Arab Cinema event

Image: Scene from The Silences of the Palace 

University of Brighton Faculty of Arts Humanities lecturer, Dr Dora Latiri-Carpenter, will talk about Arab cinema and introduce two films at the Far Pavilion, the first festival of Arab culture taking place in Brighton this month.

The first, The Silences of the Palace, is considered a masterpiece of Tunisian cinema; a spellbinding portrait of life behind the closed doors of the royal palace in the final days of French colonial rule in 1950s Tunisia.

The news that Prince Sid’ Ali has died forces 25-year-old Alia to confront her past. During the funeral, she visits the palace grounds where she spent her childhood. In the deserted corridors, she recalls her relationship with her mother, a forbidden friendship and her own act of revolutionary transgression. Director Moufida Tlatli, Tunisia, 1994, Arabic/English subtitles, 128 mins.

Planet of the Arabs was inspired by Jack Shaheen’s 2001 book Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. Salloum has taken the ‘worst list’ and created this trailer-esque montage which won the official selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Director, Jackie Salloum, USA, 2005, English, 9 mins.

Dr Carpenter-Latiri has been at the Faculty of Arts since 1997. Her publications deal with language and intercultural issues, migration and representations of minorities in film and literary productions.

The event takes place in the Arabesque Tent in the Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1EE. Price £3.00.  Booking information.