This week, don't miss the screening of Mahmoud Al-Massad's documentary "This is My Picture When I was Dead," which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam in 2010 and then won the Muhr Award for best documentary at the Dubai International Film Festival. It's Al-Massad's third feature-length documentary, and his previous documentary "Recycle" was awarded at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival in 2008. The Festival of Alternative Arts continues with a street labs evening that includes a film screening, music, and poetry, and a documentary screening on Thursday of "To Shoot an Elephant", an eye witness account of the war on Gaza. [caption id="attachment_8082" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Amman Symphony Orchestra"][/caption] As part of 7iber's residency at Makan, we're inviting you to "Blog On", where we're showcasing examples of how blogging plays a role in the lives...

[caption id="attachment_7644" align="alignright" width="269" caption="The Fuuls"][/caption] This week features lots of interesting music; Canadian rock group "The Last Supper" are performing tonight and tomorrow, after they cancelled their show in West Jerusalem which was scheduled for later this week (join the discussion on cultural boycott here). American folk/rock group the Fuuls are playing at Zara Expo on Wednesday. Jazz/Funk nights continue every Tuesday at Canvas with Yacoub Abu Ghosh and the Stage Heroes. Bayt al-Ruwwad's Wednesday concerts of classical Arabic music and Jordanian oldies are on, this time at the Hussein Cultural Center. Acclaimed NY-based Japanese choreographer and director Ryuji Yamagochi comes to Amman with a dance and theater performance titled "Gathering Space," featuring Japanese vocalist Sizzle Ohtaka and performers from El Funoun Dance Troupe of Palestine, and borrowing text from Geichiro Takahashi’s “Sayonara Gangsters,” one of the most important...

Join 7iber at Makan this Wednesday for a screening and discussion of the film "10 Tactics for Turning Information into Action," which documents stories from around the world on original and artful ways for rights advocates to capture attention and communicate a cause. [caption id="attachment_7249" align="alignright" width="210" caption="By Iraqi Artist Rafa Nasiri"][/caption] This week also features two film festivals, Korean films at the Hussein Cultural Center and Chilean Films at the Royal Film Commission. We also have three new exhibitions opening, at the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Nabad Gallery, and Karim Gallery. On Saturday, al-Balad Theater hosts "Al-Ittijah al-Mushakes," a forum for young people to critically examine initiatives by NGOs and donor-driven programs and suggest creative alternatives. It's, in the organizers' word, "a virtual space for ideas we're passionate about, and things that disturb us that we'd like to see...

This is an exciting week as far as Amman's events calendar goes; one of Germany's leading rock bands, Die Toten Hosen, are playing in Amman this Saturday, with an opening performance by El Morabba3. The European Film Festival, which started yesterday, offers two screenings daily of some highly acclaimed films, along with some Jordanian short films and side activities. It's a great week for book worms, as the Amman International Book Fair continues, Al Hannouneh group hosts author Ibrahim Nasrallah for a discussion of his award-winning book "Time of the White Horses," and the European Day of Languages is celebrated at the different European cultural institutes by a joint exhibition of books as well as readings of literary texts. You also have the Summer Theater Festival continuing until Tuesday. You have Hip Hop, classical Arabic music,...

بقلم ريم المصري، تصوير منار حمارنة

الفيديو من محمد القاق/خبيزة

أماكن معينة أحب أن أذهب اليها كلما تضيق بي مدينة عمان و أضيق بها وأرغب بالتصالح معها. مساحات تضفي علي سكينة القلب بعيدة عن كل مظاهرالترف والإستهلاك و أجواء الصخب الخانقة. من هذه الأماكن حدائق الملك حسين المطلة من بعيد على هذا المشهد ذاته الذي أحب الهرب منه أحيانا. لم أكن مهتمة بالبحث عن سبب الراحة التي أشعرها هناك و لكني أدركته يوم الخميس.

"سنزرع 1500 شجرة من ريع هذا الحفل"، بلَغتنا مقدمة حفل الفنانة اللبنانية الملتزمة مي نصر، الذي اتجهنا لحضوره في الحدائق ليلة الخميس. في البداية عرض فيلم قصير لخص ما يرتكبه الإحتلال الإسرائيلي في حقول الأراضي الفلسطينية. "لما تخلع شجرة عم تخلع إنسان من أرضه" ، وقتها أدركت سر سكينة الحدائق وحاجتنا الإنسانية للاتصال بكل وجود حقيقي، بسيط و...

Get ready for lots of local talent this week. The Amman Summer Festival kicks off today in the outdoor theater of Al Hussein Park, bringing you diverse performances by local artists every day, free of charge. A group called the Young Pen League is organizing an open poetry slam on Saturday at Mohtaraf Remal, so if you write poetry and would like to share it, or if you would just like to listen, don't miss it! [caption id="attachment_6268" align="alignright" width="291" caption="Refuge Urbanism"][/caption] An interesting new exhibition titled "Open City: Refuge Urbanism" is opening at the National Gallery of Fine Arts on Sunday, and new Jordanian feature film "Cherkess - Al Sharakissah" will be screening at the Royal Cultural Center on Monday. Jordanian Pianist Yasmine Alami is performing with the Amman Symphony Orchestra this wednesday Al-Hussein Cultural Center, and Jordanian...

بقلم ريما الصيفي

بدينارين فقط  نشتري بطاقات العرض الساعة الخامسة و النصف في أقصى سوق جارا، قبل مو عد العرض المنتظر بساعة. ننتهز هذه الفرصة لنعود ونلقي نظرة على المعروضات في السوق  ونستقر في منطقة الطعام لنطفىء ظمأنا بعصير بطيخ ونأكل بيتزا الحطب وتجاذب أطراف الحديث مع الأصدقاء.

الساعة  السادسة و النصف، نقف على بوابة ساحة العروض تنتظر افتتاح العرض في موعده  الساعة السادسة والنصف  مساءا، لكن الموعد يتأخرساعة كاملة نظرا لصعوبات فنية. يتوافد الحضور و يضيق بنا المكان في تلك الأمسية الصيفية من أمسيات صيف عمان الدافئة التي بخلت علينا بها عمان بتلك النسمات التي كانت قد عودتنا عليها، فيزداد التذمر والتنبؤ بما سيكون عليه العرض.

الساعة السابعة والنصف ... يتسارع الحضور لأخذ مواقعهم و التهيؤ لبدأ العرض. نتأمل المكان المطل على جبل القلعة ومسرح مهرجان الأردن حيث ستقدم فرقة "El Divo" العالمية عروضها الأوبرالية في نفس الليلة.