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 series, plays and performances.

Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab World is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 31 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab World, a arts show with 31 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #32

  Poetry, Palestine & the Art of Poetic Tyranny | Hind Shoufani: Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker & Poet

  Aug 12, 202645 min

  Rooted in a profound sense of cultural duty, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-recognized filmmaker and poet Hind Shoufani unpacks a lifetime of artistic resistance and stateless identity. This conversation navigates the complexities of Palestinian liberation and the enduring legacy of the PLO through the poignant lens of her activist family. From the relentless grit behind her feature documentary, Trip Along Exodus, to her fifteen-year multimedia endeavor tracking Arab women poets in, The Poeticians, the discussion explores voices that boldly challenge both Western and Arab expectations. The episode culminates with an inside look into her upcoming 2027 release, They Planted Strange Trees,, which serves as a classical love letter to the resilience of indigenous Palestinian Christians reclaiming their ancestral land. 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Growing Up Secular & Socialist in the Arab World 06:03 Independent Paths & the Complexity of Belonging 09:44 Documenting Untold Realities 16:01 The Grit of Filmmaking a Father's Legacy 24:59 Subverting Expectations with The Poetitions Project 31:40 Giving Voice to Erotica, Grief & Diaspora During Conflict 37:18 A Poet's Impulse & Channeling Words in Dark Times 38:15 Reclaiming the Galilee: A Love Letter to Ancestral Roots 43:35 Structural Themes of Resilience and Looking Toward 2027 Hind Shoufani is a Palestinian filmmaker and writer living in New York. A Fulbright scholar and MFA graduate in Filmmaking from NYU, she was a writer in residence at the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 2011. Hind was also recently awarded a 2026 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in NonFiction Literature. Her film work has earned international recognition, including a BAFTA and an Academy Award nomination for the short film The Present. She has directed, produced, and edited dozens of documentaries and experimental films over her 28-year career. Hind's feature documentary Trip Along Exodus screened in more than 40 cities, and she produced the Palestinian film Heavy Metal, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her poetry and prose have appeared in numerous international publications, and for nearly two decades she has curated Poeticians, a collective of poets and musicians performing in Beirut, Dubai, and Brooklyn. Dark Star Requiem is her first full poetry collection published in the United States with Diode Editions. She is currently working on her second Palestinian feature film "They Planted Strange Trees. Connect with Hind Shoufani https://www.instagram.com/gonewiththehind/ FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #31

  Celebrating 20 Years of Independent Film in Beirut | Founding director Hania Mroue

  Jul 29, 202657 min

  Hania Mroue, founding director of Metropolis Cinema, breaks down the wild journey of building a cultural sanctuary in the heart of Beirut. From opening its doors one day before a war to being evicted with only 48 hours' notice, this is a story of grit and pure love for the big screen. We dive into the urgent mission of preserving Lebanon’s decaying film memory and why independent cinema is actually for everyone, not just the elite. It’s a raw look at how art survives in an unstable world, and why you should definitely skip the sofa for a real theater seat. 00:00 Introduction 02:11 Early Aspirations for a National Narrative 04:14 Establishing the First Regional Arab Film Festival 06:52 Testing the Waters of Public Interest 08:33 A Debut Marked by Regional Instability 10:50 Scaling Up the Vision 13:58 Navigating Sudden Displacement of the Cinema 16:54 The Broader Regional Film Network 24:50 The Fate of Physical Archives 27:35 The Weight of Global Platforms and Political Statements 33:44 Shifting Economic Realities and Streaming Impact 45:34 Challenging the Notion of Exclusive Spaces 51:04 The Irreplaceable Nature of the Theater Hania Mroue is the founder and director of Metropolis Cinema, which opened in 2006 and is Lebanon’s only art house movie theater. In 2010, she launched MC Distribution, a company dedicated to selling and distributing Arab and international independent titles in the MENA region. She is a founding member of Aflamuna (formerly Beirut DC), created in 1998 to promote and support independent Arab films. For 10 years she has been the managing director of the Arab film festival Ayam Beirut al Cinema’iya. She was appointed as chief Arab programmer at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (2010-2012). She has served as jury member for several film festivals around the world, including for Cannes’ Critics Week, the Berlinale, Cinema Du Réel and others. Most recently, she was a consultant for Arab film programming and industry events at the Marrakesh International Film Festival from 2020 to 2023. Connect with Hania Mroue https://instagram.com/mrouehania FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #29

  Telling Stories from Chad & Sudan in Their Local Voice | Filmmaker Bentley Brown

  Jul 15, 20261h 3m

  Moving to Chad as a child in the late 1990s, filmmaker and scholar Bentley Brown grew up speaking Chadian Arabic. He discusses how his unique upbringing shaped his perspective on identity and storytelling and explores the complexities of being a chameleon between cultures. Using film and comedy to bridge gaps in understanding and challenge misconceptions about the Sahel region, he tells us about his early films screened at international festivals and his presence on social media to his recent work documenting the Sudanese Revolution and water crises in Chad, highlighting the power of art to preserve history and navigate the in-between spaces of global identity. 0:00 An Identity Formed in the Sahel 06:05 The Ethics of the Storyteller 12:07 Comparative Dialectology and Global Connections 22:56 Comedy as a Tool for Cultural Critique 29:33 Filming the Sudanese Revolution from Afar 40:08 Water, Trauma, and the Chadian Landscape 55:03 Chadian Music and the Synthesizer Revolution Bentley Brown is a filmmaker and scholar whose work revolves around disidentification, language, and artistic translations of science. A Berlinale Talent, Durban Talent, and Africa Movie Academy Awards nominee, Brown’s past films include Behind the Sun (Hot Docs 2023), First Feature (International Film Festival Rotterdam 2019), and Oustaz (Berlinale 2016). Brown holds a PhD in Emergent Technologies and Media Arts Practices from the University of Colorado Boulder and has served as an Assistant Professor at the American University of Sharjah since 2023. Connect with Bentley Brown 👉 https://instagram.com/waldbrown Hosted by Mikey Muhanna Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #30

  Making Sense of Lebanese History Through Cinema | Lana Daher, Director of "Do You Love Me"

  Jul 1, 20261h 2m

  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. 0:00 Introduction 1:33 A Filmmaker's Cinematic Archive 3:45 Navigating an Intoxicating and Toxic Duality 6:35 Relationship Between Music and War 8:48 Unpacking the Bendali Family’s Iconic Track 14:59 A Massive Eight-Year Undertaking 18:19 Over Four Thousand Hours of Research 22:54 Ode to Documentarians and Artists 26:30 Absence of History in National Textbooks 32:01 Layered Soundscapes as a Creative Pulse 34:12 Challenging Western Media Tropes 42:40 Intergenerational Trauma and Collective Release 51:50 Reclaiming a Personal and Shared Past 54:53 Essential Cinematic Recommendations Lana Daher is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist based in Beirut, Lebanon. With a background in filmmaking (MA, Goldsmiths, University of London) as well as fine arts & graphic design (BFA, American University of Beirut), she has long been active in Beirut’s vibrant art and music scenes, working across sound, image, and archival practices. Her work is grounded in deep research and intuitive storytelling, exploring the space between documentary and fiction by bringing different time periods and emotional landscapes into dialogue. Do You Love Me her debut feature had its world premiere in September 2025 at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. It is an archive-based essay film built from Lebanon’s rich but fragmented audiovisual history. Alongside the film, she created a website, a curated index of the resources and materials behind the project, aimed at reconnecting Lebanese film heritage with both local and wider audiences. An IDFAcademy alumna, Lana also co-produced the film through her company, My Little Films, founded in 2024. Connect with Lana Daher 👉 https://instagram.com/lanamakesfilms Hosted by Mikey Muhanna Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #28

  A Lebanese Love Story: 30 Years of Life & Loss | Director Cyril Aris on "A Sad and Beautiful World"

  Mar 23, 20261h 6m

  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. Recorded on March 9, 2026 00:00 Introduction 04:36 The Genesis of the Idea for A Sad and Beautiful World 07:30 Filmmaking Amidst the Political and Economical Events in Beirut 10:08 Cinema as a Witness to History 16:13 Balancing Love Stories With Societal Context 27:31 Narrative Versus Documentary Direction 34:39 The Importance of Sound and Music Design 44:02 Casting and Collaborating With Mounia Akl and Hasan Akil 53:48 Uncredited Artistic and Literary Inspirations 01:00:10 Top Five Lebanese Film Recommendations Cyril Aris is a Lebanese Director & Screenwriter and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His first fiction feature film, A Sad and Beautiful World (2025), produced by Abbout Productions (Lebanon) & Diversity Hire (USA) premiered at the 82nd Venice Film Festival in the Giornate Degli Autori competition, and it won the Audience Award. It was selected as Lebanon’s candidate for Best International Feature Film in the 98th Oscars. The film also played at BFI London Film Festival, and the Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) in Spain, where it won the Audience Award. Other awards include Best Screenplay at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, Best Score and Youth Jury Award at Cinémed in France, the Grand Prize at the Rencontres Cinématographiques in Cannes, the Snow Leopard for Best Film at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Aurora Award for Best Film at Tromsø Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the MedFilm Festival in Rome, and the Audience Award in Ljubljana IFF in Slovenia, among others. His previous feature documentary Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (2023), received a post-production grant from the Sundance Institute and premiered in the main competition at Karlovy Vary, where it won a jury special mention and won awards in Rotterdam, Valencia, Rome, San Francisco, Marseille, and beyond. His debut feature documentary The Swing (2018) won multiple awards across Europe and the Arab world. His fiction short film The President’s Visit (2017) won Oscar-qualifying awards and played in over 70 festivals. Aris also works as an editor, with credits including Costa Brava, Lebanon (2021), which won the NETPAC award at the Toronto International Festival, the audience award at the BFI London Film Festival, and the FIPRESCI award at El-Gouna. Connect with Cyril Aris 👉 https://instagram.com/cyrilaris Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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