Sponsored by the World Music Archives & Music Library
Part of the Power of Language Week 2026!
Film #1: Searching for the Folk Philosopher
dir. Mounir Salah
Arabic with English subtitles
Monday, February 23, 2026 1-2pm
Olin Library, Room 327B (Music Seminar Room)
Join us for a screening of a chapter of the film-in-progress Searching for the Folk Philosopher, followed by a discussion with Wesleyan graduate student Ameen Mokdad, who is the film’s composer and impact producer.
In the film, Salah searches for his grandfather’s friend Aziz Ali, the pioneer monologist of Iraq. Because of his critical political monologues, various Iraqi governments considered Ali inimical. He was sent to prison several times for his commentary, accused first of being a Communist, then a Nazi, and finally a Freemason. What will Salah do once he discovers that his grandfather met the same end as his friend Ali?
Film #2: The Path
dir. Aibek Baiymbetov
Kyrgyz with English subtitles
Friday, February 27, 2026 2-3pm
Olin Library, Room 327B (Music Seminar Room)
Join us for an encore screening of this ethnographic documentary by Wesleyan Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology Aibek Baiymbetov.
The performance of the Kyrgyz epic Manas represents as a vivid example of a living oral tradition that continues to be practiced among performers and their audiences in contemporary Kyrgyzstan. However, the perception of traditional performance art, both by the performers and their listeners is changing under the influence of modern contexts. The central figure of the ethnographic documentary film is a manaschy (epic storyteller) whose name is Kulmat. He received the gift of storytelling from the spirits of the epic’s heroes in his youth through a visionary dream. In this way, ancestral spirits select individuals and bestow upon them the blessing to become storytellers. Kulmat recounts his unique journey of becoming a manaschy, as well as the challenges, responsibilities, and obstacles he faces in practicing his art. The storyteller believes that the epic is a living embodiment of the spirits of the epic heroes, who continue to serve the people through the art of the epic performance. Recognizing the importance of this mission, Kulmat preserves the old tradition by mentoring a new generation of young storytellers. The film sheds light on the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity in the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, offering valuable insights into the evolving role of the manaschy in contemporary Kyrgyz society.
For more information, email wma@wesleyan.edu.