December, 1997: NEW!

* Special Events:

The Bethlehem 2000 national committee unveiled its official logo, designed by French artist Pierre-Luc Poujol, selected from an international competition. The ceremony featured a music recital by Palestinian pianist Salim Abboud, the Jerusalem Choir, the Yoad choir; and a speech by poet Mahmoud Darwish.

*Music & Theater:

- Representations of the Palestinian adaptation of Death & the Maiden, by the Qassaba Theater Company, continued in Jerusalem.

- The Spanish flamenco company "Andalucia" toured a number of Palestinian cities.

*Cinema:

The Popular Arts Center organized a week long festival of German films, featuring films by Fassbinder, Wenders & Schloendorff, in cooperation with Jerusalem’s Goethe Institute.

* Visual Arts:

-The first exhibit of watercolorist Youssef Katalo, was held at the Hebron Cultural Forum, after its spring opening in Ramallah.

-The fifth exhibit of photographer Ossama Silwadi opened in Ramallah, at the Ministry of Culture Mohammed Siyam Gallery. The photos explore childhood & landscape, as they relate to the formation of identity.

-Sculptor Fayez Sirsawi obtained the Honors Award at the 29th Alexandria Biennial. Other Palestinian artists participating: painters Tayseer Batniji & newcomer Hassan Hourani.

* Literature:

- Poet Murid Barghouti was awarded the Najib Mahfouz Literature Prize, by Cairo’s American University (AUC). With the granting of the award, the AUC Press will translate into English Barghouti’s works. The prize was jointly awarded posthumously to the Egyptian novelist Youssef Idriss.

- Poet Ibrahim Nasrallah was awarded the 1997 Sultan Oweiss Prize. The prestigious awards are presented annually by the United Arab Emirates based S.Oweiss Foundation, for poetry, the novel, play writing, social sciences & literary criticism. The poetry award was awarded jointly to Egyptian poet A.A.Hijazi.