x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab World

Formerly afikra’s Movie Night podcast, this series dives into the performing arts, from stage to the small and big screens. We zoom in on the work of some of the most noteworthy Arab actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, stage designers, producers, and crew who have worked on some of the best productions from the region – old and new. We ask 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 & film film interviews

All Episodes

00:59:04

Arab Film Criticism & the Film Festival Economy |...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2025/05/23

We're joined by film critic and president of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Ahmed Shawky, and delve into the role of film critics in the Arab world. We talk about Shawky's personal journey into critiquing films and the evolution of Arab cinema. Shawky shares insights on iconic Egyptian filmmakers, the impact of global cinema, and his experiences at various film festivals. We touch on the challenges of censorship and the future of the Arab film industry. 00:00

en

01:13:47

The Untold Stories of Palestine | Farah Nabulsi,...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2025/04/11

In this episode of Kawalis, we welcome Farah Nabulsi, the acclaimed director and writer behind films like "The Teacher" and the BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated "The Present." Nabulsi shares her powerful journey from her career in finance to filmmaking, highlighting her profound connection to Palestine and the human stories that inspire her work. The conversation delves deep into the reality of life under occupation, unpacking the emotional and political complexities. Nabulsi discusses her creative

en

00:52:20

Firat Oruc | Petro-Documentaries & Colonial Anxiety...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/12/13

In this last episode in 3 Kawalis podcast special zooming in on cinema in the Gulf, Alia Younis hosts associate professor of Culture and Politics at Georgetown Qatar, Firat Oruc, to explore the history of cinema in the Arab Gulf region. Firat delves into the colonial emergence of cinema in the 1930s, highlighting the peculiar British regulations and colonial anxieties tied to film exposure. The discussion covers the significant role of oil companies in establishing cinemas, producing

en

00:43:04

How Kerala Shaped Gulf Media | Bindu Menon

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/11/15

What is the Gulf-Kerala connection? This episode of Kawalis is a deep dive into migration, media, and cultural exchange. Filmmaker Alia Yunis hosts associate professor at Azim Premji University, Bindu Menon, as part of a three-episode special on cinema in the Arab Gulf. They navigate the intricate ties between Kerala and the Gulf, delving into the historical and cultural connections shaped by migration and the oil economy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). From early media exchanges to

en

00:58:07

Reorienting the Middle East: Film and Digital Media...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/11/01

Discover cinema from the Gulf from its beginnings to the present day. Filmmaker Alia Yunis draws on her rich knowledge of the Arab Gulf’s cinema to give us a full picture of the scene's early days, its current state and what is anticipated for its future. Rejecting the widely held belief that "Arabic film comes from Egypt," Alia paints a picture of a rich regional scene of local storytelling. She constructs the Gulf as a fluid space with shared cultures, invites us to reconsider how we think about

en

00:57:10

Ely Dagher | On Waves '98 & The Sea Ahead

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/05/20

Ely Dagher is a Lebanese director, screenwriter and artist known for his Palme D'Or awarded short film Waves '98 and his first feature film The Sea Ahead which had its premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.Connect with Ely 👉 https://www.instagram.com/elydagher/Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59nsHosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gbFOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:» Apple

en

00:36:21

A Full Week Celebrating Sudanese Cinema in Nairobi |...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/04/11

Aflam Sudan's inaugural edition is being held in Nairobi between April 12th and 19th (2024). The co-founders of the festival, Rafa Renas and Brahim "Snoopy" Ahmad, join us on Kawalis to talk about the power of cinema – portraying Sudan through an artist lens that goes beyond images of war and conflict – and give us a brief history of Sudanese cinema. Tapping into a growing global interest in Sudanese film, Rafa and Brahim point to their favorite "classics" from the 70s and the films they're most

en

01:01:48

The Making of Aida Returns | Carol Mansour

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/03/28

In this episode of Kawalis, documentary filmmaker Carol Mansour joins us at the afikra studio in Beirut to talk about her latest work Aida Returns which launched this March 18th in 44 venues around the world. The documentary film follows the director's mother, Aida, who left Yafa in 1948 to settle in Beirut, then in Montreal. Suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, she lost her memory along with her sense of identity, except for her memories of Yafa. When she passed away, her daughter decided to

en

00:59:39

Decolonizing & Decentering Theater in the Arab World...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/02/08

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

en

00:57:03

Goodbye Julia: A Beautifully Nuanced Film About...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2024/01/22

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

en

00:42:38

The Nakba on Netflix: Through the Eyes of a 14-year...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/11/27

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,

en

01:14:51

Les Chenilles: Lebanese Silk and Exploitation |...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/07/03

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

en

01:03:47

Philippe Aractingi | Filmmaking & Identity

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/06/12

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

en

00:58:36

Maysoon Pachachi | Everyday Stories from 2006 Baghdad

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/03/20

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

en

01:07:37

Beirut Street Culture on Film | Amin Dora

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/03/06

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

en

00:57:15

Horror in Arab Film | Rami Yasin

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/01/27

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:

en

01:06:01

Life with HIV in Egypt | Amr Salama

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2023/01/20

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 RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/About Movie Night: Movie Night is an

en

01:00:45

Route 10: a Thriller Set in the Saudi Arabian Desert...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2022/11/12

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

en

00:59:39

Jordanian Cinema: Creating The Alleys & Theeb |...

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2022/10/20

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

en

00:49:50

Making Sanctity | Ahd Kamel

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab... ·

2022/09/15

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 &

en

25 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser