Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Brazilian music, Arab cinema, Moroccan food, photography exhibits, and typical Peruvian cuisine should be part of the events to take place in parallel to the summit of Arab and South American countries, scheduled for Brazilian capital Brasília in May. The calendar of cultural events that are going to take place due to the summit has already been defined. The activities will begin on April 28, with Moroccan and Peruvian food festivals.
According to the Moroccan embassy, to organize the Moroccan festival, between April 28 and May 1, a different typical dish will be prepared each day at the Blue Tree Hotel, in Brasília. At the same time, the Peruvian embassy is going to organize its festival at Naoum Hotel, also in the city. The third gastronomic event is the Brazilian food festival, to take pace at the Blue Tree Hotel during the week of the summit.
Another event to take place in parallel to the summit is the musical presentation by brothers Sérgio Assad e Odair Assad, two Brazilians violinists who are Lebanese descendents. Duo Assad, of international renown, is going to have two presentations at the Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre, in Brasília, on May 10.
On May 9, the Brazilian Foreign Office, Itamaraty, is going to prepare a show at the National Theatre of Brasília for the delegations and Foreign Ministers present in the city at that date. According to information supplied by the organization of cultural events at the Foreign Ministry, the idea is to present the Brazilian culture and show the folklore and typical dances of the country.
On the 10th, during a dinner to be offered to the heads of state at Itamaraty Palace, there will be a chorinho (typical Brazilian music) presentation, played by group Clube do Choro, from Brasília.
Scholars at the summit
The summit will also include academic activities. On May 5, the Foreign Relations Research Institute (Ipri), under the Ministry of Foreign Relations, will promote a meeting with Arab and South American representatives to discuss the translation of academic works related to politics, economics and cultural diplomacy, into Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish
According to the Itamaraty, the plan is to organize a meeting to release the program and later organize a new meeting for the analysis of possible titles to be translated.
Cinema and photography
The Itamaraty is also going to organize Arab and South American cinema shows, as previously informed by ANBA. The Arab film exhibit will include classics and contemporary films, with subtitles in Portuguese, with daily sessions from May 6 to 12 at 09:00 pm, at Cine Brasília. The South American films will also have subtitles in Portuguese, and will be exhibited twice a day during the week and three times a day on the weekend. The films will be shown from May 6 to 12 at Cine Academia and the Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre.
The other cultural event is photography exhibit "AMRIK – Arab Presence in South America ", an exhibit with the work of 22 photographers from 10 South American countries. They took photographs specifically for the summit, with the objective of showing the Arab influence in the traditions, customs and culture of the South Americans.
Cultural program
Gastronomy
Moroccan Cuisine Festival
Site: Hotel Blue Tree
Date: April 28 to May 1
Peruvian Cuisine Festival
Site: Hotel Naoum
Date: April 28 to May 1
Brazilian Cuisine Festival
Site: Hotel Blue Tree
Date: week of the summit
Music
Shows by Duo Assad
Site: Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre
Date: May 10 at 01:30 pm and 09:00 pm
Cinema
Arab Film Festival
Site: Cine Brasília
Date: May 6 to 12
Format: one session per day at 09:00 pm
Curator: Nadia Attia, director of the Carthage Film Festival
South American Film Festival
Local: Cine Academia and Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre
Date: May 6 to 12
Format: two sessions a day (three on weekends)
Curator: Marco Farani, director of the International Brazilian Cinema Festival
*Translated by Mark Ament