Cinema
All topics-
Film review: "The 90 Minute War"
A level playing field
A comedy about one of the world's longest-running violent conflicts? Can that work? It certainly can! "The 90 Minute War" uses a soccer match to highlight the issues of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, taking a humorous and sarcastic look at what is actually a deadly serious and ideologically charged debate. By Eva-Maria Verfürth
-
Tobias Lindholmʹs "A War"
Nordic tragedy in Afghanistan
Released in 2015, Tobias Lindholmʹs "A War" was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Foreign Language Film. Part frontline thriller, part courtroom drama, the film examines the simple question: what do you do, when there is no right answer? By Hans Dembowski
-
Interview with film director Samuel Maoz
Israeli "Foxtrot" pulls no punches
Award-winning filmmaker Samuel Maoz shares the personal story behind his latest film, Foxtrot, and why his allegory of Israeli society has made him an enemy to many in his home country. Interview by Sarah Judith Hofmann
-
Interview with award-winning Iranian film director Sadaf Foroughi
Ava, my adolescent self
Sadaf Foroughiʹs debut feature film, AVA, examines the complexities of the relationship between a mother and a teenage daughter living in present day Tehran. The movie is both a fascinating character study and an examination of the damage caused by the rules governing women's behaviour in Iranian society. Interview by Richard Marcus
-
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
-
"Visions of Iran": the Iranian Film Festival in Cologne
Halabja – casting a long shadow
The First Gulf War, the chemical attack on the Iraqi village of Halabja in 1988 and the role played by foreign companies in the build-up of chemical weapons in the region were the main topics at the most recent "Visions of Iran" film festival in Cologne. By Bernd G. Schmitz
-
Film review: Jafar Panahi's "Three Faces"
Road movie against patriarchy
Although he has been banned from film-making since 2010, Jafar Panahi keeps working – albeit without the approval of Iranian authorities. His latest work, "Three Faces", has been enthusiastically received in Cannes. By Suzanne Cords
-
Afghan director Salim Shaheen
Master of dreams
Making films in a country that has been torn apart by years of war and occupation is truly a tall order, but this is what Salim Shaheen has done – over 100 times. For many, Shaheen is Afghanistan's answer to Steven Spielberg. A new documentary shines a spotlight on the zero-budget filmmaker and his films. By Jochen Kurten
-
Remembering the French film-maker Axel Salvatori-Sinz
This is Yarmouk!
French film-maker and activist Axel Salvatori-Sinz, whose documentary "The Shebabs of Yarmouk" (2013) earned him international acclaim, died tragically from cancer at the beginning of 2018, aged just 36. Palestinian singer Reem Kelani, who worked on the music for the film, penned this obituary for Qantara.de
-
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
-
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
-
Fajr International Film Festival
Tehran meets Hollywood
Iranian actors, Indian directors and a Hollywood icon have come together in Tehran at Asia's oldest film festival. Theresa Tropper spoke with the festival's director, Reza Mirkarimi