Nida Manzoor’s masterpiece of a show starring Muslim women of color makes its long-awaited return. Three years after its debut, We Are Lady Parts will return for a second season on Peacock on May 30.
Continue reading “‘We Are Lady Parts’ Returns to Peacock in May for Season 2”
We speak with series stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, Blu De Barrio, Doug Jones, David Ajala, and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise about what to expect in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5.
Continue reading “The Cast and Executive Producers of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ on the Final Season”
Since October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have killed over 32,000 and injured over 70,000 Palestinians in their ongoing war on Gaza, under the pretext of eradicating Hamas after their attack on Israel that killed over 1,500 Israelis. The Israeli government has severely limited humanitarian aid coming in at the border crossings, leading northern Gaza to the brink of famine.
Continue reading “‘Cinema For Gaza’ Initiative Recruits Ramy Youssef, Tilda Swinton, Karen Gillan, and More”
The Middle Geeks are LIVE at Awesome Con, discussing all things SWANA/MENA Representation!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 64: Live at Awesome Con in Washington D.C.”
The second installment in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune has arrived to theaters, but has it gotten any better in its display of SWANA cultures beyond appropriation? Roxana joins us once again to discuss.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 63: ‘Dune: Part Two’ Review”
We welcome back Jasmin and Isa to discuss the latest from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise that takes us to the heart of Abbasid Baghdad!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 62: ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ Review and Updates on Gaza”
Our friends Arezou and Samira join us to review Maryam Keshavarz’s The Persian Version!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 61: ‘The Persian Version’ Review on the Eve of Yalda”
As the genocide of Palestinians continues in Gaza, we welcome back on acclaimed Palestinian American comic and video games writer Nadia Shammas to discuss their seminal work, Squire, through the lens of Palestine.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 60: ‘Squire’ Through the Lens of Palestine with Nadia Shammas”
Maryam and Isa once again join us to review the latest installment in Kamala Khan’s journey in the MCU, The Marvels.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 59: ‘The Marvels’ Review”
We speak with Palestinian American kid-lit author Hannah Moushabeck to discuss the ongoing genocide in Gaza, her work, and Palestinian culture.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 58: Free Palestine with Hannah Moushabeck”
Before anything else, we would like listeners to know we have an episode on Palestine coming soon. In the meantime we’re sharing donation links as we have done before.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 57: Maryam Keshavarz on Telling ‘The Persian Version’”
It Lives Inside, written and directed by Bishal Dutta, follows the life of young Samidha (Megan Suri) an Indian American Hindu teenager attempting to fit in her all-American high school. But when her childhood best friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) begins acting strangely, Samidha finders herself at the center of a supernatural horror tale, rooted in her own culture. With the help of her family and friends, including her teacher Joyce (Betty Gabriel), she battles the supernatural threat while learning more about herself and her culture in the process.
Continue reading “Bishal Dutta and Betty Gabriel on the Making of ‘It Lives Inside’”
When Disney’s Launchpad debuted in 2021 on Disney+, it offered a slew of storytelling from diverse perspectives that aren’t usually in the mainstream. From American Eid showing the struggles of a Pakistani Muslim immigrant family, to The Last of the Chupacabras showing the magical realism of an aging Mexican woman, to several more, Launchpad offers an opportunity for lesser known filmmakers to have their work on the large platform Disney+ offers, and hopefully find more work after.
Continue reading “Disney’s ‘Launchpad’ Producers on What to Expect from Season 2”
We review the latest in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, discuss the natural disasters in Morocco and Libya that have killed, injured, and displaced thousands, the genocide by starvation in Artsakh, and the one year anniversary of the start of the current Iran protests.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 56: ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 ‘Review”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds balances an ensemble cast of beloved legacy and new characters on the USS Enterprise. Chief among those known is the future Lieutenant, here an Ensign, Nyota Uhura, played to spectacular fare by actor Celia Rose Gooding.*
Continue reading “Celia Rose Gooding on Delving Further into Uhura on ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’”
Joined by our friends Nadia Osman and Zaina Ujayli, The Middle Geeks review the latest Indiana Jones film and how it continues the franchise’s trend of racism and Orientalism against North African peoples.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 55: ‘Indiana Jones’ Dials Up the CGI and Orientalism”
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a cause for celebration of these many diverse communities. But far too often, many who champion this month have belied and ignored specific groups within this collective, often presenting a limited scope of who counts as “Asian” or “Asian American” in this collective consciousness.
Continue reading “For AANHPI Heritage Month, Here are 50 West Asians in Pop Culture You Should Know”
We finally interview Palestinian comic writer Nadia Shammas on their incredible career!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 54: The Palestinian Ingenuity of Nadia Shammas”
Shekhar Kapur is an acclaimed Indian filmmaker whose credits range from directing The Bandit Queen to the Elizabeth films starring Cate Blanchett. He is now finally directing a rom-com, What’s Love Got to Do With It, starring Shazad Latif, Lily James, Shabana Azmi, Jeff Mirza, Asim Chaudry, Emma Thompson, and more in a heartwarming funny time that highlights Pakistani and Muslim culture in a refreshing way for western audiences.
Continue reading “Shekhar Kapur on Directing ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’”
In anticipation of What’s Love Got to Do With It releasing in the US this weekend, we spoke with one of the stars, Shazad Latif, on his role as Kaz in the film.
Continue reading “Shazad Latif on the Nuanced Relatability of ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’”
We welcome Rocky back on the podcast to review Nida Manzoor’s Desi martial arts-comedy-epic, Polite Society! We also discuss the harrowing news out of Sudan, a new African animation anthology that includes Egypt and Egyptian creators, give our recommendations for the week, and much more!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 53: ‘Polite Society’ Review with Roxana Hadadi”
We interview THE Emma Thompson, one of the stars of What’s Love Got to Do With It, premiering in the US May 5!
Continue reading “Emma Thompson on the Cross-Cultural Connections in ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’”
In anticipation of Nida Manzoor’s thrilling masterpiece Polite Society, premiering this weekend, we speak with the writer/director herself about her career and the messages she aims to convey with her debut feature film.
Continue reading “Nida Manzoor on ‘Polite Society’ and Breaking Barriers for South Asian and Muslim Women”