Buzkashi Boys and other Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films 2013

The night before the Oscars, we had a chance to see the Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington. 

http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/oscar-nominated-live-action-short-films-5/

This is a nice place, and equivalent of an independent movie showcase place, "art movies" as we used to call them back home. This presentation is narrated by Luke Matheny, who was himself a winner in this series in 2011.

It was a unique opportunity to see these shorts just one night before the awards. I have no idea where these films are played or seen. I have never seen one in the theaters  What is there market?

This is my personal take on these.

Death of a Shadow (Belgium/France),  A soldier who died in WWI is given a second lease on life. He has to capture 10,000 shadows of death. In return he will get one hour of life back to be in his own time. The special camera he is given is the one through which one can see the past and can take the picture of the shadow. He wants to go back to be with with the girl who tended him when he was running away from the enemies. Only to find out that the girl was in fact waiting for another soldier who was shot by a firing squad. He goes back and gives his chance to the other man to be with the waiting girl.

Henry (Canada),in French. It is the story of pain of an old main, a great pianist, who is gradually his memory in old age. Keeps on thinking about his wife and daughter. Excellent acting. 

Curfew (USA), A touchy movie of where Richie a failure in life at the lowest point in his life is about to commit suicide. He gets a call from his sister, estranged for years and now in an abusive relationship, to take care of her daughter for the evening.  The acting of the young girl, Fatima Ptacek, is superb, who initially comes across full of herself, with an attitude, but goes through a roller coaster of emotions in those few hours with his uncle.

Buzkashi Boys (Afghanistan). I had heard the interview of the boy actor on BBC and was the main reason I went to see the shorts. A story of friendship and emotions of two preteens, how they struggle to deal with everyday life and dream about their future.  They watch buzkashi riders and get adrenalized. Jawanmard Paiz is the street urchin and is full of energy, a dare devil and is sure to make big. He taunts is friend to climb up vertical stairs in a deserted palace up to the top which his friend Fawad Mohammadi does not. Fawad is a son of a blacksmith, and is cautious but wished to succeed in life. One pays the price and the other gets strength from the fallen friend. Excellent movie, a must see.

Asad (South Africa), Again this is a story of a young boy, living in a shanty town in Somalia, desiring to be a fabled pirate but has to take care of his needy family and becomes a fisherman. A war ravaged land and the universal story of human desire to be happy and succeed. Masterfully done. 

Given a chance to see the shorts, do avail it. I would have voted for Buzkashi Boys, but Oscar went to Curfew. 

Forty Eighth Anniversary of Malcolm X at Shabazz Center

The Transformations of Malcolm X by Tariq Ramadan

Yesterday, February 21st, 2013, was the 48th death anniversary of Malcolm X. Tariq Ramadan was to be there. I have been reading Tariq Ramadan lately, and thought it was a good time to hear him out. I had heard him speak before, and did not want to pass it on.

This was not the first time I have been to the center in the past. Since it opened up in 2005 there had been many events. Five years back CAIR NY had its annual banquet there. But this was the first time I was there for a celebration on the life of Malcolm himself.

The Malcom X and Dr Betty Shabazz Center stands where the Audubon Ballroom existed, the site of Malcolm's assassination 48 years back on February 21st, 1965. After years of neglect it was to be reconstructed by Columbia University when due to the persistence of Betty Shabazz, it was saved and now it is a living shrine to the memory of the two. Downstairs is a welcome lobby with a life-size statute of him (6'4") greeting you. Upstairs is the hall where events are held. It sits on the intersection of 165st street on the Broadway, and is across the Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Presbyterian system). The same hospital which refused to send paramedics or even the stretcher down the block when Malcolm was shot. 

The hall has life size paintings of Malcolm on the eastern wall. The north and the western wall looks on to Washigton Heights through large windows. There were full size portraits and photos of Malcolm in different familiar poses we have seen over the years, including the fiery speaker poses , praying in the Turkish Mosque and wearing African garbs.

The hall was jam packed with a lot of people younger than me. A few individuals who were present on that day were also in attendance, including his bodyguard and two daughters.

Mark Harding, the Interim ED was the MC. 

The invocation from the Quran was by Imam Talib Abdur Rashid of Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood Harlem. He chose verses 75 and 76 of Chapter 4. aptly chosen for the way of life Malcolm has lived.

And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!"

Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.

It was colorful evening with performances by Karen Taylor and Spoken Word by Autum Ashante. She is the one who made headlines a few years back as a child prodigy. One should check her out on youtube. She read a poem which had the Martin King's refrain 'I have a dream" but the rhetoric was all Malcolm's.

Among the speakers were Peter Bailey, a founding member of the Organization of Afro American Unity, the organization founded by Malcolm after leaving NOI. He was present there on the day of Malcolm's death. He was a young man in early twenties at that time. He used to run the newsletter and was excited about the upgrading of the publication to a paper in the coming weeks. He talked about the different exploitation of the Black community including physiological exploitation which still continues.

Two daughters of Malcolm X spoke next, Malaak who was still unborn but still present with her sister and mother in this hall on that day. Ilyasah is the one many are familiar with as the daughter, as she is the public face of the Shabazz family. 

Tariq Ramadan flew in from London for this talk. He has a personal connection with Malcolm. I did not know that from before. His father had hosted Malcolm during his trip to Egypt and while a two years old, Tariq had sat on the lap of Malcolm. After Malcolm's death, the elder Ramadan had help arranged a Haj Pilgrimage for Betty Shabbaz, which she was still pregnant with the unborn twins.

The crux of Ramadan's talk, which was aptly named 'Transformations of Malcolm X",  was the three stages of Malcolm. He made the connection between the Three Metamorphosis of Spirit as portrayed by Nietzsche and the Islamic explanation of nafs.  Nietzsche describes the three stages of human spirit. First is that of a camel, when one is continuously burdened by the load of life, and one endures and endures. Then comes the stage of being a lion. One stands up and roars. Enough is enough and takes a stand. The last is the stage of being a child. Happy and content, at peace with the surroundings and confident of oneself. 

Parallel to that, although not exactly the same are the three types or stages of Human's nafs,  ie self. The first is  nafs ammara. 12:53 ( the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil). At this stage one is full of one's own self of strength, is self centered and takes in all what comes its way. Then comes the stage of  nafs e lawwama 75:2 (the self-reproaching spirit).  It is the fiery stage of struggle and new realizations and how to deal with them. The last stage is  nafs mutmainna 89:27 (soul at peace)  the final stage of peace, with ones own self and with the rest of the world.

Malcolm's life, Ramadan cataloged,  is a journey through these three stages or transformations. It is also reflected in his name and how it changes with each stage. 

First stage of his life, growing up he is Malcolm Little. The given name is a reflection of what was the name given by the European masters to his ancestors once their names were taken away from them. (Taking away of names is one of the most brutal acts of Europeans, elaborated others speakers including Ron Daniels later).  Here in this stage of his life, he is like a camel, taking all the burdens of life as presented to him and trying to carry it all. It is the stage of nafs ammara.

Then he goes to jail and is introduced to the Nation of Islam. This is the opposite of what he had been so far. So far he had been trying to be 'white'. (Some will remember the movie where in the barber's shop in Massachusetts he straightens his hair and asks his friend does he look white?)  Trying to be white has led him into jail. Here he is introduced to the other reality and he becomes the rebel he is mainly known as in the world. He is transformed into the raging lion. This is the nafs lawwama the unrelenting force unleashed on the world in the name of Malcolm X. Here is his new name, X. The unknown. He is taking the label away, as many in NOI did, which the Europeans put on him. He is denying them the privilege of defining him and acknowledges his origins, no matter how unknown they may be to him and his masters. 

Then is the final stage of his life, the last two years, which are not much known in the outside (both Black and Brown) world. Here he eventually grows out of the black supremacy concept of Nation of Islam. He breaks away from them, changes his name again. He travels overseas. Now he is Malik AlShabazz. He performed the Haj and traveled to Europe and Africa. The pilgrimage was a life changer for him, where he sees the universality of the message and realizes that his calling is not in being black or anti white. It is universal. This is the stage of contentment, as a  child of Nietzsche, the nafs mutmainna.

Here is not angry any more. He is still a fighter, but not to take revenge or get even, he is fighting for the right thing for the right reason. 

And that, Tariq Ramadan stressed, is the real message from the life of Malcolm X.

It was here that he was in the initial stages of reorganizing his Organization of Afro American Unity.

Tariq Ramadan's speech was followed by two respondents. One was Ron Daniels once a US Presidential Candidate and other was again Imam Talib Abdul Rashid. They both gave their personal takes on the life of Malcolm and Ramadan's speech. 

It was echoed in all the speeches that the African  community is coming out of the Malcolm vs Martin camp and realize that the ultimate message was similar. It is not true, we were told, that one was all peaceful Christian non violent resistance and the other was all rage and anger. 

It was a nice evening which took me back to the roads I used to frequent much, almost weekly for many years when I was involved actively in CAIR NY. Driving through 125th street, the ever changing Harlem into the Broadway north into Washington Heights, and back on Harlem Parkway. 

Zoha could not join me; last minute rearrangement due to kid's schedules.  I saw old friends and colleagues including Momani's, Aisha Aladawiya and Zead Ramadan. Zead is the chair of Shabbaz Center. Muneer Awad was the silent behind the scene organizer. 

Also had the opportunity to have a nice cup of tea with Faisal Cheema, who threw in chicken legs, Jaleebi and ghulab jamin.

The center is worth visiting at least once. Whenever in town, make an effort to be at the Shabazz Center.