Witness Palestine series branches out in sixth year

The Witness Palestine Film Series, back
for a sixth year, continues its mission to spotlight the human rights issues at
the heart of the decades-spanning conflict between Palestine and Israel. Along
with the annual film series (which runs through the beginning of October), this
year’s festival branches out with a multidisciplinary program of events that
kicks off this weekend with a talk by keynote speaker, novelist, essayist, and
poet Susan Abulhawa on Sunday, September 10, at 2 p.m. Admission to the lecture
is free.

Also
scheduled is a staged reading of the play “There is a Field,” which will be
performed as part of the upcoming Rochester Fringe Festival on Thursday,
September 14, 9 p.m., and Thursday, September 28, 7:30 p.m., at MuCCC (142
Atlantic Avenue). Tickets are $10.

This year’s
Witness Palestine event also adds an art exhibition to the mix, “Bethlehem Beyond the Wall,” which will be on display from October 1
through October 14 in Lorette Wilmot Library Lobby at Nazareth College (4245 East
Avenue). Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day.

The lineup
of films gets off to a strong start with the crowd-pleasing musical drama
“Junction 48.” The film stars charismatic Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar as an
aspiring musician named Kareem, and follows him through the club scene where he
uses hip-hop as a means to combat the discrimination he faces as an Arab living
in Tel Aviv. This screening will be followed by a Skype Q&A with director
Udi Aloni. (Sunday, September 17, 2 p.m., at The
Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue)

Next up is a
pair of short films, “Gaza in Context” and “Gaza Fixer: A Chronicle of
Survival,” which examine the ongoing violence in the region from a variety of
angles, and confronting the realities of Israeli occupation. (Monday, September
18, 6:45 p.m., at The Little)

The
psychological thriller “Eyes of a Thief,” follows an engineer named Tareq
(Khaled Abol Naga), as he’s released from an Israeli prison after 10 years.
Returning home to find that his wife has died and his daughter missing, he sets
out to find what remains of the family he left behind. But a dark secret from
his past threatens to ruin any chance he has at piecing his life back together.
(Sunday, September 24, 2 p.m., The Little)

The
eye-opening “Occupation of the American Mind” examines the ways in which the
narrative about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been influenced over the
decades by PR campaigns which work to shift American opinions in Israel’s
favor. (Monday, September 25, 6:45 p.m., The Little)

“Disturbing
the Peace” follows the efforts of Combatants for Peace, an activist group in
which Palestinian and Israeli soldiers come together to help bring an end to
the violence and bloodshed of their homeland. Along the way, the film shows how
the organization’s members were able to transition from their time in the
military into becoming non-violent activists for peace. This event is free.
(Monday, October 9, 6:30 p.m., St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue).

Admission to
each film in the series is $10, and $5 for students, except where otherwise
noted. Find a full schedule of events at witnesspalestinerochester.org.

Coming Attractions

Art House Theater Day is an annual
event paying tribute to an institution that’s near and dear to all our hearts:
the independent movie theater. This year’s event will be held Sunday, September
24. In celebration The Little will feature a day-long lineup of films ranging
from family-friendly animation to “Titicut Follies” — Frederick Wiseman’s
documentary taking viewers inside the walls of the State Prison for the
Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts — and acclaimed new indies,
like “Columbus,” starring John Cho and Parker Posey. Visit thelittle.org for
the complete schedule.

On Saturday,
September 23, at 8 p.m., Visual Studies Workshop will screen “Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present,” a biographic
film about the life and pioneering work of the avant-garde artist, musician,
and educator. $5 suggested donation for admission. vsw.org.

Starting
September 15 and continuing through October, AMC Webster will show a series of Disney’s hugely popular animated princess films. The
lineup will include classics like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mulan,” “Tangled,”
“Princess and the Frog,” and Pixar’s “Brave.” More info and a full list of
showtimes at amctheatres.com.

Mark your
calendars: dates have been announced for the second installment of the One-Take Documentary Film Festival, which will be held
April 19 through April 22, 2018. otff.org.