Thanks to the York student peace group Shalom-Salam @ York, students are invited to a free downtown screening March 2 of Rana’s Wedding by acclaimed Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, whose most recent film Paradise Now is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Rana’s Wedding will screen at 7pm at the Royal Cinema, at 606 College Street just east of Bathurst, followed by a paid-admission screening of Abu-Assad’s Golden Globe winner Paradise Now at 9pm.
Right: A scene from Rana’s Wedding
Rana’s Wedding is a romantic drama about a Palestinian girl whose father says she must marry a man of his choosing or accompany him abroad. 
With only ten hours to spare, she sets out to find her boyfriend in occupied Jerusalem. Paradise Now follows two Palestinian childhood friends who have been recruited for a suicide-bomb strike on Tel Aviv and focuses on their last days together.
Left: A scene from Paradise Now
The double bill on March 2 is sponsored by Shalom-Salam on the eve of Toronto’s newest film festival, Voices Forward: A Festival of Israeli and Palestinian Film and Culture. Amit Breuer, a festival organizer and the peace group’s last speaker, suggested Shalom-Salam participate and support the venture. Co-presidents Hina Kahn and Miriam Yosowich are also volunteer coordinators.
Voices Forward, scheduled for March 3-5, 2006, will present a three-day program of film, music, theatre and discussion about daily living in the Middle East. With the participation of visiting Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers and artists, this event will promote a cross-cultural exchange to build awareness about issues touching the lives of those living in the region and beyond.
For schedule and tickets, visit the Voices Forward Web site.
Order tickets by calling 416-967-1528 or buy them at the door.
