Rana Kazkaz (born May 4, 1971) is a Syrian-American filmmaker and professor. Her films have received numerous international awards and selections, such as at Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, and Tribeca. She is also an associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar where she teaches narrative filmmaking. [1]
Kazkaz was born in Grenoble, France to a Syrian father and a Polish-American mother. She has lived in France, Syria, the United States, Algeria, Russia, Lebanon, Jordan, and Qatar.
She holds a joint MFA from Carnegie Mellon University and the Moscow Art Theater, and a BA from Oberlin College.
A member of the Académie des César, she has received a certificate from American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, [2] and has been awarded fellowships with the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, [3] Ryan Murphy's Half Initiative, and MacDowell.
Her film portfolio highlights Syrian stories, which began in 2007 with Kemo Sabe, [4] a story about an Arab-American boy who wishes to be a Cowboy instead of an Indian on the playground. Her film Deaf Day tells the story of a mother living in Damascus, who wishes to teach her son how to live in a hearing world, but is instead reminded of the value of silence. Mare Nostrum [5] [6] depicts a father on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea who risks his daughter's life to save her. The film won over 35 international awards, and was selected in over 100 festivals worldwide, including Sundance and Dubai International Film Festival. [7] Searching for the Translator (2016) documents an acting workshop where Syrian refugees are provided a safe environment to explore their emotions of fear and courage. Her first feature film, The Translator, is about a man who finds his voice during the Syrian Revolution. [8] [9]
Year | Title | Format |
---|---|---|
2020 | The Translator | Feature |
2016 | Mare Nostrum | Short |
2016 | Searching for the Translator | Documentary |
2011 | Deaf Day | Short |
2007 | Kemo Sabe | Short |
The Arab American National Museum is a museum in Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the history, experiences, and contributions of Arab Americans. Established in 2005, it is the first, and largest, museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. It is a division of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), and a Smithsonian Affiliate.
Mare Nostrum is a 1926 American silent war drama film directed by Rex Ingram. It was the first production made by Ingram while in voluntary exile and stars Ingram's wife, Alice Terry. The film is set during World War I, and follows a Spanish merchant sailor who becomes involved with a German spy. It is based on the novel of the same name by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. Long thought lost, the film has recently been re-discovered and restored.
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Mare Nostrum is a 2016 short, coming-of-age film directed by the Syrian-American filmmakers Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf. The 14-minute long film received a number of awards. A wordless film, it deals with the issue of refugees crossing the Mediterranean.
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