My Favorite Cake, Iranian Cinema’s Bittersweet Ode to Love
Karim Goury reviews the Iranian film, "My Favorite Cake," a celebration of love in the twilight of life, in a society where prohibition and surveillance reign.
TMR Weekly
Huda Fakhreddine & Yasmeen Hanoosh: Translating Arabic & Gaza
A conversation in which two Arabic to English translators and scholars consider language and Gaza with respect to the west's racism and indifference.
Radwa Ashour’s Classic Granada Now in a New English Edition
Ashour’s "Granada" trilogy arrives during the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and a long arc completes a circle of horror.
In Killing Gilda Yahya Gharagozlou Tells an Intriguing Iranian Tale
A review of a book that offers a portrait of a royal dynasty whose decline has significantly shaped the modern world.
Art History and the United Arab Emirates
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf challenges misconceptions that an authoritarian government precludes politically-critical cultural production.
10 Recommended Stories in The Markaz Review 2024
TMR's five main editors have selected two of our favorite stories of the year for your reading pleasure. Of course, we are utterly subjective.
January 2025 World Picks from the Editors
Film & photography festivals, concerts, art, standup comedy, lectures...TMR World Picks run the gamut and are selected by our editors.
Mounir Fatmi—Where Art Meets Technology
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf interviews international Moroccan artist Mounir Fatmi on his studio practice, why he makes art, and what he thinks of global audiences.
Maya Abu Al-Hayyat’s Defiant Exploration of Palestinian Life
Zahra Hankir reviews Hazem Jamjoum's English translation of Palestinian novelist Maya Abu Al-Hayyat's novel "No One Knows Their Blood Type."
Criticizing a Militaristic Israel is not Inherently Antisemitic
The conflation of antisemitism with political criticism of Israel not only stifles free speech; it makes Jews less safe around the world.
Return to Damascus…the Long Road Home
A son of Hama — a former prisoner and now a TV correspondent — takes his first steps towards his country in over a decade.
Kareem’s Story, Excerpt from The Home I Worked to Make
A Syrian medical student from Damascus, forced into exile, shares his story with political scientist Wendy Pearlman — anonymously.
30 Recommended Books on Syria
TMR editors have compiled a list of 30 of their favorite titles on Syria, including novels, nonfiction and memoir.
A Fragile Ceasefire as Lebanon Survives, Traumatized
Lebanon may have survived yet another Israeli onslaught but the people emerge scathed and timorous, as if from a nightmare.
December World Picks from the Editors
Film & photography festivals, concerts, art, standup comedy, lectures...TMR World Picks run the gamut and are selected by our editors.