As part of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's celebration of the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21-25, the library will screen a number of international films, discussing global peace issues and the mutual understanding between different people and cultures. Critic Samir Farid, BA cinema advisor, stated that the festival is the first of its kind in the world that specializes in showing films that reflect the dialogue of cultures and warns of the dangers of its absence. It is also the first festival in the world to open on September 21, he added, commemorating International Peace Day as was decided by the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 7, 2001, three days prior to the events of Sept. 11. The International Day of Peace, established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly, was first inaugurated on the third Tuesday of September, 1982. Beginning on the 20th anniversary in 2002, the UN General Assembly set Sept. 21 as the now permanent date for the International Day of Peace. In establishing the International Day of Peace, the United Nations General Assembly decided that it would be appropriate "to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the United Nations and its member states, as well as of the whole of mankind, to promoting the ideals of peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways . [The International Day of Peace] should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. The Assembly s resolution declared that the International Day of Peace will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace. May this Peace Day indeed be a day of peace. The screen commemoration will kick off with the French film Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (2003), starring national screen legend Omar Sharif. The Italian film Once You're Born (2005) will also be screened, along with Michael Haneke s French Hidden (2005). Also two films produced in the United States of America, Memoirs of a Geisha produced in 2005, and Babel produced in 2006. All screenings will start at 9 pm in the Main Auditorium. Check the agenda for more details.
