Aleppo, Syria, started playing the violin at the age of ten when she joined the Arabic Institute of Music in Aleppo (1999). She graduated from the institute in 2004 with distinction and became an active performer in Syria, taking part in many festivals and concerts in Aleppo including a solo violin recital in the Directory of Culture and in the St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in 2008. Mariela recently performed and spoke at the White House, Brooking Institute, Pentagon Conference, United Nations, Arab American Institute, Georgetown and George Washington universities, Asfari and Saied foundations, Harvard University, Points of Light, International Rescue Committee, Aspen Ideas Festival among many others. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Buzz Feed, Woman’s Day and many others.

Mariela will be accompanied by Hawai‘i Chamber Music Series President and pianist Jonathan Korth.

In the Last Days of the City
Directed by Tamer El Said. Egypt/Germany/UK/UAE. 2016. 118 min. Arabic with English subtitles.
Tuesday June 6 at 1 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday June 7 at 1 p.m.
This film within a film is a haunting yet lyric chronicle of recent years in the Arab world, where revolutions seemed to spark hope for change and yield further instability in one stroke. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, The Square) plays the protagonist of Tamer El Said’s ambitious feature debut, a filmmaker in Cairo attempting to capture the zeitgeist of his city as the world changes around him—from personal love and loss to the fall of the Mubarak regime. Throughout, friends send footage and stories from Berlin, Baghdad, and Beirut, creating a powerful, multilayered meditation on togetherness, the tactile hold of cities, and the meaning of homeland. Shot in 2008 and completed this year, the film explores the weight of cinematic images as record and storytelling in an ongoing time of change.

A Skype discussion with the filmmakers follows the film.

Bakur (North)
Directed by Çayan Demirel and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu. Turkey. 2015. 92 min. Kurdish and Turkish with English subtitles.
Wednesday, June 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Banned in Turkey, Bakur is about the day-to-day life in the mountains of Kurdistan, seen from the eyes of the Kurdish fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It witnesses life in three guerilla camps located in different regions of Kurdish territory within the Turkish borders. This was the first time a professional camera ever accessed these camps.

Talk: Art's Role in Protecting First Amendment Rights
Monday May 29th at 7 p.m.
Free, tickets required
The ACLU of Hawai‘i's Legal Director Mateo Caballero discusses art’s role in advancing free speech and equal rights. Caballero talks about art as a potent weapon, powerful shield, and form of visionary resistance.

Workshops: America I Believe In
Free, tickets required
Hosted by Amnesty International Hawai‘i Chapter, America I Believe In provides training and the necessary tools for people who wish to become better-informed and stronger advocates to support our Muslim, refugee and immigrant communities. Amnesty International will host three separate sessions addressing key issues that will equip the general public on welcoming refugees, rejecting anti-Muslim hate, and denouncing human rights violations and war crimes. Participants will be given guidelines for how to navigate tough conversations and make a difference in the community.

Wednesday, May 31 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Confronting fear, hate and bigotry

Thursday, June 1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Real facts on immigrants and refugees

Friday, June 2 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Anti-Muslim Hate

Art Without Borders: A Shangri La Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon
Sunday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This event will take place in the Education Lecture Hall.
Shangri La, in partnership with the Doris Duke Theatre, presents Art Without Borders, a Wikipedia edit-a-thon to enrich and diversify information about art found by online search engines. Participants will learn about critical issues and how to edit entries on Wikipedia. Prior knowledge of Wikipedia and online editing is not required. The edit-a-thon will take place at the end of the Seventh Art Stand.

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About the Honolulu Museum of Art

One of the world’s premier art museums, the Honolulu Museum of Art presents international caliber special exhibitions and features a collection that includes Hokusai, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso and Warhol, as well as traditional Asian and Hawaiian art.

Located in two of Honolulu’s most beautiful buildings, visitors enjoy two cafés, gardens, and films and concerts at the theater. The museum is dedicated to bringing together great art and people to create a more harmonious, adaptable, and enjoyable society in Hawai’i.

Locations:

Honolulu Museum of Art: 900 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: 2411 Makiki Heights Drive
Honolulu Museum of Art School: 1111 Victoria Street
Honolulu Museum of Art at First Hawaiian Center: 999 Bishop Street
Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theatre: 901 Kinau Street (at rear of museum)

Website: www.honolulumuseum.org

Phone: 808-532-8700

Hours:

Honolulu Museum of Art: Tues–Sat 10 am–4:30pm; Sun 1–5 pm; closed Monday.

Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House: Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Sun noon–4pm

Admission (permits entry to both museums on the same day):

$10 general admission; children 17 and under are free.