BZU hosts Mariam Said, screens movie on Edward Said's final days

Mariam Said, wife of the late Edward Said, in cooperation with the Idea Factory and the Debate Club Forum at Birzeit University, organized a screening of the film “Selves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said,” on February 17, 2018.

“Selves and Others,” directed by Emmanuel Hamon, captures Said’s final days, views, and reflections on his life’s works before his death in September of 2003.

In the film, Said discusses his disease – he was diagnosed with leukemia –  and the toll it took on his life and work; his love for New York City, which he chose because of its ever-moving nature; his lifetime of alienation; and his feelings of exile and multiple identities.

The film also showcases Said’s reflections on his works, such as “Orientalism” and “Culture and Imperialism,” and his thoughts on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A discussion was held with Mariam Said after the film, in which audience members, which included Birzeit University students and faculty members, asked questions that ranged from Said’s taste in music and his fashion sense to his most favorite works and his innermost thoughts on politics and religion.