An Incomplete Calendar

An Incomplete Calendar by filmmaker, artist, and researcher Sanaz Sohrabi is the final instalment of her trilogy about resource extraction in non-Western countries. This time, she takes the album Rhymes and Songs for OPEC as her point of departure.

In 1960, the non-Western oil-producing states united to form the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to strengthen their position in relation to the West. OPEC marked its 20th anniversary by releasing an album of traditional songs from its member countries. All the songs were performed by the concert choir of the Central University of Venezuela, which learned to sing them phonetically.

This remarkable musical project serves as the guiding thread for Sohrabi’s essay film, in which she demonstrates that oil is not simply an economic commodity, but also an important tool of political leverage. At the same time, she explores how, by the time the record was released, the initial pan-Arab solidarity had fragmented due to continued interference by Western countries and companies—including the dubious role played by the West in the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988. Sohrabi uses interviews with those involved (who do not appear on screen) and a wealth of archival material for this powerful, multilayered film.