12th Annual International Women's Fim Festival

Program Details 

February 14, 2008 

DUNIA, KISS ME NOT ON THE EYES (Egypt/Lebanon, 2005,  105 min., 35 mm feature, Dir. Jocelyne Saab)

The graceful curve of a woman's neck. The seductive jangle of bent gold bracelets sliding onto an arm. Welcome to the world of Dunia, a student of poetry and belly dancing, whose artistic expression is inhibited because she cannot experience desire. The story unfolds in Egypt, the moment "The Thousand and one Night" are prohibited for accusations of pornography.   Mentored by the ardent public intellectual Dr. Beshir (played by Egyptian superstar singer Mohammad Mounir), Dunia begins an all-consuming search for ecstasy in poetry, dance, and music–taking us into the world of women in a society that both fetishizes and oppresses female sexuality. The film's dramatic highpoint is centered on Female Genital Mutilation; ultimately, Dunia must confront the traditions that have destroyed her capacity for pleasure before she can experience it. 

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