Arts and Culture

Institute for Policy Studies Conference Room
1112 16th St NW, Ste 600

Emile YX? represents the positive face of hip-hop. As much community activist as public entertainer, he must be one of the most dedicated hip-hop practitioners on the globe.

BloomBars

Documentary and Discussion: "Encounter Point." Tells the story of an Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who sacrifice their safety, public standing and homes in order to press for a grassroots movement for nonviolence and peace. An opportunity to become more informed about important non-violent initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians. Free admission but registration is required due to limited space. Email baltimore@jstreet.org or call 410-203-0352. In the Meeting Room at the Howard County Central Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044.

Laila’s Birthday (Eid Milad Laila)
Director: Rashid Masharawi / 71 minutes / 2008

"At eight o'clock, it's Laila's birthday, okay?" Palestinian judge turned cab driver Abu Laila's wife reminds her husband. But on his young daughter's birthday, like any day, Abu Laila faces a nerve-wracking shift in a Ramallah yellow cab armed only with an ex-jurist's misplaced pride, a father's loyalty and a sticker reminding passengers that smoking and carrying AK-47's are prohibited. Rather than address politics or document holy war heroics and villainy, Laila's Birthday focuses on the toll that the unending Israeli-Palestinian conflict extracts from civilians clinging to both employment and a semblance of normal life amidst chaos and corruption, missile attacks and bursts of gunfire.