Edward Said Movies
- 2008
- NR
A second honeymoon in Malta turns into a life-altering experience for a bored Seattle librarian and her unadventurous, insurance salesman husband in this mature romantic comedy starring Juliet Stevenson, Tchéky Karyo, and Daniel Stern. Twenty-five years ago, Julia (Stevenson) and her passionate French lover Alex (Karyo) made a promise to meet up in the romantic Mediterranean hot spot where they exchanged their first glance. Now stuck in a marriage with a man who seems more interested in assembling jigsaw puzzles than pleasing his neglected wife, Julia takes her husband Jack (Stern) on a trip to Malta under the guise of celebrating a second honeymoon. But the truth is that Julia has been fantasizing about Alex for years, and she's determined to make good on her promise to meet him, perhaps rekindling their old flame in the process. When Alex shows up with his sexy young girlfriend (Kate Miles) in tow, Julia can't help but wonder if she and her lover have been leading the wrong lives all these years. Later, when Alex storms their holiday villa declaring his devotion to Julia for the whole world to hear, Jack makes his mission to become the lover his wife has always longed for. In order to make that transformation Jack will take lessons in dancing and loving from a passionate ex-chorus girl (Valerie Mahaffey), but when the time comes for Julia to decide between the husband she's never known and the lover she's always longed for, will his noble efforts be enough to save a failing marriage? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
- 2005
In the early-mid 1990s, a unique and special friendship blossomed between two brilliant minds: that of renowned symphony conductor and classical pianist David Barenboim, and that of the late Edward Said, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. The former was a Jew, the latter not only Palestinian but a vociferous Palestinian activist, yet incredibly, the two men forged a deep-rooted and enduring bond that transcended the boundaries and limitations of two cultures traditionally at violent odds with one another. The story grows increasingly wondrous with the knowledge that the men worked in unison to expand their transcendent camaraderie into the cultural realm, and there breached harmonization in the Middle East with stunning efficacy. They began with Barenboim's decision to conduct symphonies in the West Bank, then collaborated on the creation of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a musical ensemble balanced equally between Israeli and Palestinian artists - an accomplishment that many hoped would serve as a harbinger of future achievements in the beleaguered Middle East. With his documentary portrait Knowledge is the Beginning, filmmaker Paul Smaczny chronicles the pair's awe-inspiring accomplishments, including the debut of the West-Eastern in Weimar on the 250th anniversary of Goethe's birth, Barenboim's trips to Jerusalem and Ramallah (and his reception of the Wolf Prize) and the orchestral ensemble's 2005 tour. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Barenboim, Edward Said, (more)
- 2003
- NR
Edward Said was a political activist, college professor, and literary critic who was born to Palestinian parents in Jerusalem, grew up in Egypt where he was raised as a Christian, and spent most of his adult life in New York City. Speaking of his background, Said once told a journalist, "My sense of exile has been lifelong -- it's a question of articulating it," and he speaks at length of his life, his work, and his philosophies in this documentary, structured around a series of interviews that were completed only a few weeks before Said died in the fall of 2003. Selves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said features the author speaking about his nomadic childhood and his views against tribalism and extreme nationalism, as well as issues of Eastern identity in the West and how the city of New York balances tradition with a sense of constant change. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Said
- 2003
Prominent Columbia University English and Comparative Literature professor Edward Said was well known in the United States for his tireless efforts to convey the plight of the Palestinian people, and in this film shot less than a year before his death resulting from incurable leukemia, the author of such books as Orientalism, Culture and Imperialism, and Power, Politics, and Culture discusses with filmmakers his illness, his life, his education, and the continuing turmoil in Palestine. Diagnosed with the disease in 1991, Said struggled with his leukemia throughout the 1990s before refraining from interviews due to his increasingly fragile physical state. This interview was the one sole exception to his staunch "no interview" policy, and provides fascinating insight into the mind of the man who became Western society's most prominent spokesman for the Palestinian cause. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Said, Charles Glass, (more)
- 1998
In this video, noted author Edward Said discusses the traditional views of western people about eastern cultures and discusses the influences that have led people to think the way that they do. Said finds many answers in the tradition of western imperialism that began in the 17th century. Particular attention is paid to the demonization of Islam and the almost knee-jerk reaction of western powers to support Israeli over Palestinian aims. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
