Inside The Middle East
SHOW # 50
HOSTED BY BRENT SADLER FROM JUNIYAH, LEBANON
THE PEOPLE WATCHER -- BRENT SADLER
The piercing eyes of Lebanese painter Ghada Saghieh capture the contradictions of everyday life in the Middle East through her increasingly popular art. Saghieh's work hangs in the homes of the region's rich and famous, adorning the marble entrances of banks and government ministries, even on restaurant menus and wine labels. Every time she explores the bazaars, the cafe society of Lebanon and the glitterati of a country renowned for its flamboyance, she "paints with her eyes." Saghieh takes back to her studio, in fact her bedroom, memorized snapshots of what she will blend into her work. She has painted huge murals on massive canvases taped to her bedroom wall. Her paint colors are mixed on old magazine covers, her best work she says is sometimes done in the middle of the night when she cannot sleep. Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler spent time with the charismatic painter, and brings us a look at her art - and her observations about life in the Middle East.
THE ARAB BILLY ELLIOT -- ATIKA SHUBERT
The story could have been drawn straight from the Billy Elliot movie script: a young boy who was first transfixed by ballet on television, and would dance secretly in his room at night, practicing what he learned from films and Internet videos. But Ayman Saffah is a young Palestinian-Israeli from a small village in the Galilee, and young men in traditional Arab Muslim villages don't dance ballet, at least not publicly. So Ayman's path to the preparatory school for Israel's prestigious Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company has been cloaked in secrecy and struggle. Atika Shubert has his unique story.
THE WORLD'S BRAVEST ORCHESTRA -- MORGAN NEILL
When the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra holds a concert in Baghdad, organizers don't like to advertise. In fact they would prefer as few people as possible know about performances - since gatherings are a target for terrorist attacks. The orchestra is seen as an enduring symbol of Iraqi national unity. Even though violence pervades Baghdad, the musicians still manage to practice and perform regularly. Morgan Neill had a chance to listen in Baghdad.
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