Cultural Couture: Palestinian Heritage Foundation Nurtures the Fabric of Arab Life and Tradition in the U.S.

Before leaving for a trip to Jerusalem in 1987, Farah Munayyer's wife Hanan asked him to bring back a book on traditional Palestinian costumes and embroidery.

From early childhood, girls in the Middle East are taught the art of embroidery, using motifs transferred from mother to daughter down through the generations. As a child in Haifa, Hanan had embroidery passed down to her and her interest in it was still strong.

A few years earlier, Farah had brought back an antique dress from Jerusalem. But when she decided to use the fabric for pillow cases, Farah said "No." In its entirety, the dress was a piece of history, of specific identity. Hanan's book request came as an offshoot of the "saved dress."

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The Centennial of

Arab Cinema

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and August Light Productions announce the largest and most comprehensive presentation of Arab films in the United States November 1 to December 5, 1996 at the Walter Reade Theater. The five-week series, entitled "The Centennial of Arab Cinema" will feature films from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, and Kuwait. Most of these films have never been previously shown in the United States and are being subtitled into English for the first time. Styles, genres, narratives, adn sensibility of the classical film period will be expolored through the approximately 15 classical films from Egypt. The approximately 25 contemporary films will present the dynamic and unique output of the different Arab national cinemas and offer a complex cinematic exploration of national, social, and gendered identities.

SCHEDULE

of The Centennial of Arab Cinema