Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Events

This calendar presented by Asian & Middle Eastern Studies

[PAST EVENT] Arab Arts Gala! An Evening of Film, Music & Dance

April 8, 2022
6pm - 10pm
Location
Williamsburg Regional Library Theater
Access & Features
  • Open to the public
  • Paid event
  • Ticketed event
The 2021-22 line up of the W&M MEME. Photo by Nicole LeCorgne
The 2021-22 line up of the W&M MEME. Photo by Nicole LeCorgne

Join us for this collaborative evening of film, music, and dance, a part of William & Mary's 2022 Ampersand International Arts Festival (formerly the Global Film Festival) and the Asian Centennial. The film, Sirens (at 6 p.m) will be followed by a concert (at 8 p.m.) celebrating the legendary singer Sabah Fakhri and featuring a unique collaboration with W&M's fine dancers from Professor Leah Glenn's Modern Dance studio.

Sirens was on the marquee of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and we are thrilled to present it to Williamsburg audiences on April 8. True to their name, Slave to Sirens — the first and only all-woman thrash metal band in the Middle East — are utterly magnetic. Amid a backdrop of political unrest and the heartbreaking unraveling of Beirut, five bandmates form a beacon of expression, resistance, and independence. Their grit is tested as they grapple with the complexities of friendship, sexuality, and the destruction around them. Sirens is Rita Baghdadi’s third documentary feature. Acting as director, producer, and cinematographer, her singular vision is gentle yet emotionally powerful. Her film and its incredible subjects are inspirations to all who seek light through darkness.

Contact

Anne K. Rasmussen [[akrasm]]