Raed Yassin
Film+Music performance
Friday, 20 March, 6 pm, in the Cinema
Une Sale Histoire (A Dirty Story), Jean Eustache, 1977, 50 min, France
In French, no subtitles.
Two different versions of the same story, the first performed by actors, the second an interview with the real-life person. A man tells his friends how he discovered a peep hole to the ladies’ toilet in a cafe, and how he thus became obsessed with looking at women’s genitals. His friends ask questions, discuss the matter and draw conclusions on the subject of sex. In the ensuing interview, the actual person talks unscripted about the true story.
Friday, 13 March, 6 pm in the Cinema
La Macchina ammazzacattivi (The Machine to Kill Bad People), Roberto Rosselini, 1952, 80 min, Italy
In Italian, no subtitles.
In a small Italian town, the photographer Celestino receives a visit from a demon who bestows on him the power to kill with his camera. To begin with, Celestino only uses this gift to kill people belonging to the rich and manipulative upper class, to the benefit of those less fortunate. However, his personal interests soon get the upper hand. The film links Rosselini’s earlier neo-realist works with his later more lyrical output.
Saturday, 7 March, 3 pm in the Auditorium
Musicians Raed Yassin and Sharif Sehnaoui interpret Shadi Abdel Salam’s 1969 film The Mummy or The Night of Counting the Years, which is regarded as one of the most important Arab films of all time. Not only does the film question national and cultural identity and its commodification, it also questions modern society’s relation to its past. Yassin and Sehnaoui, on turntables and electric guitar respectively, accompany the film with a live, improvised “sound-track” that imbues the film with an additional layer of interpretation and temporality.
Sharif Sehnaoui is a free improvising guitarist. He plays both electric and acoustic guitars, with (or without) extended and prepared techniques, focusing on expanding the intrinsic possibilities of these instruments without the use of effects or electronics. In addition to his music, he founded the Irtijal Festival, which he has managed since 2001, and runs several record labels.
Learn more about Sharif Sehnaoui
Raed Yassin is an essential figure on the Lebanese experimental music scene. A large part of his discography revolves around deconstructing Arabic popular culture. His solo projects include electro-acoustic compositions, electronics, Arabic turntablism, as well as a highly individualistic extended technique on double-bass. He is a founding member of the Irtijal Festival and Annihaya records.
Al-Mummia (The Mummy or The Night of Counting the Years), Shadi Abdel Salam, 1969, 102 min, Egypt
Based on a true story from 1881. Archaeologists discover that an Egyptian clan has raided a pharaonic cache and sold the artefacts on the black market. A conflict arises because the clan considers the treasures to be a natural resource and have been selling them for their livelihood for many years. The clan has also helped to maintain the secrets surrounding the pharaonic legends. The film Al-Mummia is universally recognised as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made and is also said to have contributed to defining Egypt’s national heritage.
Contact: Catrin Lundqvist, curator
