Resistance[s]: Experimental Films from the Middle East and North Africa

Resistance[s] provides a useful introduction to an unusual genre of short films—experimental efforts by young artists who, though now mostly based in Europe or America, have ties to the Arab regions of the eastern and southern Mediterranean. As with most anthologies, the quality of the eight films is variable, but two of them are very strong pieces—“(a Sera Beau: From Beyrouth with Love,” a dreamlike 30-minute portrait of Beyrouth by Waël Noureddine emphasizing the violence and apparent hopelessness in the city, and “Untitled, Part 3b: (As If) Beauty Never Ends” by Jayce Salloum, which juxtaposes shots of blooming flowers with images of corpses in the rubble of a bombing raid at a refugee camp, set against the thoughts of a Palestinian returning to his destroyed home. Also impressive is the animated “Allahu Akbar” by Usama Alshaibi, in which the geometric patterns of Islamic decoration dance to musical accompaniment, and Taysir Batniji's “Transit,” which employs a succession of slow-moving slides to depict how difficult it is for Palestinians to travel across borders and through checkpoints. Though the other four films are both more ostentatiously “experimental” in technique and less notable in effect, all boast points of interest. The dual-sided disc offers both NTSC and PAL versions, and the DVD menu makes it easy to access not only the films but also brief biographies and interviews with the filmmakers (though in one case the interview is soundless, apparently intentionally!). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)