Tag: Ramy

Movies, Television1 Comment

‘Cinema For Gaza’ Initiative Recruits Ramy Youssef, Tilda Swinton, Karen Gillan, and More

Swara Salih

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.

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Streaming, Television

Netflix’s ‘Mo’ Will Return for a Second and Final Season

Swara Salih

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.

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Interview, Streaming1 Comment

The Cast of ‘Ramy’ on What’s in Store for the Hassan Family in Season 3

Swara Salih

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?

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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

Mo Amer Brings the Palestinian Experience to the Screen with Netflix’s ‘Mo’

Swara Salih

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.

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Marvel, Streaming

‘Moon Knight’ Featurette Gives New Look at the Upcoming Series

Swara Salih

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

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Movies, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 23: ‘I Still Hide to Smoke’ and a Plethora of MENA News

Swara Salih

We’re joined by Mae’s sister Sonia to discuss the inaugural film of Algerian director Rayhana Obermeyer, I Still Hide to Smoke. How well does this film convey the experiences of living as a woman in Algeria in the mid-1990s? How are the themes explored applicable to women’s issues worldwide? How amazing is Hiam Abbas in the lead role (answer: incredibly amazing as she is in everything.)

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Movies, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 22: ‘Breaking Fast’ Review

Swara Salih

We are joined by our friend Tariq Raouf to discuss the upcoming film Breaking Fast, which features a gay Arab-American Muslim as its protagonist! We discuss what we enjoyed about the film, what director and writer Mike Mosallam was trying to say with this delightful rom-com, how well it does with representation for Arabs, Muslims, and Ramadan, and where it could have been better. Before that, in our MENA news segment, we have some GREAT news to discuss with Ramy’s May Calamawy being base in Marvel’s Moon Knight! And another of our faves, Rami Malek, has been cast in a lead role in David O’Rusell’s upcoming film! Enjoy listening!

Spoilers for Breaking Fast begin around 26:06

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Podcasts, Streaming, Television

The Middle Geeks Episode 13: ‘Ramy’ Season 2 Review

Swara Salih

In the latest episode of The Middle Geeks, we review Hulu’s Ramy Season 2, dropping on Hulu May 29! We were able to watch the season in full, and give a non-spoiler review followed by a full-length SPOILER review. We mark the timings for these discussions below, so be sure to watch the season first if you don’t want spoilers! How did this season of Ramy improve from Season 1? Why was Mahershala Ali’s character such a standout? How were the characters we were introduced to develop further this season, and how surprising were their stories? How did Ramy Youssef seek to make a messy and irreverent story about this Egyptian-American Muslim family, and how well do he and the show team do that? We also have a difficult discussion about the new show Stargirl and how specifically it relates to the lack of MENA and women of color headlined DCTV shows, give our recommendations, and much more!

Ramy Season 2 discussion beings at 15:48, with a full SPOILERS discussion 27:39-1:34:03.

Music credit: Music Laounga 79 by El Masreyen, the album “Horreia,” used as opening music for Ramy

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Podcasts

The Middle Geeks Episode 3: ‘Ramy’ and Navigating Identity

Swara Salih

In the third episode of The Middle Geeks, we review Hulu’s Ramy, an incisive and groundbreaking new series on the Middle Eastern-American experience. Listen to Swara and Mae as we talk about what we loved about the series, how it made us feel about our own identities, and how we think it could have done better. We also break down all the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DCTV news from San Diego Comic-Con and talk about how we’re excited about what’s coming forward!

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