Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab World

Episod

• Making Sense of Lebanese History Through Cinema | Lana Daher, Director of "Do You Love Me" 01.07.2026 1j 2min

  Filmmaker Lana Daher explores Beirut’s multifaceted soul through an archive-based journey centered on the haunting rhythms of the Bendali family’s 1978 track "Do You Love Me". This cinematic investigation navigates the intoxicating yet toxic duality of a city defined by generational cycles of trauma and creation.This massive undertaking involved over 4,000 hours of research into Lebanese independent cinema and journalistic archives to piece together a non-linear history of Lebanon. The investigation delves into why the Lebanese Civil War remains absent from national textbooks, leaving generations to uncover their history through the eyes of artists and oral testimonies. Lana Daher deliberately challenges Western media tropes of Beirut, focusing on the nuanced experiences of civil society through a meticulous blend of sound and image. The film offers potential for collective release by confronting trauma to move beyond it, standing as a celebration of the artists who documented and preserved Lebanese life when institutions failed to do so.
• A Lebanese Love Story: 30 Years of Life & Loss | Director Cyril Aris on "A Sad and Beautiful World" 23.03.2026 1j 5min

  We discuss "A Sad and Beautiful World" with director Cyril Aris who shares the deeply personal and societal inspirations behind the film, spanning three decades of life in Lebanon. Written starting 2019 and recorded amidst ongoing instability in Lebanon, the conversation offers a nuanced look at the role of cinema as a witness to history, the challenges of creating art during intense political events, and the delicate balance between personal intimacy and national tragedy. Aris delves into his creative process, from the technical aspects of sound design to the emotional labor of building chemistry between his leads, while reflecting on the enduring spirit of resilience in the Arab world.
• Processing War & Absence in Southern Lebanon | Ahmad Ghossein 11.02.2026 54min

  Filmmaker and artist Ahmed Ghossein discusses his intimate, award-winning work, the unique challenges of producing cinema in Lebanon, and the complex relationship between art, war, and memory. Ghossein, whose films like My Father Is Still a Communist and All This Victory (Jidar Sawt) have garnered international acclaim, delves into his upbringing in southern Lebanon, the influence of his family's audio archives, and the profound split between the cultural realities of Beirut and the rest of the country. He also shares his shift toward black comedy and conceptual art to navigate the surreal post-2019 crisis in Lebanon.
• Arab Film Criticism & the Film Festival Economy | With Renowned Critic Ahmed Shawky 23.05.2025 59min

  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.
• The Untold Stories of Palestine | Farah Nabulsi, Director of The Teacher & The Present 11.04.2025 1j 13min

  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 process, the impact of her films, and the urgent need for empathy and awareness. This episode is a compelling exploration of humanity amid the ongoing atrocities on Palestinians.
• Firat Oruc | Petro-Documentaries & Colonial Anxiety Over Gulf Cinema 13.12.2024 52min

  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 petro-documentaries aimed at showcasing their version of development and modernization. Firat shares his journey of discovering archival documents that shed light on the historical and contemporary aspects of Gulf cinema. Join us as we uncover how cinema has been a powerful force in shaping cultural and political narratives in the Gulf.
• How Kerala Shaped Gulf Media | Bindu Menon 15.11.2024 43min

  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 contemporary creative industries, we discover how migration has influenced media production, consumption, and everyday life from the United Arab Emirates to Qatar. Special focus includes the audio cassette culture, the iconic dhow, and the evolution of Malayalam cinema in the Gulf – highlighting some key players and contributors. Learn how these elements jointly contribute to a shared cultural heritage and media modernity between India and the Gulf region.
• Reorienting the Middle East: Film and Digital Media Where the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean Meet | Alia Yunis 01.11.2024 58min

  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 the materiality of film and shares her opinions on what comes next for cinema in the digital age. We get a sense of how cinema, film and its audiences are changing in the Gulf and what kinds of stories those audiences are hungry for. Alia also addresses a crucial question about the role of government sponsorship and funding in the kinds of cultural production we see coming out of the region. Finally, putting on a historical lens, we briefly tap into the origins of Gulf cinema during the colonial occupation and by oil companies.
• Ely Dagher | On Waves '98 & The Sea Ahead 20.05.2024 57min

  In this episode of Kawalis, recorded in afikra's studio in Beirut, Ely Dagher unravels his relationship with the city of Beirut through film. We talk about his two films Waves '98 – which one Cannes's Palme D'Or for Short Film – and The Sea Ahead, released in 2021. Ely explains how he tries to portray the way Beirut feels rather than how it looks, grappling with the false dichotomy of leaving and staying, and how he's inclined to make films that are about love, community, and finding ways to make sense of life even when it feels like you have no control. While shedding light on his creative process, he touches on his frustrations with the Lebanese film industry (or lack thereof) and the toxic influence of European cinema funding — recounting the time he was told by a European panel that his film wasn't "Lebanese" enough.
• A Full Week Celebrating Sudanese Cinema in Nairobi | Aflam Sudan 11.04.2024 36min
• The Making of Aida Returns | Carol Mansour 28.03.2024 1j 1min

  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 “return” her to Yafa. With the help of a set of willing strangers, Aida makes it back to rest where she belongs. Carol takes us through the making of the documentary, what it was like to bring her mother back to Palestine, and how she finds humor and tenderness in heavier moments. This conversation grapples with Palestine and the idea of the "right to return" through a powerfully personal lens that speaks to a wider collective experience.
• Decolonizing & Decentering Theater in the Arab World | Laila Soliman 08.02.2024 59min
• Goodbye Julia: A Beautifully Nuanced Film About Sudanese Society | Mohamed Kordofani 22.01.2024 57min
• The Nakba on Netflix: Through the Eyes of a 14-year old Palestinian Girl | Darin Sallam 27.11.2023 42min
• Les Chenilles: Lebanese Silk and Exploitation | Michelle Keserwany 03.07.2023 1j 14min
• Philippe Aractingi | Directing Under the Bombs & Bosta 12.06.2023 1j 3min
• Maysoon Pachachi | Everyday Stories from Post-War Baghdad 20.03.2023 58min
• Beirut Street Culture on Film | Amin Dora 06.03.2023 1j 7min
• Horror in Arab Film | Rami Yasin 27.01.2023 57min
• Life with HIV in Egypt | Amr Salama 20.01.2023 1j 6min