Faiz Aman Mela

Tomorrow in Lahore there is to be a Faiz Aman Mela, to celebrate the 104th birth anniversary of the poet. We were told about it on our hasty trip around the city and we regretted the lost opportunity.

Here is a poster marking the event, caught in passing, as we caught everything else, from the window of a car.

Lahore: Faiz poster

Aur bhi gham hai zamane mein mohabbat ke siva.

Strawberries dipped in chocolate reminds me of revolution

Just returned from some art opening where there were strawberries dipped in chocolate and I left early, stealing some in a napkin and remembered Alea's film and his earlier one, from the time the Cuban revolution was still in its days of hope and possibilities...

...and from there to Egypt, which is never far from my mental horizon these days. When this part of their revolution is over I wonder if they will have an equivalent of ICAIC, what their cinema will be like and if I will see all of it, and if I will collect some as yet unpublished issue of Jump Cut or like journal that celebrates a new cinematic idiom.

But mostly, I conclude that strawberries & chocolate are a good thing individually and together.

While I consume the last one, do hop over to Jadaliyya for most things Egypt-related. Also, those in Hyderabad, please mark tomorrow evening 7pm - Lamakaan is having a reading of Faiz's poetry in celebration of his centenary.