Documentary: The End of a Nation, May 28 2011 @ National Museum

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Edtech Strategies in conjunction with The National Museum of Kenya Presents

The End of a Nation. A documentary depicting the heritage of the Dorobo of Southern Kiambu

Date: May 28, 2011
Venue: L. Leakey Auditorium, Kenya National Museum
Time: 11am-4pm
Entry: Free

Also featuring traditional song and dance with discussions facilitated by historical researchers & film makers

‘End of a Nation’ DVDs are currently on sale at the Chania bookshop Ltd along Moi Avenue and at the University of Nairobi bookshop. The DVDs will also be on sale at the launch
For more information contact: 0722 560 783

Photo Exhibition: A Million Shillings-Escape from Somalia, Apr. 15-May 15 2011 @ National Museum

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UPDATED

A Photo Exhibition by Alixandra Fazzina,

Dates: April 15-May 15, 2011
Venue: Nairobi National Museum
Time: 8:30am to 5:30pm. Daily
Entrance: Museum rates apply.

Across the horn of Africa, war, abuse and poverty make millions miserable and drive thousands to attempt to flee. With land borders cut off or closed, and surrounded by conflict on all sides, one of the only means of escape is by sea.

The exhibition follows the journey of desperate emigrants, or tahrib, to their embarkation points with smugglers on the coast of Somalia, on a perilous voyage across the Gulf of Aden, and onward in the search for a better life. The cost is just $ 50, or one million Somali Shillings. With a one in twenty chance of not making it to the other side alive, it is a price they must risk their lives for. Even then, it is a journey which will remain unfinished.

Biography
Alixandra Fazzina’s Photography focuses on under-reported conflict and the often forgotten humanitarian consequences of war. Studying Fine Art, She began her career as a war artist in Bosnia. Since then she has worked independently as a photojournalist throughout Eastern Europe, Africa, The Middle East & Asia. Her reportages have been widely published in the British and International press including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Observer, The Telegraph and The Independent as well as TIME, Newsweek, The New York Times and Stern. She works regularly with UN agencies and NGO’s such as MSF, Concern, Oxfam, Save The Children and Human Rights Watch, to document their work and produce advocacy campaigns.

Alixandra Fazzina worked over a period of two years to chronicle the exodus of migrants and refugees from Somalia to the Arab Peninsula. The resulting book ‘A Million Shillings-Escape from Somalia’ was published by Trolley in 2010. Foe her work in Somalia, she was a finalist in CARE Award for Humanitarian Reportage and W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography and was last year recognized as the winner of the UNCHR Nansen Refugee Award for her striking coverage of the devastating human consequences of war.

Currently based in Pakistan, Alixandra Fazzina is a Member of NOOR Images, an international Photo agency whose mission is to contribute to a growing understanding of the world by producing independent in-depth visual reports.

PS: Alixandra Fazzina’s book: ‘A Million Shillings-Escape from Somalia’ is displayed at the exhibition.

Lecture: Rejuvenating Karura Forest, Apr 13 2011 @ Nairobi National Museum

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Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Rejuvenating the Karura Forest:
From Danger Spots to Green Haven

Mrs Alice Macaire, Chair, The Friends of Karura Forest

An amazing story of transformation.  The Karura Forest, once a notorious “no go” zone has become a place to picnic
and the “green lungs” for a rapidly growing city

The Karura Forest Reserve is one of the largest gazetted
forests in the world fully within the city limits

Refreshments 6:15 pm
Doors open 7:00 pm
Nairobi National Museum
Louis Leakey Auditorium

Donation: Non members Ksh 500, Members Ksh 400, Students Ksh 200
Proceeds to fund the National Museums of Kenya
KMS Offices:  0724 255299 or 2339158

info@kenyamuseumsociety.org

Screening of Italian Historical Films to mark 150 years of Italian Unification, Apr. 15-17 2011 @ National Museums

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To mark 150 years of Italian Unification the Istituto Italiano di Cultura requests the pleasure of your company at the screening of a series of Italian historical films with English subtitles L’Unita’ d’Italia (Unification of Italy) presented by Dr. George Gona of the Department of History – University of Nairobi

Dates: April 15-17, 2011
Venue: Louis Leakey Auditorium, National Museum of Kenya
Time: Friday 6pm and weekend at 4pm & 6pm
Entrance: Free

Programme:
15.4.11 – 6pm – Historical Introduced by Dr. George Gona with a documentary on Giuseppe Garibaldi / followed by – 1860: I mille di Garibaldi (1860: Garibaldi’s thousand men) directed by A. Blasetti
16.4.11 – 4pm – Allonsanfan (Allonsanfàn) directed by P. & V. Taviani
16.4.11 – 6pm – San Michele aveva un gallo (St. Michael had a rooster) directed by P. & V. Taviani
17.4.11 – 4pm – Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) directed by Luchino Visconti

Friday, 15th April 2011 (6pm)
Historical introduction by Dr. George Gona with the documentary: Giuseppe Garibaldi: Il diavolo rosso (Giuseppe Garibaldi: the red devil)
Documentary by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Rome
Running time: Excerpts only (English subtitles)
Documentary based on the historical events that led to the unification of Italy.

Followed by:
1860: I mille di Garibaldi (1936) (1860: Garibaldi’s thousand men)
Directed by: Alessandro Blasetti
Starring: Giuseppe Gulino, Aida Bellia, Gianfranco Giachetti, Mario Ferrari, Maria Denis
Running time: Excerpts only
Drama, History (English subtitles)

“1860” is considered by many, even to this day, as the forerunner of the long season of Italian neorealism.
The story is the harried attempt of a Sicilian partisan, as part of the risorgimento, to reach Garibaldi’s headquarters in Northern Italy, and to petition the revered revolutionary to rescue part of his besieged land. Along the way, the peasant hero encounters many colourful Italians, differing in class and age, and holding political opinions of every type.
There is a key train scene, and the film ends on the battlefield, Italian unification a success, despite brutal losses

Saturday, 16th April 2011 (4pm)

Allonsanfan (1974) (Allonsanfàn)
A brief introduction by Dr. George Gona
Directed by: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Lea Massari, Minsy Farmer
Running time: 110 minutes
Drama, History (English subtitles)

The political prisoner Fulvio Imbriani is released ill from prison and the authorities expect to find his rebel friends though him. However, he returns to his family’s real state and recovers his health with his siblings. When his lover Charlotte unexpectedly arrives Fulvio’s his sister overhears her saying that their friends would be arriving the next morning and calls the authorities. The soldiers dispose of a great number of revolutionaries but Fulvio escapes with Charlotte who is fatally shot in the back. Fulvio travels with his comrades but with no enthusiasm…

Saturday, 16th April 2011 (6pm)

San Michele aveva un Gallo (1972) (Saint Michael had a rooster)
A brief introduction by Dr. George Gona
Directed by: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
Starring: Giulio Brogi, Daniele Dublino, Renato Cestie’
Running time: 90 minutes
Drama, History (English subtitles)

Anarchism, socialism, anarcho-socialism: there were enough different varieties of these three political philosophies to fuel hundreds of political movements in late 19th-century Europe. This Italian film looks at the life of one committed radical anarchist from this period. Giulio Manieri is true to his principles and his cause, and he attempts to get a revolution going in a small provincial town. The people, alas, are apathetic, and instead of instigating a revolution, Giulio finds himself imprisoned in solitary confinement for 10 years. When he is transferred to group imprisonment and finally meets contemporary political prisoners, they have nothing but disdain for his beliefs. Their disagreements are unimportant when it becomes clear that an even more radical scheme is brewing.

Sunday, 17th April 2011 (4pm)

Il Gattopardo (1963) (The Leopard)
A brief introduction by Dr. George Gona
Directed by: Luchino Visconti
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli
Running time: 187 minutes
Drama, History, Romance, War (English subtitles)

In the 1860s, a dying aristocracy struggles to maintain itself against a harsh Sicilian landscape. The film traces with a slow and deliberate rhythm the waning of the noble home of Fabrizio Corbero, Prince of Salina (the Leopard) and the corresponding rise to eminence of the enormously wealthy ex-peasant Don Calogero Sedara. The prince himself refuses to take active steps to halt the decline of his personal fortunes or to help build a new Sicily but his nephew Tancredi, Prince of Falconeri swims with the tide and assures his own position by marrying Don Calogero’s
beautiful daughter Angelica. The climatic scene is the sumptuous forty-minute ball, where Tancredi introduces Angelica to society.

AWARDS
• Oscar nominee for: best costume
• Golden Palm Award to Luchino Visconti
• David Award for: Best production
• Silver Ribbon Awards for:
• Best Cinematography, Best costume design, Best production design.
• San Jordi Awards: Special Award to Luchino Visconti, Best foreign film.

Out of Town/Festival: The Lake Turkana Festival 2011, May 13-15, 2011 @ Loiyangalani

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The German Embassy and the National Museums of Kenya in collaboration with various organisations from the local community (MoSaReTu etc.) and partners from the economic sector will once again team up for the 4th edition of the Lake Turkana Festival on the South-Eastern shores of the ‘Jade Lake’, commonly known as Lake Turkana.

Dates: May 13-15, 2011
Venue:Loiyangalani (a small town located southeastern coast of Lake Turkana)
Focus: Securing sustainable development

The project is based on a proposal, which the local community of Loiyangalani introduced to the German Embassy back in 2008, when the Festival was held for the first time (now on its 4th edition).

The main purpose was – and still is – to overcome tribalism in the region and to promote peace and reconciliation among the local communities around Lake Turkana by giving them an opportunity for cross-cultural cooperation and exchange, both in the preparation and in the course of the Festival.
During the three days Festival, representatives of the Rendille, El Molo, Pokot, Samburu, Turkana, Gabbra, Dassanech and Borana will present their respective customs and living conditions, spectacular traditional costumes, arts and crafts, dances and music to each other and to visitors. Combined with the stunning geographical characteristics and the very limited general knowledge on the Lake Turkana region, the presentation of the cultural traditions makes the Festival a unique and fascinating experience for Kenyans as well as for Expatriates. An objective the National Museum of Kenya strives to achieve (promotion of cultural tourism in Kenya).

In a nutshell, the Festival gives one the chance to explore this culturally and geographically unique region and serves to promote environmental and economical sustainable development.

Festival/Concert: Nowruz International Festival, Mar. 25-26 & 28, 2011 @ Baluchi Centre & NMK

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The Cultural Council of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Collaboration with the Baluchi Community of Kenya, shall celebrate the Nowruz International Festival in Mombasa and Nairobi with a special performance by an Baluchi Traditional Music group from Baluchistan, Iran:

Mombasa
Dates: March 25-26, 2011
Venue: The Baluchi Cultural Centre, Mombasa
Time: 6 pm
Entry: Free

Nairobi:
Dates: March 28, 2011
Venue: Louis Leakey Auditorium, Nairobi National Museum
Time: 5.30 pm
Entry: Free

The Guest of Honour for the Nairobi programme on Monday, 28th March, 2011 at the Nairobi National Museum’s Louis Leakey Auditorium from 5.30 pm will be The Minister of Tourism, Hon. Najib Balala, EGH, MP.