The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, November 2, 2012 - 7 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, November 2, 2012 - 7 EVENT PREVIEW Film series to show Romanian culture Jazz to fill Kerrytown during annual Edgefest Screenings and lectures to explore cinematic diversity By CARLINA DUAN For the Daily As November hits, so does the crunch of leaves, bulky sweaters, the seasonal flair for pumpkin-* themed drinks. Add to this Fourth year's autumn: Annual Romanian film. The Fourth Romanian Annual Roma- Film Series nian Film Series, which Saturdayand begins Saturday, Sunday and will spotlight Nov.17 and four Romanian- 18at4 p.m. produced films Helmut Stern over the course Auditorum of two week- ends. As a part Free of the American RomanianFestival, the film series intends to illuminate aspects of modern Romanian culture and its art forms to audiences. According to Ramona Urites- cu-Lombard, a lecturer in the Comparative Literature and Ger- manic Languages & Literatures Departments, filmgoers this sea- son might be drawn to new Roma- nian cinema - a field wrapped in avid curiosity and trademark "Romanian black humor," which she described as "a sort of wit that manifested itself during commu- nism." According to Uritescu-Lom- bard, the film coordinator for the series, the films, which fea- ture emerging filmmakers and critically acclaimed films by more established Romanian directors, were chosen in order to portray Romania as operating within the larger global community. "It isn't so much the feeling that Romania is still a world apart, that it's still cut off," she said. "No. Now, Romania is one country among other cultures, and so the issues that some of our films deal with are international issues." Uritescu-Lombard added, "There is still a Romanian con- text, but there's no longer the feel- ing that this is an isolated world apart." The four films being shown - "Outbound" (Nov. 3), "Tues- By JOHN BOHN DailyArts Writer MK2 NTER In "Outbound," showing Saturday, Ana Ularu plays an escaped convict. day After Christmas" (Nov. 4), "Philantrophy" (Nov. 17) and "The Phantom Father" (Nov. i8) - will be accompanied by post- screeninglectures inorder tohelp audiences enhance their compre- hension of the films. All films will be shown in Romanian with Eng- lish subtitles. Lecturers include "Outbound" director Bogdan George Ape- tri, LSA Comparative Literature Professor Dr. Corina Kesler and Uritescu-Lombard. "As a member of the audience myself, I like a bit of introduction after a film," Uritescu-Lombard said. "It helps me understand things better, and makes the experience of viewing a film or seeing a film more pleasurable because I get more of it." In addition, she said films seem to appeal more to audiences, cre- ating a fresh channel for audienc- es to delve into. "We live in a. visual culture. That's what has immediate appeal," she said. "A lot of people are maybe better readers of film, or better viewers of film than they are viewers of books, and are more frequent readers of film than they are of books." The American Romanian Fes- tival itself is a larger nonprofit organization based in southeast- ern Michigan. The festival hosts annual events, aimed to encour- age an appreciation of Romanian culture for the larger community in the U.S. "As with anysmaller culture or lesser well-known culture, such as Romania, we all hope to gain a wider audience and appreciation and whatever cultural products we put out there," Uritescu-Lom- bard said. "Perhaps by showing these films we might pique peo- ples' interests." American Romanian Festival president Marian Tanau began the group in 2005 as a way to build interaction and apprecia- tionforthe Romanian community and its culture. "The way we accomplish understanding (of Romanian cul- ture) is by presenting a wide vari- ety of events - such as classical music by Romanian composers that have not been heard of here in the U.S., or we have an artist that we feature," Tanau said. "The goal is to present an ensemble, a picture of the culture."- The festival presents annu- al orchestral concerts, lecture series, cooking. lessons and a film series, spreading its events throughout the course of each year in order to raise awareness of Romanian culture. Tanau commended the role of film as an ideal medium to com- municate aspects of. Romanian culture. "A film has musical elements, it has habitual elements, and it has literature elements," he said. "So all of a sudden, in two hours, you expose the audience to many sides of a culture presented in a film." Sixteen years ago, Kerrytown Concert House staffer David Lynch founded Edgefest, a fes- tival dedicated to bringing for- Edgefest ward-thinking - jazz artists to Through the Ann Arbor Saturday at area. The first 10 p.m. concert was Kerrytown performed Concert House in Holland- ers, the paper making store across from the concert hall on North Fifth Street. From there, it grew in size and reputation and has since garnered a loyal. following. "It grew organically out of a movement in town amongst young people and older people who were missing the avant- garde part of jazz - the new music jazz - that was really beginning to flourish in New York at the time," said Edgefest Director Deanna Relyea. In addition to the concert house performances, the festi- val has always been dedicated to community engagement. In years past, Ann Arbor resi- dents may have come across their favorite cafe or record. shop, transformed into a perfor- mance venue by an internation- ally renowned musician. This year, the theme of the event is "Worldly Measures." While the standard jazz for- mat may be present, non-tradi- tional elements such as the banjo, violin or native flute can also be heard. Many of the musicians playing this year have looked to their rich cultural roots, giving their music an eclectic feel. As the son of Indian immi- this project in 1977," Smith said. grants, Rudresh Mahanthappa "About five years ago, I had 10 has drawn on such influences compilations already fixed, but in his Indo Pak Coalition, a sax, I didn't think of it in terms of a tabla and guitar trio, which will collection until about four or five be playing this year. years ago. At that time, I got new "(The Indo Pak Coalition) commissions to complete the deals with both South Indian and pieces, I finished the last piece North Indian music in a jazz con- in October of 2011. So from 1977 text," Mahanthappa said. to2011, that's 34 years of musical This will be his third year at activity looking over this piece." Edgefest, though he has played Ten Freedom Summers will the Kerrytown Concert House be split into two performances many times before. - the first part on Friday eve- "We've always had positive ning and the second on Saturday response there," Mahanthappa afternoon. said. "There's always a loyal fol- "We knew Wadada would lowing for what I do so that's probably draw a few people, so always nice." we made him play twice," Relyea said. Barely seating 100 people, the space aims to provide the audi- ence and performers with an include Wtadada intinnateexrin. topa "It's definitely fun to play Leo Smith. there," Mahanthappa said. "It's different. I'm over in-Europe playing500-800 seathalls with a very loud jazz fusion band so it's One of the main events of a very different scenario. I think Edgefest in 2012 will be perfor- it will be good for the music we mances by Wadada Leo Smith, will be playing." one of the pioneers in this new "Everybody loves it," Relyea approach to jazz. In addition to added. "Because you're right on working with the University's top of them, you're in the living Creative Arts Orchestra, as well room with them." as a solo appearance at Encore The festival runs from Oct. Records, Smith will be perform- 31 to Nov. 3. In addition to per- ing his Ten Freedom Summers in formances, there will be talks its entirety. and classes given by the musi- Ten Freedom Summers is a cians, and on the last day, Smith tribute to the Civil Rights Move- and other performers will lead ment with each part of the cycle the Edgefest Parade through meditating on a particular aspect the Kerrytown area. The parade of this monumental experience allows anyone to bring a musical in the African-American com- instrument and play along with munity. A complete performance the performers. of the project runs nearly five "This is not a commercial ven- hours. tore," Relyea said. "This is a kind "The whole collection has 21 of event pushing this music for- pieces in it. I started to compose ward." PERFORMANCE PREVIEW 'U' bands to come together for patriotic concert at Hill By LAURA KAYE Daily Arts Writer Elections are impending, bring- ing with them further conflict within Congress, between candi- dates and among voters. Band-O- But instead of heated politi- Ram: The. cal discourse, Anerican the School of Salh Music, Theatre & Dance wants Saturday at to bring the Uni- 7:30 p.m. versity together to experience Hill Auditorium "Band=O-Rama: From $5 The American Salute" with the hopes of bridg- ing, through music, the gap this election has produced. The marching band, concert band and symphony band are con- gregating at Hill Auditorium for this annual production. This is the only time during the year these three bands join for a united con- cert, featuring songs from their seasons with patriotic aims. Theconcertbandwillplay"The March" by John Williams, from the movie "1941," which depicts Pearl Harbor during the begin- ning of WWII. The band will also present a work by Frank Picheli, a well-known composer of band music. The symphony band will then take the stage with music includingthewell-knownfavorite, "The Stars and Stripes Forever." The marching band's reper- toire is distinctive, with selections includi Boy," a '40s, a favorit The Michig as "Ha Go Blu "We of thef and ma sica Pa the a the fo way in everyo the sho audien ( Am Dire and At explain concer - who - are1 tic exp showcx of theh their p ng "Boogey Woogie Bugle may be different, but the practice popular piece during.the strategy remains the same: articu- s well as some Gershwin lation of notes, playing in tune, es like "I've Got Rhythm." matching tone qualities and play- band will also include ing as a group. an traditional pieces such "At Hill, you are looking for iI to the Victors" and "Lets the highest degree of subtleties e."' and nuances and musical phras- are not only the support ing, and it's all about the craft of football team," LSA junior. music making," Boerma said. "Art arching band member Jes- is often entertaining but art is cholski said. "But we lead often intellectual. At the stadium, dience to want to support the audience doesn't necessarily otball- team. It's the same want an intellectual experience 'Band-O-Rama.' We get but wants a fun exciting Michigan ne riled up and excited for football experience." w, and this registers to the Even though the performance ce." is separated by the distinct music of the three bands, the Ameri- can theme encourages cohesion among all the players. "The 'Band-o-Rama' concert terica in song. is kind of a greatest hits of the fall performance for all of these bands," Boerma said. "We took pieces that highlight our season ctor of Michigan Marching with a theme that ties the ensem- hletic Bands Scott Boerma bles together. This year it is patri- ted that members of the otic music or music by American t and symphony bands composers. You can see it as a are mostly music majors night to put aside our differences looking to create an artis- and just be proud to be Ameri- erience for the audience, cans." sing a musical repertoire The marching band plans to highest caliber and honing conclude the show "by marching nerformance skills in the on stage to energize the audi- Your One-Stop GRADUATION SHOP! Purchase your CAP & GOWN, YEARBOOK, ANNOUNCEMENTS, DIPLOMA FRAME and UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CLASS RING! November 5-9th (Monday - Friday) 1 0:O0am-6:OQpm. Student Publications Building 420 Maynard Street Jostens Michiganensian Y E A R B 0 0 K process. In the Big House, the band has to be big, boisterous and enter- taining. Therefore, the band has to tone down its volume, but not excitement, to accommodate the smaller space. The environment ence. "I want them leaving tapping their toes," Boerma said. "And if they're whistling the last tune we play which is probably going to be 'The Victors,' then we have achieved our purpose."