Culture

Arthouse film in Morocco

Keeping Tangier's cinematic history alive

20 years ago, the historic Cinema Rif in Tangier was renovated and reopened as the Cinémathèque de Tanger, one of the few arthouse cinemas in North Africa today. Elisa Pierandrei traces its history and place in Morocco's vibrant film culture.
By Elisa Pierandrei
Remembering Sliman Mansour

The artist behind a Palestinian icon

"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa al-Ghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.
By Asmaa al-Ghoul
Egyptian photographer Roger Anis

"The Nile is part of our collective consciousness"

Egyptian photographer Roger Anis has spent nearly a decade documenting the world's longest river. In 2024, he revived an ancient Nile procession with local fishermen, turning their boats into a moving celebration of the river and its communities.
By Shrouk Ghonim
Miss Syria 2026

"For me, beauty is self-confidence and presence"

At this year’s Miss Arab World pageant, which took place in Cairo, Syria was represented by Muna Almohamad, who was born and raised in Germany. She wants to encourage women to be true to themselves and become more visible.
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Iranian "festival cinema"

Made for Western critics?

For decades, directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi have found success at the world's most prestigious film festivals. But some Iranian critics question whether international audiences reward films that challenge or reinforce Orientalist views of Iran.
By Changiz M. Varzi
Syrian-German director Anis Hamdoun

"Theatre should represent Syrians in all their diversity"

Born into a prominent theatre family in Homs, Anis Hamdoun rebuilt his career in Germany from scratch after leaving Syria in 2012. The director and playwright reflects on life between cultural worlds and the future of Syrian theatre.
By Badr Al-Aqabani
Egyptian film "Asad"

Slave drama sparks debate on national identity

In Egypt, a historical film has sparked a present-day controversy, with critics accusing "Asad" of distorting the past and promoting Afrocentric narratives. Beneath the political rhetoric, however, lies a deeper cultural dispute.
By Rehab Eliawa
Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur

Writing in defiance

With the death of Shahrnush Parsipur, Iran has lost one of its most indomitable literary voices. The author of "Women Without Men" confronted censorship and oppression throughout her life. Most recently, she refused to glorify the war against Iran as a liberation.
By Mohammad Mehdipour
Lebanese literature in translation

The rediscovery of Alis al-Bustani

Published in 1891, Alis al-Bustani's only novel "Sa'iba" dismantles the comforting assumptions of Arab modernity. A new translation restores to view a woman writer long consigned to obscurity.
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Islamic history scholar Sabine Schmidtke

"The Holocaust reshaped knowledge production about Islam"

Hedwig Klein's life and scholarship were cut short by the Holocaust in 1942. In her new book, Sabine Schmidtke traces Klein's intellectual legacy and sets the record straight on her involvement in Hans Wehr's Arabic dictionary.
By SherAli K. Tareen
Tunisian gender scholar Amel Grami

"Arab culture's flexibility distinguishes it from others"

Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Tunisian writer and academic Amel Grami reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.
By Mohammed Magdy
"Palestine 36"

A film tracing the roots of colonial violence

"Palestine 36" depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British Mandate rule. It recreates an often-forgotten turning point in Palestinian history in vivid detail.
By Asmaa al-Ghoul