Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN, Hendrix College host Community Cinema; free advance screening of 'Bhutto'
Posted 13 Apr 2011
The Arkansas PBS (AETN) and Hendrix College invite the public to a free screening of Bhutto as part of Community Cinema Tuesday, April 19, at 6 p.m. at the Murphy Building on Hendrixs campus in Conway.
Bhutto is the epic tale of the life and tragic death of Benazir Bhutto, who broke the Islamic glass ceiling as the first woman leader of a Muslim country. Beloved by the people of her native Pakistan, she was reviled by the nations military establishment and male-dominated ruling class. More than two years after her death from a suicide bomber, Bhutto remains a divisive figure, a symbolic metaphor for the fight between terrorism and moderation. That struggle continues today in Pakistan, the worlds most strategically important country and the Muslim worlds sole nuclear power.
Born on July 21, 1953, into a wealthy landowning family, which later became Pakistans dominant political dynasty, Bhutto lived a life of Shakespearean proportions. Her family, often referred to as the Kennedys of Pakistan, had a painful legacy of triumph and tragedy played out on an international stage. Zulifikar Ali Bhutto, her father and the first democratically elected president of Pakistan, was executed by his own handpicked Army chief. Her two beloved brothers died mysteriously at the hands of others: Shanahwaz was poisoned in France and Murtaza was gunned down in a shootout on a Pakistan street. Both murders remained unsolved.
Educated at Harvard and Oxford, Bhutto made history as the first woman leader of a Muslim country, yet she was wed in a traditional marriage to then-Karachi playboy Asif Ali Zardari. With an eye on a foreign service career, Bhuttos life changed forever when her father chose her to carry his political mantle, over the familys eldest son. In the late 1970s, when Zulifikar Ali was overthrown and hanged in a judicial assassination, Bhutto swore to avenge her father and restore democracy or die trying.
Bhutto is produced by Duane Baughman, Arleen Sorkin and Mark Siegel and co-produced by Pamela Green and Jarik Van Sluijs, The film is a 2010 Sundance Film Festival feature-length documentary selection and is a recipient of a 2011 EPIC award from The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization aiming to advance womens leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency.
The screening will be held in the Murphy Building on the Hendrix campus, and parking is available in lots adjacent to Bailey Library located at the corner of Washington Avenue and Winfield Street in Conway. A community discussion will follow the screening, and refreshments will be provided.
Bhutto will air Wednesday, May 11, at 6 p.m. on AETN-3 PLUS/World and Sunday, May 15, at 10 p.m. on AETN-1.
Community Cinema, a free monthly screening series engaging communities through film produced by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), features monthly screenings followed by panel discussions with leading organizations, local communities and special guest speakers. The program is designed to help people learn about and get involved in the social issues raised in the documentaries.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is featured in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the countrys best 371 colleges, was identified as the nations top Up and Coming liberal arts college for 2010 by U.S. News and World Report, and is ranked among 44 Best Buy colleges by the 2010 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.
The Arkansas PBS (AETN) is Arkansass statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit www.aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at www.aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).