Cultures of resistance -RT exclusive

In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, acclaimed filmmaker Iara Lee embarked on a journey to better understand a world increasingly embroiled in conflict and, as she saw it, heading for self-destruction. After several years, traveling over five continents, Iara encountered growing numbers of people who committed their lives to promoting change.

From Iran, where graffiti and rap became tools in fighting government repression, to Burma, where monks acting in the tradition of Gandhi take on a dictatorship, moving on to Brazil, where musicians reach out to slum kids and transform guns into guitars, and ending in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, where photography, music, and film have given a voice to those rarely heard, Cultures of Resistance explores how art and creativity can be ammunition in the battle for peace and justice.

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About Us

Does each gesture really make a difference? Can music and dance be weapons of peace? Director Iara Lee embarked on a two-year, five-continent trek to find out. From MALI, where the music of Tuareg resistance rises from the desert, to BURMA, where monks acting in the tradition of Gandhi take on a dictatorship, moving on to BRAZIL, where musicians reach out to slum kids and transform guns into guitars, and ending in PALESTINIAN refugee camps in LEBANON, where photography, music, and film have given a voice to those rarely heard, CULTURES OF RESISTANCE explores how art and creativity can be the ammunition in the battle for peace and justice.

Featuring: Medellín poets for peace, Capoeira masters from Brazil, Niger Delta militants, Iranian graffiti artists, women’s movement leaders in Rwanda, Lebanon’s refugee filmmakers, U.S. political pranksters, Argentina’s Madres de Plaza de Mayo, indigenous Kayapó activists from the Xingu, Israeli dissidents, hip-hop artists from Palestine, and many more…

Check out the website for more information:
culturesofresistance.org/film

Kayhan Kalhor, Iranian Musician For Peace

In the process of creating the Cultures of Resistance feature documentary, we had the privilege of meeting some incredible musicians, artists, and grassroots pro-democracy activists in Iran. One of these was Kayhan Kalhor. A master of the Iranian kamancheh, a spiked fiddle, Kalhor’s work draws on the rich cultural heritage of his homeland. As a solo artist and as a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, a project that explores and shares musical traditions from around the world, Kalhor performs across the globe. In addition to appearing in the Cultures of Resistance feature documentary, Kalhor was also featured in a CoR short film about Iran, which you can watch by scrolling to the bottom of this page or by clicking here.

Recently, National Public Radio featured a powerful performance by Kalhor of a piece written in celebration of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The following video was part of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series:

http://www.culturesofresistance.org/kayhan-kalhor

And from the same link,,

I Will Not Stand Alone

In addition to promoting musical preservation and cross-cultural diplomacy, Kalhor has taken stands in defense of democracy and free speech. He participated in and bore witness to Iran’s Green Movement of 2009, which nonviolently challenged the results of the Iranian elections and was brutally repressed by the Iranian government. Kalhor’s latest album, I Will Not Stand Alone, was recorded in the aftermath of the 2009 uprising. While the music reflects the darkness and violence of the government’s repression, Kalhor did not wallow in despair. Instead, he chose to “be with people and play music for them,” to connect cultures, communities, and families.

Remembering Victims of Chemical Warfare

Beyond his work around Iran’s Green Revolution, Kalhor has also devoted himself to opposing the use of chemical weapons. In the following short CoR film, he plays a song called “Silent City,” an homage to the people of the Kurdish city of Halabja in Iraq. This city was wiped out during a chemical attack by Sadam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war in 1988–a time when Hussein’s regime was aided by the United States. With his music, Kalhor remembers the victims of the violence and asks how we as human beings can unite and prevent such an event from ever happening again.