Human Rights in the Balkans and Islam

This program examines notions of human nature and rights in the Balkans and Islam, beginning with an afternoon lecture by Professor Sayed Nomanul-Haq who teaches religion at Rutgers University. In the evening, Robert Vitalis, a professor of Political Science at Penn, will describe the situation of human rights in Greece and the Arabic world where the two movies of this program are set, and Millicent Marcus, professor of Film and Romance Languages, will explore the history of the human rights genre in cinema.

It is not surprising that the 1960s, a decade rocked by violent liberationist struggles, should have created the modern human rights film genre. We show two of the works that launched the genre, Costa-Gavras's Z and Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers. Set in the Balkans and the Islamic world, they prophesied the trouble-spots of our day.

4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Annenberg School, Rm 111
3620 Walnut Street

Political Science Lecture: S. Nomanul Haq

Making a Pact with God: The Islamic Doctrine of the Formation of Human Nature and Its Burdens

S. Nomanul Haq is professor of religion, Rutgers University, and visiting scholar in political science, University of Pennsylvania, and authority on theology, philosophy, and science in Islamic intellectual history.
Cosponsored with the Department of Political Science.

6:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Logan Hall, Room 17
249 S. 36th Street

Film Festival and Commentary

Speakers

Robert Vitalis, Professor of Political Science and Director of Penn's Middle East Center, and author of When Capitalists Collide: Business Conflict and the End of Empire in Egypt.
Millicent Marcus, Mariano DiVito Professor of Italian Studies, Director, Film Studies Program, and author of Filmmaking by the Book: Italian Cinema and Literary Adaptation.

Films

Z
Directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Vassilis Vassilikos and Jorge Semprun
In this gripping two-hour thriller that won an Oscar for best foreign language film in 1969 and launched the human rights film genre, Costa-Gravas chronicles the overthrow of the democratic government in Greece. When a liberal politician and leader of the opposition party is assassinated in an attack during a peace demonstration, the corrupt military and police try to cover up the murder—and their parts in it.

Battle of Algiers
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
B&W, in Arabic/French, subtitled in English
Academy Award nominee for best foreign film in 1966, Battle of Algiers was initially banned by the French government. It is a landmark of film history as the first film to depict Algeria's revolt against French Colonialism in their struggle to gain independence. In the staged street riots, we follow Ali La Pointe and his supporters through the streets of Algiers as they struggle for the return of their country.

WHYY Film Series

10:30 p.m.
WHYY TV, Channel 12

Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave
Events surrounding Europe's most horrifying war crimes since World War II are brought to light in this gripping documentary. Narrated by Bill Moyers, the program includes previously unreleased footage and first-person accounts of the 1995 massacre in Bosnia. Interviews with both witnesses and officials create a detailed chronicle of the events surrounding the nightmare that engulfed Srebrenica.

Thursday, 3/21		Human Rights in the Balkans and Islam

		This program examines notions of human nature and rights in the Balkans and Islam, beginning with an afternoon lecture by Professor Sayed Nomanul-Haq who teaches religion at Rutgers University. In the evening, Robert Vitalis, a professor of Political Science at Penn, will describe the situation of human rights in Greece and the Arabic world where the two movies of this program are set, and Millicent Marcus, professor of Film and Romance Languages, will explore the history of the human rights genre in cinema. It is not surprising that the 1960s, a decade rocked by violent liberationist struggles, should have created the modern human rights film genre. We show two of the works that launched the genre, Costa-Gavras's Z and Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers. Set in the Balkans and the Islamic world, they prophesied the trouble-spots of our day.


4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Annenberg School, Rm 111 3620 Walnut Street		Political Science Lecture: S. Nomanul Haq
		Making a Pact with God: The Islamic Doctrine of the Formation of Human Nature and Its Burdens
		S. Nomanul Haq is professor of religion, Rutgers University, and visiting scholar in political science, University of Pennsylvania, and authority on theology, philosophy, and science in Islamic intellectual history. Cosponsored with the Department of Political Science.


6:30 - 10:30 p.m. Logan Hall, Room 17 249 S. 36th Street		Film Festival and Commentary

		Speakers
		Robert Vitalis, Professor of Political Science and Director of Penn's Middle East Center, and author of When Capitalists Collide: Business Conflict and the End of Empire in Egypt. Millicent Marcus, Mariano DiVito Professor of Italian Studies, Director, Film Studies Program, and author of Filmmaking by the Book: Italian Cinema and Literary Adaptation.

		Films
		Z Directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Vassilis Vassilikos and Jorge Semprun In this gripping two-hour thriller that won an Oscar for best foreign language film in 1969 and launched the human rights film genre, Costa-Gravas chronicles the overthrow of the democratic government in Greece. When a liberal politician and leader of the opposition party is assassinated in an attack during a peace demonstration, the corrupt military and police try to cover up the murder—and their parts in it.

		Battle of Algiers Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo B&W, in Arabic/French, subtitled in English Academy Award nominee for best foreign film in 1966, Battle of Algiers was initially banned by the French government. It is a landmark of film history as the first film to depict Algeria's revolt against French Colonialism in their struggle to gain independence. In the staged street riots, we follow Ali La Pointe and his supporters through the streets of Algiers as they struggle for the return of their country.


		WHYY Film Series

10:30 p.m. WHYY TV, Channel 12		Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave Events surrounding Europe's most horrifying war crimes since World War II are brought to light in this gripping documentary. Narrated by Bill Moyers, the program includes previously unreleased footage and first-person accounts of the 1995 massacre in Bosnia. Interviews with both witnesses and officials create a detailed chronicle of the events surrounding the nightmare that engulfed Srebrenica.