The Middle Geeks Episode 47: ‘The Swimmers’ Review with Zaina Ujayli
We welcome Zaina onto the podcast for us to review The Swimmers!
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Director Sally El Hosaini on Showcasing the Refugee Experience in ‘The Swimmers’
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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‘The Swimmers’ on Netflix Makes a Riveting Splash with First Trailer
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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The Middle Geeks Episode 9: ‘For Sama’ and the Human Cost of War
This month on The Middle Geeks, we discuss Waad Al-Kateab’s stunning documentary For Sama, which provides visceral insight into the Syrian Civil War and the experiences of citizens under siege. The film has been nominated for numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In much lighter topics, we discuss the upcoming return of Zari (Tala Ashe) on Legends of Tomorrow, and the news that Iranian and other people of color will be leads in Middle Earth on Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings series!
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The Middle Geeks Episode 5: ‘Wajib’ and When We Get to Tell Our Stories
In the latest installment of The Middle Geeks, we review Wajib by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir. Mae and Swara talk about what we enjoyed about the film, and how we thought it offered a realistic portrayal of families dealing with generational oppression and how meaningful it is for Annemarie Jacir to tell an intimate story of her people. We also discuss the great news that the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series for Disney+ will have an Iranian-British writer with Hossein Amini, how we’re looking forward to the Arrow spinoff starring the Canaries, and give our recommendations of what to watch.
(We start our Wajib discussion at the 21:12 mark.)
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The Middle Geeks Episode 4: ‘Capernaum’ and Facing Hard Truths
In the latest installment of The Middle Geeks, we review Nadine Labaki’s 2018 heartbreaking masterpiece, Capernaum. Mae and Swara reflect on the state of conflict in the region, how institutions fail children, immigrants, and the most vulnerable, and how generational trauma affects us as Middle Eastern-Americans. It’s a hard but necessary set of discussions to have. On much lighter topics, we discuss the slew of news from D23, and express our dismay at a change in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow‘s upcoming season.
(We start our Capernaum discussion at the 32:51 mark.)
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