Looking For Oum Kulthum Film Screening

The Middle East Institute’s Arts & Culture Center is pleased to present a screening of Looking for Oum Kulthum (2017), directed by acclaimed Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat in collaboration with Shoja Azari.

This film-within-a-film follows Mitra (Neda Rahmanian), an ambitious Iranian artist and filmmaker living in exile, as she sets out to capture the life and legacy of the Arab world’s most iconic singer, Umm Kulthum. As Mitra delves into the myth and reality of the legendary artist—at once a woman, a cultural icon, and an enduring symbol—her own struggles begin to mirror those of her subject. Caught in an emotional and artistic breakdown, Mitra confronts the personal and societal sacrifices demanded of women, particularly artists, who challenge the boundaries of a conservative, male-dominated society. 

The film screening is part of the public programming supporting the MEI Art Gallery’s current exhibition, Maximal Miniatures: Contemporary Art from Iran.

Looking for Oum Kulthum (2017, 90 min) was selected and premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in 2017, and was later shown at over 20 film festivals, including the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and the Dublin Arabic Film Festival 2018.

Registration opens at 5:00 pm, with an optional gallery tour. The film screening will start at 5:30 pm. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

About the Filmmakers

Shirin Neshat is a renowned Iranian-born visual artist who works across photography, video installation, and film. Based in New York, she is best known for exploring themes of gender, identity, and cultural displacement. She gained international acclaim with her first feature film, Women Without Men (2009), which won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival.  Neshat’s film work is rooted in her broader visual practice, which includes video installations such as Illusions and Mirrors (2013), Roja (2016), and Sarah (2016). Her art has been widely exhibited in museums and biennials worldwide, and she is represented by Gladstone Gallery in New York and Brussels.

Shoja Azari is an Iranian-born filmmaker and visual artist based in New York. His feature films—including K, Windows, Simple Little Lives, and Women Without Men (co-directed with Shirin Neshat)—have been screened internationally, with Women Without Men winning the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. His work is held in major museum collections, including LACMA, MOCA Los Angeles, and MUSAC.​​​​

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Image: Looking for Oum Kulthum (2017) poster. Courtesy of Shirin Neshat Studio.​​​​