Local filmmaker Luke Jaeger and the Northampton Arts Council will co-present a selection of short independent films from the 2016 Black Maria Film Festival. The film festival will be presented on Friday, November 11th in conjunction with Arts Night Out. The program starts at 7:00pm in the Community Room of First Churches, 129 Main Street in downtown Northampton. The 75-minute program is free and open to the public. These award-winning shorts, which audiences are unlikely to see anywhere else, include a mix of narrative, documentary, animation and experimental films.
As Northampton prepares to welcome a group of Syrian refugees for local resettlement, of particular interest is “Notes for My Homeland,” a documentary about Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali’s response to the tragedies instigated by the Assad regime. Jandali composed music in support of the Syrian Revolution, performing it at great personal risk. Malek Jandali’s evolution from classical musician to passionate activist captures the transformation that the civil war in Syria has wrought on many citizens. This is a story that celebrates the power of art to catalyze social movements.
“Malek Jandali is no ordinary musician. The Syrian-American composer and pianist has performed in leading concert halls around the world and has also written a song so powerful that his parents were beaten in punishment for its performance. I can’t think of a more stark example of how threatening art can be.”
—producer Julie Winokur
“Notes for My Homeland” does include some graphic footage of the Syrian civil war; viewer discretion is advised.
The Bravest, the Boldest
Notes for My Homeland
Ripple
Nighthawks
Signwriter