logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
44m 11s

Animating Resistance | Amer Shomali (Par...

Tarwida
About this episode

From his acclaimed film The Wanted 18 to his multimedia art featuring the iconic Leila Khaled and the Visit Palestine poster, Amer Shomali takes us through his creative journey with all its twists and turns. In this episode, we explore how he weaves humor, animation, history, and art—not just to document struggles, but to reimagine liberated futures. 

This episode is hosted by Afaf Shawwa Bibi. Tarwida’s lead producer is Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Nadia Roeske. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. Intro music by Terez Sliman

This conversation was recorded on January 12, 2025, and is the first of a two-part episode. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on @tarwidapodcast

If you have been listening to the Tarwida Podcast, we want to know who you are, hear your thoughts and feedback. We welcome any suggestions for next guests or topics!  Help us understand you better by filling this short survey linked below, it won’t take more than 5 minutes. We promise you a coffee next time we see you. Thank you!

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

Follow Amer Shomali on Instagram @amershomali

Visite Amer’s website

Learn more about The Icon- Leila Khaled 

Learn more about Visit Palestine poster 

Watch The Wanted 18 trailer

Follow The Palestinian Museum on Instagram @palmuseum

Up next
Sep 29
Swimming for Palestine I Valerie Tarazi
From the suburbs of Chicago to representing Palestine on a global stage, Olympic swimmer Valerie Tarazi carries Palestine in everything she does. Our first glimpse of her as a representative for Palestine was at the 2023 Arab Games in Algeria and then at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ... Show More
43m 21s
Sep 15
The Brush that Carried a Homeland - Sliman Mansour (Arabic Episode)
Few artists have captured the soul of Palestine the way Sliman Mansour has. His paintings featuring olive trees, stone terraces, mud, and the steadfast women of the land have carried Palestine across generations and borders. In this conversation, Mansour looks back on his childho ... Show More
50m 42s
Sep 1
Chasing Freedom | Yalla Parkour (Arabic Episode)
Walls, fences, and Israeli checkpoints try to dictate where bodies can and cannot move in Gaza, yet young athletes turn to parkour to reclaim freedom of movement under siege. Yalla Parkour, a film by Areeb Zuaitar, follows this story. In this episode, we sit with Zuaitar and park ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
S3E6. Brushstrokes of Tatreez with Halima
HALIMA IS THE ARTIST AND DESIGNER BEHIND THE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @PALESTINIANARTIST. Halima shares her journey into art, how she uses embroidery and other mediums to tell Palestinian stories, and the deep cultural significance of her work.The conversation delves into the role of ar ... Show More
29m 55s
Oct 2
S5E3. A Generational Collaboration in Tatreez with Tala & Niveen from Palmera Art
TALA & NIVEEN ARE THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER TATREEZ ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS BEHIND PALMERA ART (@palmera_art). Their story is one of weaving memory and heritage across borders—from Jerusalem to Kuwait, Saudi, Canada, and now Dubai—while never losing sight of their Palestinian roots. In t ... Show More
47m 52s
Sep 2024
24. The Palestinian Museum with Amer Shomali
Today's guest, Amer Shomali, was appointed as the General Director of the Palestinian Museum on October 5, 2023. Two days later, we all know what happened. Amer Shomali is a visual artist who directed one of the most innovative documentaries we have seen as of late. The Wanted 18 ... Show More
42m 34s
Jul 24
S4E9. The Team Messy Back Manifesto with Tala and Joann Totah
TALA AND JOANN TOTAH ARE TWO BAY AREA-BASED PALESTINIAN ARTISTS WHO EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT, JOYFUL, AND REBELLIOUS PRACTICE OF EMBROIDERY THROUGH THEIR BELOVED TEAM MESSY BACK MANIFESTO (@tatreezwithtala; @joanndotcom). With humor and heart, they share the story of their family ro ... Show More
1h 2m
Apr 2025
#7 - Art, Culture & The Arab Narrative: Rima Nasser of Selections Magazine
In this episode of "Tak on the Pod", Andrea sits down with Rima Nasser, founder of Selections Magazine, a platform dedicated to showcasing the richness of Arab art, design, and culture. Through Selections and initiatives like Cultural Narratives, Rima has created a space for arti ... Show More
29m 51s
Jul 31
S4E10. ⁠Tatreez as a Builder with Amal Ali
AMAL IS A BUILDER, TATREEZER, AND EXPLORER (@amalalii). Amal begins by recounting her upbringing in Deir Dibwan, a village near Ramallah, where tatreez was ever-present—in homes, on clothing, and as part of daily life. Inspired at a young age by her aunt’s embroidered Qur’anic ve ... Show More
39m 56s
Mar 2025
S3E8. Tatreez Soul Ties with Fatima
FATIMA IS A TATREEZ ARTIST, CREATOR, ACTIVIST, AND ANOTHER FRIEND FROM LAST YEAR’S TATREEZ RETREAT (@olives_and_cedar). In this episode, she introduces us to the term “Soul Ties” and the deep meaning behind it—something that couldn’t resonate more.For those of us in the diaspora, ... Show More
48m 52s
Oct 2024
S2E5. Researching Palestine through Tatreez with Amita
S2E5. RESEARCHING PALESTINE THROUGH TATREEZ WITH AMITAAMITA KHURANA IS A PALESTINIAN-INDIAN TATREEZ ARTIST, RESEARCHER, AND ACTIVIST WITH ARTISTS AGAINST APARTHEID (@AMITASTATREEZ / @AMITA.KHURANA). Through personal exploration and academic research, she developed a deeper connec ... Show More
56m 4s
Aug 2024
Palestinian Music in Exile: Voices of Resistance | Louis Brehony
In this episode of This Is Not a Watermelon, we talk about positioning Palestinian music within a global music scene, cassettes as precious as diamonds, music and resistance, and reiterations of traditional folk music. Global scholar of Palestinian music, activist, and musician L ... Show More
1h 19m
Jun 2025
S4E4. World Building Through Tatreez With Razan
RAZAN IS A DIASPORIC PALESTINIAN RESEARCHER, COMMUNITY WORKER AND TATREEZ FACILITATOR BASED OUT OF TORONTO (@STITCHINGLIBERATION). Razan introduces her work, which is rooted in Indigenous and Palestinian feminist methodologies to consider the relationships, material cultures, and ... Show More
44m 21s