Tag: Middle East

Interview, Movies, Sports

Director Sally El Hosaini on Showcasing the Refugee Experience in ‘The Swimmers’

Swara Salih

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.

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Movies, Sports, Trailers

‘The Swimmers’ on Netflix Makes a Riveting Splash with First Trailer

Swara Salih

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.

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DC Comics, Interview, Movies1 Comment

Sarah Shahi and Mo Amer on ‘Black Adam’ and Speaking Truth to (Super)Power

Jason Sperber

With Black Adam poised to be the DCEU’s latest foray onto the big screen, we recently got to sit down with stars Sarah Shahi and Mohammed “Mo” Amer to talk about their roles in the film, the importance of representation, and the ability of diverse stories to speak truth to power.

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Reviews, Streaming, Television

‘Ramy’ Season 3 is As Funny and Engaging As Ever

Swara Salih

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:

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Streaming, Television, Trailers

‘Ramy’ Season 3 Teases a Spiritual Crisis for the Hassan Family

Swara Salih

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?

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Streaming, Television

The Middle Geeks Episode 42: ‘Mo’ Review

Swara Salih

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.

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Marvel, Reviews, Streaming

NOC Review: ‘Moon Knight’ Raises the Bar for What the MCU Can Be

Swara Salih

Many new viewers may ask themselves “Who the hell are Moon Knight and Marc Spector?” The protagonist of the titular Disney+ series, Steven Grant, grapples with the same question as he’s swept on a psychological and mythological ride across the globe.

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Movies, Podcasts

The Middle Geeks Episode 34: ‘A Hero’ Review and Reputation

Swara Salih

We are joined by the Organizing Director of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Donna Farvard, and our friend and Vulture critic Roxana Hadadi to discuss acclaimed Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s latest film and award-buzzed film, A Hero.

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Movies, Podcasts

The Middle Geeks Episode 33: ‘Gaza Mon Amour’ Review and Holiday Edition

Swara Salih

Even though there’s not a lot to be merry about, we count our blessings and make it merry! We also discuss the wonderful 2020 film Gaza Mon Amour by director brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, which shows old love in the middle of Gaza, starring our fave Hiam Abbass. We also discuss the exciting news of We Are Lady Parts Season 2 renewal, Mena Massoud’s new Netflix rom-com coming out soon, and much more!

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Anime, Podcasts, Star Wars

The Middle Geeks Episode 32: The Promise of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

Swara Salih

We’re excited to have Meg Humphrey of Rogue Podron on to discuss Star Wars: Visions, the new anime anthology on Disney+ that breathes fresh life into this franchise with Japanese creators, crafting stories in a universe that was *heavily* inspired by their own culture.

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Comics, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Interview: Abubakr Ali of Netflix’s ‘Grendel’

Swara Salih

We are delighted to welcome Abubakr Ali on the podcast, who will be playing the titular role in Netflix’s Grendel, making him the FIRST Arab and Muslim actor to headline a comic adaptation in TV/Film! We discuss what got him into acting, his career so far, what his favorite superhero and other media are, and much more. Enjoy the conversation!

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DC Comics, Interview

Interview with ‘Batman and Robin and Howard’ Author Jeffrey Brown

Swara Salih

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?

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Movies, News, Podcasts1 Comment

The Middle Geeks Episode 31: ‘Dune’ Review

Swara Salih

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.

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Marvel, Podcasts, Streaming
AlRawabi

The Middle Geeks 30: ‘AlRawabi School for Girls’ Makes ‘Mean Girls’ Look Like Cotton Candy

Swara Salih

Created by Jordanian creator Tima Shomali, AlRawabi School for Girls is a devastatingly excellent series on Netflix exploring the dynamics of a Jordanian high school. What causes these girls to escalate their psychological wars on each other? How does this series do at exploring some of the systemic patriarchal problems in Middle Eastern societies? We discuss all of that and why we love this series.

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Marvel, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 29: ‘Lift Like a Girl’ and an MCU Assessment

Swara Salih

Ferdosa joins us to discuss the Netflix documentary Lift Like a Girl! How well did this documentary do at showcasing the weightlifting journey of Asmaa and her team, and the depiction of everyday Egyptians? What could it have done better? We also discuss the exciting news that Black Palestinian writer and actor Yassir Lester will be the head writer of the upcoming MCU series Armor Wars, and speculate on what that might mean for the MCU’s penchant for military propaganda. Enjoy listening!

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Marvel, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 28: Palestine in Pop Culture and ‘Loki’

Swara Salih

Palestinian historian and scholar N.A. Mansour joins us to discuss the situation in Palestine, where the situation stands now, how pop culture plays into the dehumanization of Palestinians, and what you can do to help and learn more about Palestinian people and their struggles. We also discuss all of Loki Season 1! What did we like about the series, and what themes resonated with us? Where could it have done better in areas? We also give our recommendations, and much more!

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Movies, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Interview: Amin El Gamal of ‘Breaking Fast’

Swara Salih

For Pride Month, we are so excited to have on Amin El Gamal, who plays Sam on the amazing queer Ramadan rom-com Breaking Fast, which is now on Hulu! We dig into what drew Amin to acting, the experience of filming Breaking Fast and working with Mike Mosallam, their thoughts on the current landscape of MENA and queer stories in film and, what he’d love to see more of in the industry, and much more!

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Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 27: ‘We Are Lady Parts’ Review

Swara Salih

We are SO excited to discuss Nida Manzoor’s We Are Lady Parts, a British series featuring a punk rock band of all Muslim women of color, including MENA women, premiering today on Peacock TV! What did we love particularly about this series, and how well does it handle representation? We also discuss the news of the additional Sandman for Netflix, including the Lebanese Razane Jammal, American Eid debuting on Disney+, and much more!

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