Poems for palestine, 17 april

As part of the Persistence/Resistance festival, Jana Natya Manch presents

UJLE SAFED KABOOTAR
kuchh nazmein philisteen ke naam

Palestine, the land that nurtured three great religions, a land ravaged by a brutal occupation and seemingly perpetual war, the land of a heroic people. The reading starts with a song on Palestine by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and a poem by the Somalian poet Safi Abdi. The centrepiece of the reading is the poem 'Under Siege' by Palestine's best-known poet, Mahmoud Darwish, who died last year. This is a deeply moving, sometimes philosophical, sometimes trenchant, poem that reasserts the basic human values of love, understanding, dignity and self-respect. The reading concludes with excerpts from Nizar Qabbani, Syria's greatest poet. The reading is accompanied by a visual essay by filmmaker and designer Sherna Dastur.

 

Poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Safi Abdi, Mahmoud Darwish and Nizar Qabbani
Translations by Brijesh
Images by Sherna Dastur
Poetry read by Brijesh and Sudhanva

Directed by Sudhanva Deshpande

 

17 April, 6.30 p.m., IIC Main Auditorium
No tickets or invitation required. All are welcome.

Jana Natya Manch is a Delhi-based group, best known for its political theatre. Visit www.jananatyamanch.org.