Program Guide for May 2009 - WXXI

PHOTO: ©CAPITAL CONCERTSmay2009THE MUSLIMS I KNOWFROM LOCAL FILMMAKER MARA AHMED comes a very personaldocumentary that focuses on the Pakistani American community in Rochester.Taking viewers on journey into a little known, but much talked about Americancommunity, the fi lm aims to become a dialogue between Americans who mightnot otherwise interact. The Muslims I Know explores the similarities betweenIslam and other Abrahamic faiths, and celebrates the cultural richness anddiversity brought into the American mix by Muslim communities.The Muslims I Know premiered at the Dryden Theatre in June 2008, andwill be broadcast on WXXI-TV/HD as part of the High Falls Film Festival.THE MUSLIMS I KNOW airs Tuesday, May 12 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV/HDNATIONALMEMORIAL DAYCONCERTHonoring the service and sacrifi ce of our men and women in uniform, their familiesat home, and all those who have given their lives for our country, this annualcommemorates 20 years on air as the nation’s memorial service. The program isco-hosted for the fourth year by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CSI: New York)and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), two acclaimed actorswho have dedicated themselves to veterans’ causes and supporting our troopsin active service. Live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before an expectedaudience of hundreds of thousands, the special features an all-star line-up ofdignitaries, actors, and musical artists including distinguished American leaderColin L. Powell; double Academy Award-winning actress Dianne Wiest; singerKatharine McPhee (American Idol); country music superstar Trace Adkins; TonyAward-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell; celebrated Broadwaystar Colm Wilkinson (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera); acclaimedopera star Denyce Graves; classical music superstar Lang Lang; and Grammynominatedviolin virtuoso Robert McDuffi e in performance with the NationalSymphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Erich Kunzel, recipient ofthe National Medal of Arts.NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERTairs Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m. onWXXI-TV/HDTV HIGHLIGHTS9MORE ABOUTTHE FILMMAKERMARA AHMED has a Master’s degree inEconomics from the University of Hartford,Connecticut, and another Master’s in BusinessAdministration from the Institute of BusinessAdministration in Pakistan. She has worked asSenior Financial Analyst for the Sentry Groupin Rochester, NY, for Alstom Power in Windsor,CT, for Diageo in Hartford CT, and for SocieteGenerale and Imperial Chemical Industries inPakistan.In spite of her training in fi nance andeconomics, Mara was always interested inwriting, art, and fi lm. In 2004 she took theleap, resigning from her job at the SentryGroup to take art classes at Nazareth College.She never looked back. Her fi lm training beganin 2006 at the Visual Studies Workshop inRochester, and she started shooting her fi rstfi lm, The Muslims I Know, that year.TVhighlightsWARRIORIN TWOWORLDSELY PARKER was a Seneca chief, a legalscholar, an engineer, a Civil War hero, and aCabinet-level commissioner—all by the ageof 40. At fi rst glance, his story appears to beone of success and triumph. Yet Parker diedin poverty far from the land of his birth. Inlater life he was estranged from his peopleand dismissed by political leaders he onceconsidered friends. Today, American historyremembers him as a mere footnote, and insidethe Seneca community, he is a controversialfi gure—considered a hero by some, brandeda traitor by others. This WXXI-produceddocumentary tells Parker’s amazing story.ART: © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHIVESWARRIOR IN TWO WORLDSairs Monday, May 11 at 8:30 p.m.on WXXI-TV/HD