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  • A captivating conversation with theater director and playwright Laila Soliman about theater, cultural discourse and decolonization across the Arab world. Using three of her major works – Zigzag, La Grande Maison and her first opera Woman at Point Zero – as reference, we discuss western-centric art education, dismantle the concept of “alternative narratives”, and collective memory. We think about theater as a medium, what it takes to bring about a cultural “golden age”, and where and how is the best place to pass on knowledge.

    Laila Soliman is an independent Egyptian theater director and playwright who lives and works in Cairo. Born in Cairo, she gained a degree in theater and Arabic literature from the American University in Cairo and a MA at Dasarts in Amsterdam.

    Her performances have been shown across the Arab world, India, South Africa and Europe. Her first opera production – Woman at Point 0 – based on Nawal el Saadawi’s novel by the same name premiered in 2022.

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

    The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media and beyond who are helping document and/or shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a new ‎found curiosity and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎

    Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX

    ABOUT AFIKRA

    afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

  • Goodbye Julia — which played in Cannes’ section Un Certain Regard and won the Freedom Prize — is a poignant reflection on Sudanese society. The film is Kordofani's first feature. He sat down with us to discuss his journey from aviation engineer to film director and screenwriter, achieving the critical balance between "good" and "bad" while portraying humanity on screen, and how it felt to be acknowledged at the Cannes Film Festival.

    We asked him about his decision to set the film between 2005 and 2011 — a significant moment in Sudan’s recent history — and who he made the film for: international viewers curious about Sudan or Sudanese cinema-goers reflecting on themselves. Finally, we untangle some of the main social critiques and themes that the film seeks to confront — in particular, racism between Northern and Southern Sudanese people.

    Mohamed Kordofani is a Sudanese film director and screenwriter. He started out as an aviation engineer, before changing careers to pursue his passion for film. His first feature film, Goodbye Julia, gained international recognition and won the Freedom Prize at Cannes Film Festival. Since then, it has also been screened internationally and was selected by the Sudanese National Committee operating in exile in the category of Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

    THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Kawalis is afikra’s Movie Night podcast that dives into all types of production from stage to the small or big screen, zooming in on the work of professionals from the field. This interview series is an opportunity to ask actors, directors, scriptwriters and cinematographers questions about the industry, the writing and production processes, the behind the scenes and genres behind some of the Arab world’s best films, TV series, plays and performances, and to discover some of the best work out there from experts in the field. Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39iF2VuxlZ0&list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A

    ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

    📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters

    🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts

    ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership

    🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_

    🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official

    🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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  • Farha – the internationally acclaimed film that brought the Nakba to screens around the world – depicts the heartwrenching events of 1948 through the eyes of a 14-year old girl. In her debut film, director Darin Salam creates an intense, feminine story that captures the emotions and human experience of the Nakba in a raw yet approachable way.

    In this special podcast episode, Darin explains how the story of Farha found her, offers context for viewers who aren’t familiar with events around the Nakba, and breaks down the logistical elements of casting, shooting and producing the film. She talks about how she positions Farha as a meaningful contribution to a wider conversation that uses art and film as a means to preserve this history for generations to come.

    Finally, Darin speaks to the fear and initial reluctance she faced from the film industry as well as the challenges she overcame to secure funding that respected the integrity of the story she was trying to make.

    This episode was recorded on November 9 2023 at 11am Palestine time.

    ***** ABOUT THIS SERIES *****

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in all types of production for the small and big screen to zoom into the work of professionals from the field – from actors and directors to scriptwriters and cinematographers. This interview series is an opportunity to ask questions about the plot, the behind the scenes, themes and information about a film or TV series and discover some of the best work from experts in the field who are from the Arab world.‎

    Explore all Movie Night episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39iF2VuxlZ0&list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A

  • Michelle Keserwany joined us on Movie Night to talk about her and her sister Noel’s short film Les Chenilles. We dive into the 3.5 day filmmaking process, the inspiration behind it and the colonial impact of the silk industry. Michelle also shares her journey into film, why she doesn’t completely consider herself a musician, and her top films of note. And of course, we listen to her and Noel’s viral songs Jagal El Usel and Men3id w Men3id.

    Michelle Keserwany is a Lebanese singer, musician and scriptwriter. She’s well known for the songs that she composes and performs alongside her sister Noel. Their lyrics are notable for their incisive satire and criticism of the state of Lebanese society.

    Les Chenilles: Short Film:
    ‘Les Chenilles’ is a short film that follows two women, Asma and Sarah, from the Levant working at the same restaurant in Lyon, France. The film unpicks the colonial legacy of the Silk Road which links both Asma and Sarah to their homeland, exploring themes of exploitation, female solidarity, friendship, and the myriad experiences of forced migration. The inspiration of this story was triggered by an article by Fawwaz Traboulsi called “ Un Amour de Soie” (Beirut-Express - 1996) that explores the relationship between women from Mount Lebanon and foreign silk factories in the 19th century.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Award-winning director Philippe Aractingi joined us on set for this special episode of Movie Night. We talked about his journey into filmmaking, why he considers himself a ‘storyteller’, and why he shifts between genres: musical comedies to war films, and most recently into theatre.

    We also reflect on the notable absence of an ‘Arab Cinema Scene’ or ‘Industry’, the Orientalist gaze in cinema, and the role of film as a form of self-expression and in the search for identity. Finally, Philippe talks about his latest venture into theatre and stage performance with his debut play ‘Sar Wa2t El Hake’ which opens at the Monnot Theatre on the 15th June.

    Philippe Aractingi is an award-winning Franco-Lebanese film-director and producer. His two most well-known films are ‘Bosta’ and ‘Under the Bombs’, both of which were the only Lebanese film entries in the 2006 and 2008 Oscar ceremonies, respectively.

    His other works, including ‘Heritages’, ‘Listen’, and ‘On The Footsteps of Christ’, are also widely-acclaimed. And he has received awards at international festivals including Venice, Dubai, and Sundance. Philippe is also the co-founder of the Lebanese Cinema Foundation (FLC) and vice-chairman of the Beirut Screen Institute Committee. Philippe was appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2018.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Maysoon Pachachi talks about her film "Our River... Our Sky," an Arabic language narrative feature film. The film is a web of intersecting stories that describes a collective drama happening in this time and place... in 2006 Baghdad.

    Maysoon Pachachi is a London-based filmmaker of Iraqi origin. As a director, she largely works through her production company, Oxymoron Films (www.oxymoronfilms.com). Her documentary films include Iraqi Women — Voices from Exile, Bitter Water about four generations of Palestinian refugees in a camp in Beirut; Return to the Land of Wonders about her return to Iraq after an exile of over 30 years; Iranian Journey and Our Feelings Took the Pictures; and Open Shutters Iraq about a participatory photography project with 12 Iraqi women. She has taught filmmaking and she is a founding member of ACT TOGETHER: Women’s Action for Iraq (www.acttogether.org). In 2004, with London-based Iraqi filmmaker, Kasim Abid, she set up the Independent Film & Television College (www.iftvc.org), a free-of-charge film-training center in Baghdad.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • From Shankaboot to Brando Al Sharek, we talk with innovative Emmy-winning filmmaker Amin Dora about cinema, advertising, working with George Khabbaz, Shankaboot, Beirut, and where we are today in TV and Film in Lebanon.⁠

    Amin Dora is an Emmy-Winning Film Director and Visual Artist, born and raised in Zahle, Lebanon. Dora won "International Emmy Award" in 2011 for Shankaboot, the world's first Arabic Web Drama series he directed, and in which he explored innovative ways of portraying real life in Beirut by depicting tough issues and tackling taboo subjects that mainstream media wouldn't touch, Shankaboot successfully engaged young audiences across the region during the Arab Spring, inspiring discussions across social media networks and in the press and engaged young audiences across the region

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Rami Yasin talked about his movie "Bloodline", “the first Arab vampire film.”

    Rami Yasin is a filmmaker and the founder of Breakout Films in Dubai. He was introduced to the world of cinema by his father who worked in film and television. After directing and producing television commercials for almost a decade, Rami seized an opportunity to work as a casting director and first assistant director in ‘Syriana’ starring Matt Damon and George Clooney.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Amr Salama talked about his movie "Asmaa" that tells the story of a woman who suffers from AIDS decides not to surrender to the fatal disease.

    Amr Salama is an International Award Winning Film Director, Writer and Producer. Directed Feature Films, Hit TV and Platform Shows, TV commercials, Music Videos and Feature Documentaries.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Omar Naim spoke to us about his new film, "Route 10," which tells the story of two siblings who must make a journey through the desert in order to attend their father's wedding but underestimate the many hazards of the desert road, which includes an angry stranger whose terrifying pursuit has the brother and sister driving for their lives.

    Omar Naim is a Lebanese-born director, writer, and documentarian. His newest film is the Netflix thriller Route 10 (2022), a thriller set in the Saudi Arabian desert starring Fatima Al Banawi and Baraa Alem. Naim's feature debut was the science-fiction thriller The Final Cut (2004), starring Oscar winners Robin Williams and Mira Sorvino. The film premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, and won Naim the Best Screenplay prize at the Deauville Film Festival that same year. In 2020 he released Becoming starring Toby Kebbel, Penelope Mitchell and Jason Patric, ranked as one of the best horror films of 2020 by thrillist.com. His new documentary Two Cities (2021), about the Al Madina Theatre in Beirut struggling to survive against all odds, has recently been broadcast on BBC Arabic and LBC Television. As a writer, Naim has penned screenplays for Oscar-winning producers, including Dan Jinks & Bruce Cohen (American Beauty) and Ed Saxon (Silence of the Lambs). Naim studied cinema at Emerson College in Boston, graduating with a BFA in 1999. His thesis film, Grand Theatre: A Tale of Beirut (1999), was a Student Academy Award documentary finalist and played at numerous festivals around the country.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • After graduating from the School of Cinematic Arts at The University of Southern California, Bassel wrote and produced the OSCAR nominated and BAFTA winning film “Theeb.” His directorial debut, “The Alleys,” premiered at the Piazza Grande of the Locarno Film Festival before going on to play at the BFI London and Rotterdam Film Festivals. Bassel is in post-production with Chasing Dreams , a six-part sports docu-series he directed over 4 years, it follows five Syrian footballers who turn professional in Brazil after being scouted from The Zaatari Refugee Camp. Before the above-the-line work Bassel got his first taste of feature film sets as a crew member on The Hurt Locker, Sundance winner Captain Abu Raed, and Disney Arabia's The United. Bassel is currently living in London where he is developing his next film. He is a BAFTA member.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Ahd spoke about her film, "Sanctity."

    Ahd Kamel is an actress, filmmaker from Saudi Arabia. She is most well known for her starring role in “Wadjda” (2012) which is Saudi Arabia’s first feature film. She is multi-lingual and speaks English fluently. She launched her film career in 2005 with a string of internationally successful short films, all three of which have won festival awards. Kamel moved to New York City in 1998 to study law at Columbia University, then completed her BFA in Animation & Communication from Parsons School of Design, after which, she further diversified her education, obtaining a directing degree from the New York Film Academy. Still not satiated, Kamel then went on to study acting under the personal tutelage of William Esper at the Esper Studio. Her first lead role earned her the Golden Gate Award for Best Actress at the San Francisco International Film Festival. “La Sainteté”, her 2nd directorial short, in which she also starred, received a Golden Bear nomination at the Berlinale in 2013 and won the Golden Aleph at the Beirut International Film Festival in 2013. Her move into the world of English-language features began with a position as technical adviser on Peter Berg's “The Kingdom”. Kamel was presented with a Cloeween Connection Award from Spike Lee, by the Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture and Heritage as an emerging Arab filmmaker.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Oualid talked about his feature film debut, "1982."

    Oualid Mouaness is an award winning director, writer and producer. His work traverses narrative and documentary features, music films, music videos and commercials. He is a Sundance Fellow and completed his undergraduate studies in journalism and theatre in Beirut, and holds an MFA in film from the Florida State University college of Motion Picture Arts. His first feature film as director, 1982, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 where it won the NETPAC Award and went on to win the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at El-Gouna Film Festival in Egypt. The film was selected to represent Lebanon for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards 2020. It has since received much critical acclaim and won multiple awards at film festivals including France, China, Qatar and the United States.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Mounia Akl talked about her latest film "Costa Brava, Lebanon."

    Mounia Akl is a director and writer from Lebanon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from ALBA, Beirut and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University, New York and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®. Her first feature film, Costa Brava Lebanon, premiered in 2021 at the Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival amongst others. Some of her other previous work includes fiction films (Submarine, 69th Cannes Film Festival), web series (Fasateen, Do Not Disturb, BILY) and collaborations with fashion designers and architects (Dior, Sandra Mansour, T Sakhi, Elie Saab). Apart from directing, Mounia has also taught Directing at the NHSI, Northwestern University, Chicago and was a Screenwriting preceptor at Columbia University, New York where she was also Richard Peña's assistant. Mounia is currently developing new projects between Beirut and LA where she was recently a Ted Talk Women speaker.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Darine Hotait talked about her new film "Tallahassee."

    Darine Hotait is a writer and film director. Her work focuses on the politics of identity, Arab & African diaspora, and science fiction. She has written and directed a dozen award-winning narrative films that can be seen on Sundance Channel, The New Yorker, AMC Networks, BBC, Forbes, Outfest Now, ShortsTV, and at numerous Oscar-qualifying international film festivals. Named on Disney's Launchpad 2022 list of directors on the rise, Darine’s latest film “TALLAHASSEE” premiered at the 10th Blackstar Film Festival. It was nominated for Best Narrative Short at the 22nd Woodstock Film Festival and received the Audience Award at Mizna Film Festival. Tallahassee was released exclusively on The New Yorker in January 2022. She is the recipient of the New York Council on the Arts Artist Award, the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Fellowship, the Jerome Hill Finalist Award, and the AFAC Cinema Award. Her work has received the support of The Sundance Institute, Comedy Central, The Independent Film Project, Maison Des Scenaristes, The Royal Film Commission, the Jerome Foundation, and the Ghetto Film Roster.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • Dania Bdeir talked about her latest film "Warsha."

    Born in Montreal, Dania Bdeir is a Lebanese-Canadian award-winning writer & director with an intense love/hate relationship with Lebanon which she finds to be her biggest heartache and sincerest inspiration. Dania, who’s originally Syrian and is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, has a BA in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut and an MFA in directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received a full scholarship in her third year. Her pre-thesis film "Meshkal" (English title: Kaleidoscope), has traveled to film festivals in France, Morocco, Pakistan, Mexico, Czeck Republic, India and many more. It has won a few notable awards including Award of Excellence at the 2014 Canada International film festival and Golden Palm at the 2014 Mexico International Film Festival.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com

  • In this Movie Night event, we talked to Viola Shafik about her career in the filmmaking industry. Shafik talked about film theory in Arab cinema.

    Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra

    Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

    Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

    About Movie Night:

    Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp

    Follow

    Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter

    Support

    www.afikra.com/support

    About afikra:‎

    afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity.
    Read more about us on afikra.com