Arab cinema
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Retrospective of Egyptian film director Atteyat al-Abnoudy
Advocate of the people
The Egyptian filmmaker Atteyat al-Abnoudy gave a voice to those people the state had forgotten – and preserved their pride and integrity. Her work provides a picture of social injustices in Egypt since the 1970s. By Christopher Resch
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Nabil Ayouchʹs "Razzia"
Soaked in sorrow
With his new film "Razzia", the French-Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch has once again turned to social criticism. Yet, his multi-perspective narrative about five misfortunate Moroccans never really takes off. By Schayan Riaz
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Tunisian film "Dachra"
Horror meets black magic
Long queues outside the cinemas and tickets like gold dust. Tunisiaʹs first horror film "Dachra" is currently smashing box-office records across the country. By Sarah Mersch
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Egyptian film-maker Youssef Chahine
The great visionary of Arab cinema
Obsessive, argumentative, yet well ahead his time artistically and in terms of the subject matter his films addressed: 11 years after his death director Youssef Chahine remains a lodestar for the emerging Arab independent film scene. Christopher Resch explains why
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Interview with Lebanese film director Nadine Labaki
"Children are the first to pay for our wars"
In "Capernaum", Nadine Labaki tells the dismal story of Zain, a boy living on the streets of Beirut. She calls the system behind it "modern slavery". Paul Katzenberger spoke to the Lebanese director
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Mohamed Ben Attiaʹs "Dear Son"
O Sami, my son, my son
Of the many books, plays and films inspired by the story of the Islamic State movement, "Dear Son" by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia offers something different. Far from the drama of the battlefield, he focuses on the anguish of the family that the fighter leaves behind. By Schayan Riaz
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Ziad Doueiriʹs film "The Insult"
A microcosm of Lebanese society
In Ziad Doueiri’s "The Insult", a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian foreman in Beirut have an argument that lands them in court, and ultimately triggers civil war-like clashes between the two ethnic groups. By Schayan Riaz
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Film review: "Kilikis, the town of owls"
The power of reflected suffering
Directed by Azalarabe Alaoui, the Moroccan film "Kilikis, the town of owls", though not a documentary, is based on the notorious Tazmamarat prison, where political opponents were incarcerated during the reign of the late King Hassan II. Time to face up to the past? By Ismail Azzam
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Interview with Iranian artist Shirin Neshat
The many faces of Oum Kulthum
In "Looking for Oum Kulthum", successful Iranian artist Shirin Neshat has created a highly personal work about the Egyptian singer. In conversation with Schayan Riaz, she talks about the political dimension of icons and the patriarchal nature of the film industry
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Algerian cinema
Young, rebellious and full of beans
Algeria's young filmmakers are turning their attention to making films that engage with the country's violent past. Christopher Resch met up with three of them
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Interview with Lebanese director Reem Saleh
One big family
At Germanyʹs recent Berlinale, the Lebanese director Reem Saleh presented herself as the great hope of Arabic-language cinema with her first feature-length film "Al Gami’ya". Interview by Ahmed Shawky
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Berlinale 2018: "What Walaa wants"
Against all the odds
Director Christy Garland's documentary, "What Walaa wants", which premiered at this year's Berlinale International Film Festival, tells the story of a young rebellious Palestinian woman who overcomes prejudice and adversity to pursue her wish to become a police officer with the Palestinian Authority. By Rene Wildangel