Maryam: Ethnic Visions Film Series

Maryam (2000 / 87 min.) is a humanizing exposé of the anti-Iranian sentiment in 1979 America as seen through the eyes of an Iranian-born teenager living in suburban New Jersey. Introducing the film and hosting a post-film discussion will be its acclaimed director Ramin Serry and his producer-wife Shauna Lyon.

A deeply personal film about an Iranian family's struggle with the American hostage crisis in Iran and the resulting bigotry, Maryam not only captures the political turmoil of 1979, but also reminds us of the timeless fragility and complexity of cultural relations. The moving coming-of-age story focuses on the teenage daughter and her maturing relationship with both her fundamentalist Muslim cousin and herself. A typical angst-ridden teen, her biggest problem in life soon transforms from trying to fit in at school by coming to terms with an overprotective father to trying to fit in in America by coming to terms with her own culturally-divided identity.

Special Guests: Ramin Serry, director and Shauna Lyon, producer

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Free public screenings of the Ethnic Visions Film Series are offered in conjunction with an advanced Humanities course being taught by Dr. Robert Rosenstone, Caltech Professor of History. He hopes that the series will be "a way of understanding our multicultural society, as well as learning something about the similarities and differences in the processes of immigration, acculturation, and Americanization." Most screenings will include guests associated with the films shown. These visits are made possible with support from the President's Diversity Initiative Fund. All screening begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The full series includes:

• The Jazz Singer (3/31/05)
• Badass (4/07/05)
• Zoot Suit (4/14/05)
• Green Dragon (4/21/05)
• Maryam (4/28/05)
• Devil in a Blue Dress (5/05/05)
• Real Women Have Curves (5/12/05)
• ABCD (5/19/05)
• Better Luck Tomorrow (5/26/05)