logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
59m 39s

Decolonizing & Decentering Theater in th...

AFIKRA
About this episode

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 western-centric art education, dismantle the concept of “alternative narratives”, and collective memory. We think about theater as a medium, what it takes to bring about a cultural “golden age”, and where and how is the best place to pass on knowledge.

Laila Soliman is an independent Egyptian theater director and playwright who lives and works in Cairo. Born in Cairo, she gained a degree in theater and Arabic literature from the American University in Cairo and a MA at Dasarts in Amsterdam. 

Her performances have been shown across the Arab world, India, South Africa and Europe. Her first opera production – Woman at Point 0 – based on Nawal el Saadawi’s novel by the same name premiered in 2022. 

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media and beyond who are helping document and/or shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a new ‎found curiosity and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX

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

FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&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
May 23
Arab Film Criticism & the Film Festival Economy | With Renowned Critic Ahmed Shawky
We're joined by film critic and president of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Ahmed Shawky, and delve into the role of film critics in the Arab world. We talk about Shawky's personal journey into critiquing films and the evolution of Arab cinema. Shawky sh ... Show More
59m 4s
Apr 11
The Untold Stories of Palestine | Farah Nabulsi, Director of The Teacher & The Present
In this episode of Kawalis, we welcome Farah Nabulsi, the acclaimed director and writer behind films like "The Teacher" and the BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated "The Present." Nabulsi shares her powerful journey from her career in finance to filmmaking, highlighting her profound ... Show More
1h 13m
Dec 2024
Firat Oruc | Petro-Documentaries & Colonial Anxiety Over Gulf Cinema
In this last episode in 3 Kawalis podcast special zooming in on cinema in the Gulf, Alia Younis hosts associate professor of Culture and Politics at Georgetown Qatar, Firat Oruc, to explore the history of cinema in the Arab Gulf region. Firat delves into the colonial emergence of ... Show More
52m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Decolonizing & Decentering Theater in the Arab World | Laila Soliman
Laila Soliman is an independent Egyptian theater director and playwright who lives and works in Cairo. Born in Cairo, she gained a degree in theater and Arabic literature from the American University in Cairo and a MA at Dasarts in Amsterdam. Her performances have been shown acro ... Show More
59m 39s
Apr 2021
Cinema Akil: A Platform For Independent Cinema in the Arab World | Butheina Kazim
We talked to Butheina Kazim about independent Cinema in the UAE and the region. Butheina is the Founder of Cinema Akil, an independent cinema platform in Dubai.Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/ ... Show More
58m 53s
Jun 2022
Art, Satire, and the Middle East Media Initiative | Hisham Fageeh
Hisham Fageeh talked about his career as an actor, producer, writer & director of the Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.Recently appointed as Director of the Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Hisham Fageeh i ... Show More
1h 1m
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
Sep 2021
PHILIP RASHID | Filmmaking | Conversations
In this conversation, we talked to Iraqi Kurdish filmmaker Philip Jamal Rachid about his latest film: “It Ain't Where You From”. The film has assembled the primary talent of the burgeoning, young Gulf Hip Hop scene in a first-time collaboration with some of its key figures.Create ... Show More
29m 49s
Jan 2021
Beirut's Literary Landscape | Ghenwa Hayek
We talked about Ghenwa Hayek's work on the entangled relationships between literary and cultural production, space and place, and identity formation in the modern Arab Middle East, with a specific focus on Lebanon. We also discussed her book "Beirut, Imagining the City: Space and ... Show More
52m 30s
Feb 2022
FIDA ADELY | Contemporary Arab Studies | Conversations
In this conversation, we talked to Fida Adely about her research on education, labor, development, and gender in the Arab world. Her primary research site has been Jordan, although she teaches and writes about the Arab world more broadly.Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra ... Show More
33m 11s
Jan 2023
LENA MERHEJ | Coping with Arab Comics | Conversations
Lena Merhej talked about her work as an illustrator at Samandal and WatWat. Merhej discussed how her comics publishes provides an alternative expression of cultural and social issues for youths and adults.Lena Merhej is a visual storyteller and an expert in graphic narration. She ... Show More
54m 56s
Nov 2021
Lamia Joreige's Artistic Journey | Navigating Uncertain Times Through Memory & Archives
In this Conversation, we talked to Lamia Joreige about her career in art and film and how she portrays history through narration. Lamia, rooted in her country’s experience, explores the possibilities of representing the Lebanese wars and their aftermath.Created & Hosted by Mikey ... Show More
28m 40s
Feb 2021
Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes | Alya Mooro
We enjoyed discussing with Alya her bestselling non-fiction book The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes and the recently launched newsletter "The Greater Conversation", centering female Middle Eastern stories with an aim to de-stigmatize throu ... Show More
51m 47s