So, in lieu of doing the tons of work that I have to do in the next two weeks (two radio documentaries, and to finish my book chapter/proposal) — I went with Sarmad, Robert Tuttle and his wife to explore the Arab neighborhood in Astoria. We had lunch at a Lebanese place on Steinway Ave., which was quite good.
Following that, we headed down to the African Film Festival currently showing at Lincoln Center, where we saw Moolaadé, the latest film from the esteemed Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène (whom I did a presentation on for French class in 2002).
The film is about the horrible practice of female genital mutilation, in this case, set in Burkina Faso. It can be seen as a parable/lens for understanding the freedom for African women and for the whole continent of Africa.
Sembène was there after the film to discuss it with the audience, which was a humbling experience. I got to shake his hand and thank him in French and Wolof as he exited the theater. Amazing that this guy is still on top of his game at 82 years old.
In other news:
The SMART car is coming to the US! (Courtesy WorldChanging)
Penguins go through a metal detector at San Diego airport (Courtesy BoingBoing)
Back to work. (Really.)
