Reel Festivals 2011: Syria, Lebanon and Scotland

<strong>Reel Festivals</strong> returns to give Scottish audiences a view of the Middle East beyond the headlines, this year focusing on Syria and Lebanon

Article by Matthew Stanger | 02 May 2011

Reel Festivals returns in May with a trilateral exchange of contemporary film, music and literature between Scotland, Syria and Lebanon.

Following the success of Reel Afghanistan in 2008 and Reel Iraq in 2009, this year’s programme continues to raise awareness of the Middle East beyond the headlines.

Conflict in the region dominates world news, but cultural understanding is often disregarded in favour of political analysis. The 2011 Reel Festivals is an opportunity to gain an alternative perspective on the Middle East through engagement with the arts and dialogue among communities.

The series of events kicks off in Beirut, Lebanon, on 9 May, where locals will be treated to screenings of Gregory’s Girl, Hallam Foe and The Wicker Man (what will the Lebanese think of us?) as well as a performance by Scottish musician and artist Bill Drummond, who co-founded late 80s avant-garde acid house group The KLF and once burned a million pounds.

The festival arrives in Edinburgh on 16 May and begins at the Filmhouse with a screening of Every Day is a Holiday, in which three women are incongruously stranded in the Lebanese desert, followed by a Q&A session with its director, Dima El Horr. Every Day is a Holiday is the first of fifteen films to be shown, with each providing a rewarding insight into different aspects of life in the Middle East.

The range of complex and persuasive issues considered throughout the week is illustrated no more so than in 12 Angry Lebanese, 21 May, Filmhouse. In this powerful project organised by Lebanese director Zeina Daccache, inmates at Beirut’s Roumieh prison acted out an adaptation of 12 Angry Men in which the performance of the criminal justice system was put in the dock and examined in front of high-ranking state officials.

One of the most important purposes of Reel Festival 2011 is to highlight current protests in Syria, where the programme was unavoidably cancelled. Fortunately the Syrian element will still take place in Edinburgh, with a focus on influential documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay a particular highlight.

Amiralay died in February of this year, and he is remembered at the festival through a two-part retrospective. His work offers a critique of political and socio-economic problems in Syria, with the highly critical A Flood in Baath Country capturing the zeitgeist of his age.

Another reflection on Syria is presented in Zabad, 18 May, Filmhouse, a personal story told from the point-of-view of a disabled man. The documentary explores issues of politics, responsibility and opportunity, and director Reem Ali, who will take part in a Q&A after the screening, was given access to deeply intimate and private conversations between family members.

The vibrancy and variety of Reel Festivals 2011 ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Alongside the film programme, collaborations of music and poetry such as the enticingly titled Golden Hour promise to capture the imagination and make this year’s event well worth a visit.

The Scottish leg of Reel Festivals 2011 takes place in the Filmhouse, Edinburgh, from 16-22 May. See Reel Festivals 2011's website for more details

http://www.reelfestivals.org/full-programme/scotland/