Author: Amin Farzanefar

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German pianist Davide Martello is surrounded by anti-government protesters as he performs in Istanbul's Taksim Square on 13 June 2013 (photo: Reuters)

Tahrir and Taksim – Part II

Soundtrack of two revolutions

Tahrir and Taksim: two squares, one new culture of protest? In the second part of this two-part report, Amin Farzanefar looks at the how street art, music and film became essential parts of the new protest cultureMore

Tahrir and Taksim – Part I: A New Culture of ProtestThe Turkish music collective Bandista: "Every resistance movement has its own voice"Youth and protest in Turkey: "The pieces of the mosaic are shifting"Photo gallery: Graffiti in Egypt
Revolutionary graffiti on Mohammed Mahmoud St in Cairo (photo: Arian Fariborz)

Tahrir and Taksim – Part I

A new culture of protest

In 2011 and 2013, two major cities in the Islamic world were rocked by popular unrest. The extended demonstrations seemed to usher in a new culture of protest. In this two-part report, Amin Farzanefar looks at how the art and music scenes changed in Cairo and Istanbul as a result of these protestsMore

Tahrir and Taksim – Part II: Soundtrack of two revolutionsBook review: "Taksim is everywhere": "This was a social uprising, not simply some demonstration"Art and protest in Turkey: Poking fun at the sultanQantara dossier: Egypt Revolution 2011
Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam & Barbad Project im Rahmen des New Sounds of Iran Festivals 2013; Foto: DW/S. Kasraeian

"New Sounds of Iran"

Busting Geographical and Cultural Boundaries

Traditional Persian classical music enjoys an almost unassailable status in Iran – in contrast to the country's rather disreputable but creative underground scene. The "New Sounds of Iran" Festival shows how the two apparently conflictive genres can be combined. Amin Farnanefar reports on the event and new trends in Iranian musicMore

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian: The Master RebelOriental Music in the West: A Creative Musical LaboratoryProtest Songs in Iran: Tired of the Kiss of the Whip
scene from 'Nader and Simin' (photo: Berlinale.de)

Asghar Farhadi's ''Nader und Simin''

Flight from the middle class

Ever since his triumph at the Berlinale Film Festival, Asghar Farhadi has found himself compared to film greats such as Bergman, Antonioni, Cassavetes and Altman. But the main characteristic of Farhadi's films is that they are a seismograph of social crisis in Iran. Amin Farzanefar reportsMore

Dossier: Iranian CinemaAsghar Farhadi's ''About Elly'': Who Knows the Truth?
Detail from the "Microphone" film poster (source: ahmadabdalla.net)

Egyptian Cinema

Enormous Creative Energy

Egypt's filmmakers were among those who openly protested against Mubarak, thus toppling his regime. Now, they will have to change the language of their country's cinema. Amin Farzanefar on what the Arab Spring means for the Egyptian cinemaMore

The Role of Film-Makers in the New Egypt: Revolution on ScreenAhmad Abdalla's Film "Microphone: "Cosmos of Subcultures
Scene from 'The Unseen' (photo: Asya film)

The Turkish Film Miracle

Spirit of Optimism and a Lack of Craftsmanship

For years now, Turkish films have been winning prizes at international film festivals and are popular in European art house cinemas. The occasion of the mammoth 30th Istanbul International Film Festival is a fitting time to ask the question “What is with the Turkish film miracle?” An assessment by Amin FarzanefarMore

Contemporary Turkish Cinema: Plenty of Light, Plenty of ShadowInterview with Semih Kaplanoglu: On the Enigmatic Beauty of RealityControversial TV Series ''The Magnificent Century'': Cultural Battle in TurkeyTurkish Cinema: The Mirror of Social Change
Around 130,000 soldiers fell in the battle of Gallipoli, in which the Allied Powers joined forces in an attempt to occupy the peninsula

"Gallipoli" by Tolga Örnek

The Birth of Legends and Heroes

Ninety years ago 86,000 Turkish soldiers and more than 40,000 Allied soldiers died in the battle of Gallipoli. While Australia and New Zealand keep the memory of the battle alive with Anzac Day, here it is hardly known. Now Tolga Örnek has made a film about itMore

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How successful is linguistic integration? Three quarters of German-born Muslims grow up with German as a first language. Among immigrants, only one fifth claim that German is their first language. The trend of language skills improving with successive generations is apparent across Europe. In Germany 46 percent of all Muslims say that their national language is their first language. In Austria this is 37 percent, Switzerland 34 percent

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