Come to the Egyptian Theatre for a lecture on Egyptian food history and culture, followed by a screening of a rarely seen masterpiece of Egyptian cinema! Historian, author, and food scholar Charles Perry will explain Arabic food culture in general and Egyptian food in particular, noting how the Nile River’s seafood and irrigation has fostered a diet that is unique in the Arab world.

Charles Perry majored in Middle Eastern Languages at Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley. From 1968 to 1976, he was an editor and staff writer at Rolling Stone Magazine in San Francisco. He later wrote for the Los Angeles Times food section and authored the first modern English translation of the famous medieval “Baghdad Cookery Book. Charles has been published widely on food history and is the president and co-founder of the Culinary Historians of Southern California.

Following the lecture and a sampling of Egyptian refreshments, there will be a screening of “Terrorism and Kebab,” a masterpiece of Egyptian film starring Adel Imam, who has been called the Charlie Chaplin of Arabic cinema. In this 1992 film Imam plays Ahmed, a citizen of Cairo who goes to a government building to try to get his children into a better school. After a comic hunt for the elusive bureaucrat who can actually fulfill his request, Ahmed is mistaken for a terrorist and accidentally takes hundreds of people hostage. There are many surprises as Ahmed and other misfits caught up in the situation try to resolve it, and this gentle satire shows the good nature of Egyptians who deal with the sloth and corruption that was typical of government services in that era.

To attend, RSVP to rsvp@americancinematheque.com with ‘Big Read Egyptian Event’ in the subject line and pay at the door: $11.00 general public, $9.00 seniors, $7.00 each for up to two tickets per CHSC member. Questions? Email info@americancinematheque.com.

This program is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the Culinary Historians of Southern California. The Culinary Historians explore food and culture around the world and here in Los Angeles, and also maintain and contribute to the culinary collections at the Los Angeles Public Library. You can learn more about the group’s free lecture series and other programs at chscsite.org.

This program is run in conjunction with The Big Read, which is encouraging Angelenos to read and discuss the novel “The Thief and the Dogs” by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. You can learn more about this book and other events celebrating Egyptian culture in Los Angeles at http://www.neabigread.org
“The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.”

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles

Theatre is between Las Palmas and McCadden, just east of Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Selma Avenue is just south of the theatre. Parking details at www.egyptiantheatre.com. The Egyptian is a very short walk east from the Hollywood & Highland Metro Station