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”
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”
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”
With Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny coming out soon, The Middle Geeks discuss the franchise’s long and torrid history of Orientalism and racism.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 51: Indiana Jones and The Nexus of Orientalism”
We review Maryam Touzani’s beautiful film Cannes-award winning film Blue Caftan, coming to theaters soon in the U.S.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 50: ‘Blue Caftan,’ the Earthquake, and an Update on Palestine”
We review Darin J. Sallam’s searing and visceral film, Farha, which details the first horrific events of the Nakba.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 49: ‘Farha’ Review and the Resistance of Palestine”
With audiences left hanging on a drastic cliffhanger at the end of Season 1, Netflix has thankfully renewed Mo for a second and final season that will conclude the story of Mo Najjar (Mo Amer), his girlfriend Maria (Teresa Ruiz), and their family and friends.
Continue reading “Netflix’s ‘Mo’ Will Return for a Second and Final Season”
We welcome Zaina onto the podcast for us to review The Swimmers!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 47: ‘The Swimmers’ Review with Zaina Ujayli”
The Swimmers is the powerful and visceral story of real life Syrian sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini and their journey from war-torn Syria to Germany, and Yusra’s entry into the 2016 Rio Olympics. Groundbreaking in its showcasing of a refugee story, the film takes viewers on a journey through the Mediterranean and Europe, showcasing their various trials and tribulations as the strive forward to achieve their dream.
Continue reading “Director Sally El Hosaini on Showcasing the Refugee Experience in ‘The Swimmers’”
For over a decade, the Syrian Civil War has seen the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions of Syrians, and the war sees no signs of ending. But among those who have had to escape their home country, hope and perseverance has persisted among many Syrians, as shown in the riveting first trailer for The Swimmers, set to debut in select US theaters on November 11 and on Netflix November 23.
Continue reading “‘The Swimmers’ on Netflix Makes a Riveting Splash with First Trailer”
We welcome Hanna back on the podcast for us to review Black Adam together!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 45: ‘Black Adam’ Review with Hanna Flint”
We welcome Hanna back on the podcast to discuss her new debut book Strong Female Character!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 44: ‘Strong Female Character’ with Author Hanna Flint”
Tariq Raouf joins us once again to review the third season of Ramy, out on Hulu now!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 43: ‘Ramy’ Season 3 Review”
When we find the Hassan family at the start of Ramy Season 3, the son of the family has brought not only shame, but severe consequences for his family that threaten the life they’ve built in the States. Where do they go from here, and will they ever be able to pay back their debts? How will the Hassan family change through their experiences this season?
Continue reading “The Cast of ‘Ramy’ on What’s in Store for the Hassan Family in Season 3”
Ramy is never an easy show to watch. It’s compelling and funny, but it never shies away from showing the (many) faults of its title character, and occasionally those of his family and friends.
Slight setup spoilers for Ramy Season 3 follow:
Continue reading “‘Ramy’ Season 3 is As Funny and Engaging As Ever”
Ramy Hassan’s stated journey has been finding moral clarity on his life and what it means to be a good Muslim. Only problem is, he’s a constantly selfish screw-up. When we left him at the end of last season, he was at his lowest and most morally depraved, having completely humiliated his new (and immediately former) wife Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo), and rightfully enraging her father Sheikh Ali Malek (Mahershala Ali). Where does he go from here, and how will this inform his apparent crisis of faith in Islam?
Continue reading “‘Ramy’ Season 3 Teases a Spiritual Crisis for the Hassan Family”
In his new Netflix series, aptly title Mo, Palestinian American comedian and actor Mo Amer plays a fictionalized version of himself as “Mo Najjar” and his life story in Houston, TX.
Continue reading “Mo Amer on His New Series ‘Mo’ and Palestinian Representation”
We review the first season of Neflix’s first ever Palestinian original series, Mo! Co-created by Palestinian American actor and comedian Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef, this outstanding comedy-drama is a semi-autobiographical take on Amer’s own life in Houston.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 42: ‘Mo’ Review”
When Hulu’s Ramy premiered in 2019 on Hulu, it was heralded as a landmark for Egyptian, Arab, and Muslim representation in Western media. Representation for Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) people remains scant, even with the small gains made, but it’s been especially rare for Palestinians, who must constantly endure attempted erasure in their homeland in Palestine and abroad.
Continue reading “Mo Amer Brings the Palestinian Experience to the Screen with Netflix’s ‘Mo’”
We are delighted to welcome on Kuwaiti American author Chelsea Abdullah who has just made her debut with the mesmerizing Arab fantasy novel The Stardust Thief!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Interview: Chelsea Abdullah, Author of ‘The Stardust Thief’”
We’re only weeks away from the hotly anticipated new MCU series Moon Knight, and Marvel has given us a new look at the series with a new featurette. We see sweeping landscapes of the Egyptian desert, Egyptian tombs, and new looks at Moon Knight and his master Khonshu, God of the Moon. It promises an epic and psychological adventure
Continue reading “‘Moon Knight’ Featurette Gives New Look at the Upcoming Series”
Damian Wayne has many fans. The popular Arab American character, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al-Ghul, is an adorable crime-fighting — and previously murderous kid — whose fundamental charm and sincere desire to do good has captured the hearts of many DC fans, so much so that he has a current ongoing series. But we don’t see enough of Damian’s school life. When does he get to be a regular pre-teen who gets to have fun at school and make friends?
Continue reading “Interview with ‘Batman and Robin and Howard’ Author Jeffrey Brown”
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation, based on a book that was explicitly and heavily influenced by Middle East and North African (MENA) and Islamic cultures, is out, and we are joined by our friends and fellow MENA critics Hanna Flint and Roxana Hadadi to review it.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 31: ‘Dune’ Review”