Wednesday August 12, 2009 at 8pm
Entrance: 3 000 LL |
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  About the event |
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Within the framework of the exhibition “Earth of Endless Secrets”, Beirut Art Center has programed screenings of Akram Zaatari’s video work.
Red Chewing Gum (Al-Ilka al-Hamra)
2000. 10’. Arabic, subtitled in English
In this “video letter,” an unseen, unnamed narrator recalls an incident that took place fifteen years ago on Hamra Street, Beirut’s famed cosmopolitan causeway. He and the letter’s addressee, a former lover, followed a young street vendor and stole his one piece of masticated red chewing gum. The story gives rise to considerations of desire, pleasure, pursuit and longing.
Baalbeck: The Drift
2001. 23’. Arabic, subtitled in English
A photographer and a journalist have been assigned to cover a concert to be held among the majestic ruins of Baalbeck in eastern Lebanon. On their way to the show, they get sidetracked when they catch sight of a young man. They follow him relentlessly, collecting the traces – or evidence – of his presence.
How I Love You (Shou Bhabbak)
2001. 29’. Arabic, subtitled in English
In this study of sexuality among gay men in Lebanon, one couple and three characters discuss relationships, passions, commitments and failures in a society where homosexuality remains punishable by law. The video uses light to create a white veil over the subjects, which prevents viewers from seeing or identifying their faces. By obstructing the image, the work locates itself in a specific social context, at a time and place where certain rights are not granted.
Bathroom Naughtiness (Zaaraneh bel Hammem)
2000. 2’. Arabic, subtitled in English
A man and a woman stand facing each other, reciting lines from a poem. The poem, narrated from the point of view of a woman who spots a man from her bedroom window and invites him into her bed, subverts the sweetness of Arabic love songs with black humor and graphic descriptions of sex acts.
Crazy of You (Majnounak)
1997. 26’. Arabic, subtitled in English
Set in the industrial suburbs of Beirut, Majnounak explores male sexuality through interviews with three men who recount the beginning, middle and end of a sexual encounter. The video examines the details of shaping the body, language and song through fantasy. It also explores the ways in which masculinity is constructed, allowing the men to project images of themselves as courageous as they seduce and conquer. Yet through their stories, desire is reduced to a commodity and relationships lead to defeat.
The synopsises are written by Kaelen Wilson-Goldie
The screening will be followed by Q&A session with Akram Zaatari. |
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