Viral Depression in Maha Haj’s Mediterranean Fever
Viola Shafik saw the Montpellier CINEMED screening of a new feature in which Haifa Palestinians catch a strange virus.
Film
The Chess Moves of Tarik Saleh’s Spy Thriller, Boy From Heaven
Karim Goury revels in the new feature from Swedish Egyptian director Tarik Saleh.
Orientalism and the Erasure of Middle Easterners in Black Adam
Mireille Rebeiz takes issue with the dismal portrayal of Arabs and other Middle Easterners in a Hollywood superhero movie.
Defiance—an essay from Sara Mokhavat
When an oppressive, insulting cleric makes life unbearable at a university campus in Tehran, students rebel. Pandemonium ensues.
Ziad Kalthoum: Trajectory of a Syrian Filmmaker
Film historian Viola Shafik interviews Syrian filmmaker Ziad Kalthoum about his peripatetic life in Syria and beyond.
Cem Kaya on the Sound of Turkey in Germany
Necati Sönmez, a Berlin film critic and curator, reviews the new music documentary from German-Turkish director Cem Kaya.
The Mystery of Tycoon Michel Baida in Old Arab Berlin
Film curator and scholar Irit Neidhardt searches for clues to the Berlin disappearance of gramophone tycoon Michel Baida.
Mohammad Shawky Hassan’s Ode to Queer Love in Berlin
Iskandar Abdalla reviews the new film "Shall I Compare you to A Summer’s Day?"
Two Syrian Brothers Find Themselves in “We Are From There”
Angélique Crux reviews the award-winning documentary from Lebanese filmmaker Wissam Tanios.
Abundant Middle Eastern Talent at the ’22 Avignon Theatre Fest
Nada Ghosn revels in the artistry of Palestinian, Iranian, Lebanese, Afghan and other playwrights and performers in Avignon this year.
Tunisians On the Couch in “Arab Blues”
Mischa Geracoulis reviews the film in which a Paris-trained shrink analyzes fellow Tunisians suffering from mental maladies.
Lebanon in a Loop: A Retrospective of “Waves ’98”
Youssef Manessa reviews a short film from Ely Dagher that speaks to his generation of Lebanese born in the '90s.
Saeed Taji Farouky: “Strange Cities Are Familiar”
The filmmaker behind "Tell Spring Not to Come This Year" and "A Thousand Fires" journeys with Mohammad Bakri to find home.
Film Review: “Memory Box” on Lebanon Merges Art & Cinema
Arie Akkersmans-Amaya reviews the latest film by Lebanese artist duo Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, whom he interviews.
Film Review: Maysoon Pachachi’s “Our River…Our Sky” in Iraq
Nadje Al-Ali finds that Maysoon Pachachi’s film reflects her "long-standing commitment to highlight experiences of ordinary Iraqis, especially women."