Film Screening:

Write Down, I Am an Arab 

(Ibtisam Mara'Ana Menuhin, 2014, 73 min, Palestine/Israel, in Arabic w/ English subtitles, Color, DVD).

-- Introduced by Prof. Shai Ginsburg, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 

Write Down, I am an Arab tells the story of Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian national poet and one of the most influential writers of the Arab world. His writing shaped Palestinian identity and helped galvanize generations of Palestinians to their cause. Born in the Galilee, Darwish's family fled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and returned a few years later to a ruined homeland. These early experiences would provide the foundation for a writing career that would come to define an entire nation. Write Down, I am an Arab is a personal and social portrait of Mahmoud Darwish. Through his poetry, secret love letters, and exclusive archival materials, the film unearths the story behind the man who became the mouthpiece of the Palestinian people.

"The intricate embroidery of the film gives one a strong sense of the both the man and his poetry, and ultimately teaches how much easier it is to love than to hate."-- Point of View Magazine

Cost: Free and open to the public

Sponsors: Center for Jewish Studies,Duke University Middle East Studies Center