logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
56m 59s

Costa Brava, Lebanon | Mounia Akl

AFIKRA
About this episode

Mounia Akl talked about her latest film "Costa Brava, Lebanon."

Mounia Akl is a director and writer from Lebanon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from ALBA, Beirut and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University, New York and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®. Her first feature film, Costa Brava Lebanon, premiered in 2021 at the Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival amongst others. Some of her other previous work includes fiction films (Submarine, 69th Cannes Film Festival), web series (Fasateen, Do Not Disturb, BILY) and collaborations with fashion designers and architects (Dior, Sandra Mansour, T Sakhi, Elie Saab). Apart from directing, Mounia has also taught Directing at the NHSI, Northwestern University, Chicago and was a Screenwriting preceptor at Columbia University, New York where she was also Richard Peña's assistant. Mounia is currently developing new projects between Beirut and LA where she was recently a Ted Talk Women speaker.

Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra 

Edited by: Ramzi Ramman

Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/

About Movie Night: 

Movie Night is an interview series that calls for afikra community members who are interested in movies and films to spend time watching along with the entire community. Movies will be announced on afikra’s watching list. This interview series will host filmmakers and actors who are featured in the announced movie. Community members will be asked to watch the film on online streaming platforms or online film festivals before the series and join the conversation with the creators of the film. Movie Night is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the plot, behind the scenes, themes, and information about the movie.Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp   

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter 

Support 

www.afikra.com/support

About afikra:‎

afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. 
Read more about us on  afikra.com

Hosted by: 
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK 
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

Up next
Jul 7
Rana AlMutawa | Unveiling Dubai's Complex Social Fabric
Host Mikey Muhanna talks to Rana AlMutawa, Assistant Professor of Social Research and Public Policy at NYU Abu Dhabi and author of "Everyday Life in the Spectacular City, Making Home in Dubai." They delve into the misunderstood complexities of Dubai's social dynamics, exploring u ... Show More
58m 45s
Jun 30
Mental Healthcare For Children That Have Survived War | Dr Atif Magbool
We're joined by Dr Atif Magbool at Sidra Medicine who talks to us about the immense challenges and efforts in providing mental healthcare to children and women in crisis-affected areas. Dr Magbool shares his journey into pediatric psychiatry – primarily influenced by early experi ... Show More
32m 38s
Jun 25
Art, Identity & Technology in Riyadh | Khaled Makshoush, Aya Abu Ghazaleh & Youssef El Idrissi
Host Mikey Muhanna interviews emerging artists, Khaled Makshoush, Youssef El Idrissi and Aya Abu Ghazaleh, who share their experiences and artistic practices, covering their backgrounds, inspirations, and the challenges of being a young artist. Recorded live from Riyadh at Diriya ... Show More
50m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Ep 2 - Netflix, Boundaries and Film in the Arab world
In this episode I explore the world of film in the Arab world and talk to directors and producers who are pushing the boundaries. I speak to Jordan’s Tima Shomali, director of an Arabic language original Netflix series Al Rawabi School for Girls, a huge hit about teenage girls an ... Show More
43m 35s
Feb 2024
Decolonizing & Decentering Theater in the Arab World | Laila Soliman
A captivating conversation with theater director and playwright Laila Soliman about theater, cultural discourse and decolonization across the Arab world. Using three of her major works – Zigzag, La Grande Maison and her first opera Woman at Point Zero – as reference, we discuss w ... Show More
59m 39s
Sep 2021
Episode 3 - Camille Lattouf | Lebanese Film Festival Director
From Capernaum to The Insult, and everything in between, the Lebanese Film Festival in Australia has screened over 250 Lebanese-based films from around the world. One might say, it's a gift that keeps on giving. Lebanese Film Festival director Camille Lattouf, our special guest f ... Show More
26m 34s
Jul 2023
Coming of Age in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn | Aisha Abdel Gawad
Writing Between Two Moons: An Arab-American coming of age story set in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn during the “War on Terror”. Author Aisha Abdel Gawad sheds light on her experience writing the novel while balancing her work as a high-school teacher, capturing Bay Ridge’s unique communit ... Show More
53m 19s
Jan 2024
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Rana Salam
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-born Lebanese graphic designer @RanaSalam, "Queen of Arab Pop", founder of Rana Salam Studio in Beirut, Lebanon. Together they unpack her journey as a designer, what inspires her, what she is passionate about, and how she translates that int ... Show More
25m 17s
Mar 2021
Bonus: Farewell From the TMCM Team
For this special bonus episode, we gathered everyone on the This Movie Changed Me team to talk about the role movies have played in our lives, and what we’ve learned from working on this podcast. We’re grateful to all the listeners and guests who have joined us across three seaso ... Show More
26m 44s
Feb 2024
RERUN: Mai Masri | Fostering a Sense of Belonging Through the Camera
In this episode of afikra's This Is Not A Watermelon, pioneer Palestinian filmmaker and director Mai Masri shares her cinematic journey, her inspirations, and the stories behind her most impactful works. Masri reflects on her early trilogy Children of Fire, Children of Shatila, a ... Show More
53m 15s
Feb 2024
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lara Assouad
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Dubai-based Lebanese graphic and type designer @laraassouad. Together they discuss her journey into type design and her other passions and side practices such as book-binding, leather accessories, and pottery.The conversation focuses on Lara' ... Show More
43m 19s
Jun 2021
Syria’s Top Goon: Art and the Arab Spring
BBC Arabic reporter Dima Babilie marks 10 years since the Arab Spring and speaks to poets, film-makers and artists about how that moment of revolutionary change transformed their lives, their countries and their art. When the protests first broke out in Syria, Dima was a student ... Show More
27m 36s
Mar 2024
Can Beirut's Haunted Buildings Help It Heal From Its Civil War? | Mayssa Jallad
In this episode of Quartertones, musician, architect and urban researcher Mayssa Jallad joins us in the afikra studio in Beirut to talk about her latest, deeply researched work “Marjaa: Battle of the Hotels”. The album brings together her passion for music and her background in u ... Show More
1h 10m