Mizna’s Movies
What cinema from the Arab diaspora can teach us
BY GOAMAAR PAUL
Rhythmic notes of Arab music filled the air next to a makeshift dance floor. The intermittent sprinkling wasn’t enough to dissuade the dancer; the mistiness provided an almost otherworldly backdrop to their sways and palpable delight.
It was against this scene that the 16th Mizna Arabic Film Festival concluded. The week-long presentation of Southwest Asian and North African filmmaking held showings at Trylon Cinema every day, lasting from matinees to midnight, each film highlighting the themes of complexities of home, identity, and the various forms in which those can take shape.
Mizna, founded in the late 90s as an art and literary journal, was the first of its kind in the Twin Cities. It provided Arab and Muslim artists a space to collaborate and display their work. Over the years, Mizna expanded their platform to include Arabic language and drumming classes and various events featuring prominent Arab artists. The Arabic Film Festival was launched in 2003 and has since become an invaluable source for independent filmmakers and audiences to enjoy the sharing and encountering of Arab and Muslim cinematography.
The final celebration was held at Moon Palace Books Plaza, accompanied by a DJ, a dance floor, and catering from Baba’s food truck, which provided delicious Middle Eastern hummus bowls. The last film, “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” was directed by Khadar Ahmed and followed the trials and tribulations of a Somali man and his ill wife. By the night's end, there was not a dry eye in sight.
Mizna explores the diverse, rich stories that spring from experiences we seldom hear about. It is a celebration of the broad range of human perspectives. Mizna gives the gift of reminding us just how vast, intricate and inherently loving our world is.