Join us for a screening of three independent short films about Arabic culture from local filmmaker Raouf Zaki! 

Santa Claus in Bagdad 

Amal is a sixteen-year old girl who has fallen a year behind in school due to illness. When she learns that her favorite teacher is leaving, she recruits her classmates to decide on a going-away present for him. Meanwhile, her little brother, Bilal, thinks that their uncle, who will be visiting soon from the United States, is actually Santa Claus. He would like nothing more that to receive a toy car from this visitor from far away. Winner of the Best Independent Short at the Kids First! Film Festival (2008) and Best Film at the Redstone Film Festival (2020). 

Just Your Average Arab 

A group of Arab Americans meet in the storage room of a convenience store where they take an “Arab American Survival Guide post 9/11” class. They learn how to change their names, appearance, and accents to look more “American” and to avoid scrutiny from a terrorist-fearing American public. What follows is a hilarious ride that combines political anxiety, comedy, satire, and a script that will cause you to laugh and think. Winner of the Audience Award at the Boston Comedy & Film Festival (2006). 

Fireflies

When a withdrawn Middle Eastern man begins frequenting a Boston café, the headwaiter grows increasingly suspicious about the true nature of his visits. Winner of Best Film at the Redstone Film Festival (2018), Best Director at the Boston International Film Festival (2017), and Best Human Rights Film, Transilvania Shorts (2018). 

About Raouf Zaki: 

Raouf Zaki, originally from Egypt and based in Massachusetts for 34 years, wrote and directed several internationally awarded independent films. Santa Claus in Baghdad, described by the New York Times as a “miracle in filmmaking” for turning Boston into Baghdad, is used in hundreds of schools in the United States with a study guide developed by Harvard University. His most recent film, Fireflies, a film without dialog and winner of the Boston Film Festival, received the Sumner Redstone award at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit https://ravisionproductions.com/independent-films/.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library, a patron-supported non-profit organization.
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