A production inspired by real people in real situations, Cheating Fate is a compelling exploration of the human condition, emphasizing the triumph of perseverance over adversity. Comprised of four interrelated stories set within a single apartment building in Beirut in 2020, it foregrounds the enduring power of unity and resilience, delving into the everyday lives of the building's diverse inhabitants as they each wrestle with their own unique challenges.
The checkpoint is closed: “Detour, detour!” shouts a taxi driver, announcing the beginning of yet another uncertain search for a way around the barriers curtailing Palestinian movement in the West Bank.
Infiltrators is a visceral “road movie” that chronicles the daily travails of Palestinians of all backgrounds as they seek routes through, under, around, and over a bewildering matrix of barriers.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
For nearly 60 years, the region has been dominated by authoritarian rulers, many supported by outside powers, while the majority of the people are starving for democracy, dignity, and economic development. Yonatan Ziegen, the son of 74-year old peace activist Vivien Silver who was killed by HAMAS on October 7, 2023, was asked what his mother would say. He answered: “This is the outcome of war, of not striving for peace.” This is also the outcome of not striving for human rights and democracy across the MENA region. People can be oppressed for only so long.
Sami Hermez is an anthropologist who teaches at Northwestern University in Qatar. He is the author of War Is Coming: Between Past and Future Violence in Lebanon (2017). His work in and out of the classroom reflects a strong commitment to freedom, justice, and equality. His family's history of migration spans the Levant, with roots in Al-Qosh, Aleppo, Beirut, and Jerusalem. Sami was a visiting professor of Contemporary and International Issues, at the University of Pittsburgh in 2012- 2013. He is a great speaker and intellect!
