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Raising the Profile of German Literature

From January 2004 onwards, Literix will feature sample translations of German books on the Internet, with a particular focus on readers in Arab countries. Petra Tabeling enjoyed a sneak preview of this new service.

A Cross-Cultural Mosaic

Three artists from Tunisia and four from Germany collaborated on an artwork in a Cologne exhibition hall in front of an audience. Qantara.de spoke with Etienne Szabo, one of the participants for Germany.

“Experiments wanted” – Iranian Film Center Opens up New Perspectives for Young Directors

Directors like Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Bahman Ghobadi have long become icons of contemporary Iranian film. But young, unknown Persian directors are often overlooked. A private film foundation attempts to gain more attention for these directors both at home and abroad.

In Between Nomad Tents and Cashbahs

The Vitra Design Museum, Berlin, is exploring the myths and realities of the Arab world in its new exhibition "Living Under the Crescent Moon", which offers a comprehensive survey of Arab domestic cultures. The exhibition stands under the patronage of the German Foreign Ministry.

Portrait of the Artist as a Painter and Writer

In his latest novel, 'Welcome to the Paradise' (orig. 'Cannibales'), Moroccan author and painter Mahi Binebine tells a dark tale of illegal aliens, waiting on the beach of Tanger to set sails for Europe. A portrait by Katrin Schneider

"Bombay is a City of Extremes"

The new novel of the famous Muslim Indian writer Altaf Tyrewala "No God in Sight" is an unconnected narrative account of the life of ordinary people in Bombay. Sonia Phalnikar spoke with Altaf Tyrewala about his book and the social realities in Bombay

Kitsch as Weapon

With the war in Iraq far from over, Roberto Benigni has already made a comedy about it. He is one of the very few filmmakers who raise the truly important questions these days: How is it possible, or permissible, to depict human suffering?

Revenge on Screen

The Turkish action film 'Valley of the Wolves Iraq' is based on an authentic incident – the detention of Turkish soldiers by American soldiers in Iraq. The action part, however, is not. Critics call the film extremely one-sided, inflammatory and anti-American. Helle Jeppesen reports

Goethe's Orient Investigated

No other specialist in German Studies has so thoroughly researched or written as much on Goethe and his intense bond with the Islamic world as Katharina Mommsen. On the occasion of her 80th birthday, Qantara.de offers the following article in recognition of her work. By Stefan Weidner

"Hitler Kebab" - Eye-Opener without Taboos

With his numerous readings out of Hitler's "Mein Kampf," Serdar Somuncu holds up a mirror to unmask the absurdities of right-wing logic. In his new program "Hitler Kebab, Separate Checks" the German-Turk delves into his own origins. By Petra Tabeling