Join us for the presentation and screening of Antoine Brendlen’s documentary on Arabic calligraphy in China, Morocco, and West Africa.

During the medieval and modern periods, the practice of calligraphy in Arabic script spread to all languages written in the Arabic alphabet and its variants, giving rise to a multitude of styles across a wide range of media. The CallFront research programme—Calligraphy at the Frontiers of the Islamic World—has focused on the diversity of calligraphic styles that emerged in these border regions (from China to Morocco and from the Balkans to Sub-Saharan Africa) and on how they developed, diverging from the canon and following their own rules.

The documentary CallFront: Calligraphic Journeys, produced as part of the project, immerses viewers in the work of master calligraphers encountered during fieldwork in China, Morocco, and West Africa. Through their gestures, tools, and stories, the film invites audiences into the calligraphers’ daily practice, revealing the diversity of calligraphic styles and uses while bringing a sensory and human dimension to academic research.

CallFront: Calligraphic Journeys was directed by Antoine Brendlen, who accompanied the research team throughout the project. Over the past decade, Brendlen has worked with a wide range of public and private organizations on artistic, institutional, and educational audiovisual projects. He also teaches audiovisual studies at Lyon 1 University.

The documentary will be presented by Maxime Durocher (Sorbonne University) and Umberto Bongianino (University of Oxford).

THE EVENT IS FREE, BUT REGISTRATION IS COMPULSORY. TO REGISTER PLEASE VISIT:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-of-callfront-calligraphic-journeys-tickets-2003005347915