Half Moon
Hosted by
⚆◟⚆
⚆◟⚆Brooklyn, NY
UnionDocs is headed outside for May and June to take advantage of one of our favorite city offerings: the ready-made cinemas of the handball courts in our public parks. It’s a long-standing UNDO tradition to project bold visions, reflections, and possibilities onto the walls of the city’s handball courts, transforming them into open-air theaters. This summer, we’re thrilled to continue that tradition with ReadyMade Cinemas, a slate of programs that are free and open to all.
For this edition, we’re teaming up with our longtime collaborators at ArteEast and the incredible Brooklyn Maqam for a night of live music and cinema rooted in the rich sonic traditions of the SWANA region. As part of the second annual New York Oud Festival, we’re honored to host a live musical performance followed by a special screening of Bahman Ghobadi’s Half Moon.
The evening begins with a performance by a featured artist from the Oud Festival, organized by Brooklyn Maqam—a collective dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and supporting new community-rooted SWANA musical traditions by bringing together established and emerging musicians, music learners, and audiences through concerts, jams, workshops, and more.
Following the performance, we’ll screen Half Moon, the lyrical, darkly comedic road film by Bahman Ghobadi. Set against the mountainous borderlands of Iran and Iraq, Half Moon follows Mamo, an aging Kurdish musician determined to perform one final concert across the border. Accompanied by his ten sons and a reluctant bus driver, Mamo’s journey unfolds with mythic undertones—full of interruptions, premonitions, and the haunting presence of forbidden voices. As he insists on including Hesho, a female singer whose participation puts the entire voyage at risk, the film raises questions about visibility, voice, and the stubborn pursuit of beauty in the face of repression.
Together, the performance and film trace sonic geographies shaped by resilience and longing—reminding us of music’s role in not only expressing culture, but in sustaining it.
This event is free and open to all, come through! Film starts at sundown!
Guest List
•ᴥ•
◉‿◉
:DRestricted Access
Only RSVP'd guests can view event activity & see who's goingAlready RSVP'd? Sign in