(1/19) Hossam Elouan, a screenwriter and film critic from Egypt, is visiting the Mount for the next six weeks and is team teaching a course, Comparative Politics: Middle East, with Dr. Kristen Urban. Elouan’s
visit is part of the Fulbright "Visiting Specialist from the Middle East" program. "Mount St. Mary’s is especially enthusiastic about this opportunity to welcome an internationally reputed specialist from the Middle East at this time when a mutual understanding between western and
Middle Eastern Islamic cultures is of utmost importance for world peace," says Indrani Mitra, associate professor of English.
Fluent in several languages, Elouan is a graduate of the Cairo Film Institute and currently works as a scriptwriter and freelance researcher in Egypt. His publications on film and art are numerous including pieces in the "Alif Journal of Contemporary Poetics," newspapers "Al Sharq Al Awsat" and
"Al Watan," and in the Omani Cultural Magazine, "Nizwa." He also lectures extensively on arts in the Middle East.
Elouan has previously served as a Visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of California at Davis in 2004 and at the University of California in Los Angeles in 2003 where he worked with Professor Richard Walter, chair of the Screenplay Department. "I am highly interested in promoting
cross-cultural understanding with an appreciation for cultural diversity," says Elouan.
Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Scholar Program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries. It is America’s flagship international educational exchange
activity and thousands of faculty from the U.S. and other countries have studied, taught or conducted research abroad through its program. "Our students in particular benefit immensely from exposures to a wide range of perspectives on international issues," says David Rehm, dean for academic
affairs
A Middle Eastern Film and Lecture Series will take place during Elouan's time on campus. All events are free and open to the public.
FILM SCREENING: On Boys, Girls, & the Veil, (Directed by Yousri Nasrallah, Egypt) January 26, 2006, 7:00 p.m. Laughlin Auditorium
A short film that examines gender identity and the dimensions of veiling within the larger context of Egyptian society
FOOD FOR THOUGHT DISCUSSION: A discussion of Islamic religion and Arab women’s issues February 8, 2006, 12 noon - 1:00 p.m. O’Hara Room, Patriot Hall
FILM SCREENING: Door to the Sky(Directed by Farida Ben Lyzaid , Morocco) February 10, 2006, 6:00 p.m. Laughlin Auditorium. This film tells the story of a Moroccan woman who returns from Paris to visit her dying father and subsequently begins a quest to preserve her cultural and religious
identity.
SLIDE/LECTURE PRESENTATION: Beyond the Pyramids: Modern Egyptian Architecture February 15, 2006, 7:30 p.m. Laughlin Auditorium
Mr. Hossam Elouan, an Egyptian filmmaker, who recently completed a documentary on the work of legendary Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathy, will speak on Fathy’s designs and work in championing human rights and decent housing for the poor.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT DISCUSSION: A discussion of the politics of filmmaking and the significance of cinema in everyday life and culture in the Middle East February 22, 2006, 12 noon - 1:00 p.m. O’Hara Rm, Patriot Hall
FILM SCREENING: Salaam Cinema (Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran) February 23, 2006, 7:00 p.m. Laughlin Auditorium
This Iranian docudrama is a humorous and heartbreaking story of the power of movies and the tyranny of moviemakers.
For more information on any of these events, please contact the Office of Intercultural Development at (301) 4475720
