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Born in Saudi Arabia and the daughter of a Sudanese father and Egyptian mother, Marwa Zein is a woman that truly embodies multiple identities, and for many it is this that perhaps shines through the most in her work. Even when it comes to her roles, that diversity and multiplicity are frontline and center. An award-winning director, scriptwriter, film producer, women’s rights activist, and founder of ORE Production, a Khartoum-based film production company, Zein is inspiring in every way.
Before setting off on a journey to become a filmmaker, Zein enrolled in Cairo University as a chemical engineering student to please her parents. While studying, she worked and saved up to have the means to leave her degree behind three years later, instead study cinema at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, Egypt in 2005. In 2009, she graduated with honors and moved to Germany to continue her film studies. Her graduation project, “A game,” was an official selection of more dozens of international festivals across the globe and was translated into five languages.
From her inspiring start into the world of film and her academic achievements, Zein moved on to bigger goals, nabbing awards for her short film “One Week, Two Days,” which premiered at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival. In 2019, she was selected as one of the seven young filmmakers from across to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2019 by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).
Perhaps her most renowned recent work is “Khartoum Offside,” which was awarded Best Documentary for 2019 at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards AMAA 2019. The documentary tells the story of women footballers whose dream it is to play for Sudan at a Women’s World Cup hosted by their home country, revealing the challenging social, economic, and political situations they face and inspiring audiences with their tale.
Speaking to Women and Hollywood in 2019, Zein had some inspiring words of advice for other female filmmakers, saying, “There’s no competition. Everyone is unique, and we can’t tell the same story even we have the same idea. You are special, different, and inspiring, and you lead the way for the people coming after you.”
“Take care of your mental, physical, and financial situations. It’s a very challenging and demanding business, so don’t lose your soul in the process. Stay true to who you are, and you will reach the horizon,” she continued.
A fascinating new exhibit in Beirut is showcasing 108 original movie posters advertising Western films set in the Arab world.
The original poster for the 1924 American film ‘Thief of Baghdad’. Courtesy Abboudi Abou Jaoude
The original poster for the 1924 American film Thief of Baghdad hangs on the wall of Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture in Beirut. Based on a story from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, the film tells the story of a robber who pretends to be a prince after falling in love with a princess.
It features a young black-haired man flying through the night sky on a winged steed, above a city of domes and spires that looks more like Istanbul than the capital of Iraq. He clutches a gold scimitar with a wicked curved blade in one hand.
It is one of 10 posters, all advertising adaptations of the film in different languages. The silent swashbuckler was so popular that it was remade three times, in 1940, 1961 and 1978. The French poster for the 1940 version is particularly beautiful and lurid, featuring a procession of robed figures and elephants making their way through a marketplace in front of an orange palace. In the foreground, a boy in a large turban looks shiftily to one side as he bites into a piece of fruit, presumably stolen from a market stall. In the sky, another turbaned figure stands on a flying carpet.
The collection
The pieces are part of a selection of 108 original posters advertising western films set in the Arab world and are on loan from private collector Abboudi Abou Jaoude, the curator of the show. “I have about 550 posters and about 300 pictures in my collection,” he says, strolling through the exhibition, which is organised by genres designated by neon signs. He stops frequently to point out a detail that makes him laugh or to delve into the facets of a particular film. “I started collecting because my favourite actors were Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood,” he says. “Bullitt was the first poster I collected. Then For a Few Dollars More, a Spaghetti Western from Eastwood. But afterwards my interest changed and I started collecting foreign posters.”
Jaoude chose to name the exhibition Thief of Bagdad, not only because the film was so popular, but because it inspired so many others. “Baghdad is the most popular city at the beginning of the movies. There are around 55 films made in the 20th century with Baghdad in the name,” he says.
Most of them were shot in studios in America or Europe and bear no resemblance to reality. Thanks to the Orientalist fascination with One Thousand and One Nights, the Baghdad of these films is a place of total fantasy, filled with camels and elephants, flying carpets and genies, as well as heroes, villains and damsels waiting to be rescued or wooed.
The posters are hand-drawn in riotous colours and often show several different scenes. Many feature white actors playing Arab characters and reinforce Orientalist tropes such as dashing desert sheikhs and feisty dancing girls, or enslaved beauties who await rescue by a civilised foreign hero.
Like the Orientalist painters of the 19th century, the filmmakers and poster artists are fascinated by the idea of the harem. Many of the posters feature statuesque, white women posing evocatively. Others are simply bizarre. A 1977 poster for Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger features a woman in a niqab and a bejewelled purple and gold robe, who shoots lightning from her hand as she kicks towards the viewer with a giant foot that resembles an eagle’s talon.
‘It’s about imagination’
Jaoude has divided the exhibition into four sections: love, fantasy, adventure and comedy. A fifth section features the posters of films shot on location in the Middle East. Beirut and Cairo were particularly popular filming locations in the 1960s and early 1970s, he explains, because shooting costs were low. That they were shot in the Arab world didn’t make the films – or their posters – any more accurate or realistic, however. Many of them are espionage themed and feature gun-toting spies and Soviet villains in Lebanon, running around the ruins of Baalbeck or fighting on top of the crusader castle in Saida.
The artists had sometimes not even seen the films they were advertising, so they based the posters on their own ideas about the Middle East, explains Jaoude. “It’s about imagination. They take the story from Arabian Nights. You can see in the posters that it’s a continuation of Orientalism,” he says.
Because viewers would not have a chance to see trailers for the films, the posters were intended to excite audiences and convince them the film was worth their time and money. “The shapes that shook a Harem Empire!” is the excited legend on the poster for the 1952 British film Babes in Bagdad, positioned beside images of fair-skinned women in belly dancer costumes and chains. The poster promises: “All its spectacle captured in exotic colour.”
An Italian poster for the 1961 adaptation of Thief of Bagdad advertises “The fantastic deeds … the incredible daring of the thief who defied an empire!” At the bottom of the poster, the artist lists a series of features that viewers can expect in the film: “Adventure! Trees that become monsters! Adventure! Flying horses soar! Adventure! The faceless fighters! Adventure! Army created by magic! Adventure! Gigantic killer crab! Adventure! Men turned into stone!”
Jaoude has spent decades building up his collection, visiting cinemas in Morocco, Syria, Egypt and across the region. “Whenever I visit these countries, most days I go to the old cinemas, the ones around the city, not in the centre, because they leave these posters in the theatres for re-issues,” he says. “Every five or six years they show the films again because people like these kinds of movies. After 20 years we find it funny, but at the time we found it very nice. People like the hero, the way he fights with the villain. It was popular.”
The films featured in the exhibition, which date from the 1920s to the 1970s, were intended to make money and entertain, rather than provide commentary on the Arab world. That changed after 1967 and the Arab-Israeli conflict, he says. “After 1967 there are many political movies about the Arabs, but before that I think it wasn’t political,” Jaoude explains.
“I think there are three eras. The first one is about imagination and the Arab world. In the second, there are many films with singing and dancing set in the Arab world and lots of films about the First and Second World Wars, set in Arab countries. After 1967, it changes. It’s the Arabs as villains.”
Despite their Orientalist attitudes, garish colours and an overabundance of cliches, the posters are often beautiful and always entertaining. For Jaoude, they are artefacts that are more important than the films they represent. “What stays in my mind is the posters. I forget the movies,” he says with a smile.
Thief of Baghdad is at Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture in Beirut
Al-Qasimi Hall at the Council of the Arabic Language in Mauritania hosted a scientific symposium entitled “Feature of verbal harmony in the construction of the Qur’anic surah: an authentic pause,” in which Dr. Muhammad Safi Al-Mustaghanemi, Secretary-General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, spoke via video communication technology, in the presence of Dr. Allah Al-Washmi, President of the King Salman International Academy for the Arabic Language, and an elite group of scholars, researchers and linguists, and it was moderated by Dr. Al-Bakai Abdel Malik, Secretary-General of the Council of the Arabic Language in Mauritania.
Dr. Khalil Al-Nahwi, Chairman of the Arabic Language Council, said that the Council recently launched the “Hadith Al-Tayef” program as part of its research and scientific initiatives with the aim of hosting an elite group of scholars and researchers through audio-visual communication technology from various parts of the world, and Dr. Ahmed Safi Al-Mustaghanemi was chosen, who represents the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah – the Knowledge Edifice. The main partner of the Arab Linguistics Council, he will be the first guest to lecture in this pioneering scientific program.
Mosteghanemi highlighted the unique characteristics that distinguish the surahs of the Holy Qur’an, pointing to the wonderful harmony and precise linguistic organization that reflects unparalleled precision and miracle. He explained that each surah in the Holy Qur’an follows its own axis while adopting studied linguistic choices that are in harmony with this axis.
Al-Mustaghanemi provided illustrative examples from the Holy Qur’an, such as Surat Al-Naba’ and Surat Al-Nazi’at, to highlight these features, noting that linguistic harmony is not limited to the vocabulary of each surah and its focus, but extends to include the relationship between the conclusion of the surah and the opening of the surah that follows it, which is what the scholars of interpretation have confirmed in their previous studies, in addition to the connection between the surahs. Different types that share similar vocabulary, structures, or stories.
Sharjah Ruler collected 8,000 rare titles documenting French cultural history.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is a leading Arab scholar and historian who has made contributions to documenting France’s cultural history from an Arab perspective.
The historian has been recently conferred the title of The Legion of Honour, with the rank of Commander – one of the highest national honours in the Republic of France in recognition of his efforts to strengthen cooperation relations between the French Republic and Sharjah in a variety of fields, particularly culture. The honour was granted to the Sharjah Ruler by His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and presented by Nicolas Niemtchinow, Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE.
His Highness is currently developing the chapters of a comprehensive work, the first of which is titled ‘The Century of Lights.’ Set in the 18th century – the chapter focuses on the era that established the foundations of Western society and examines the pivotal role played by Denis Diderot, the founder of the Encyclopédie, in collaboration with D’Alembert, as well as the contributions of liberal philosophers of that century such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire.
The Arab historian navigates the remainder of the 18th and 19th centuries in the following two chapters, before penning the fourth chapter titled, ‘Controversial Issues on Globalisation and Cultural Exception’ detailing everything that had happened in relation to globalisation and France’s role in it.
“France, at the helm of the European Union, began vigorously defending the idea of cultural exception; it has prevailed. From my end, I will publish this book in Arabic to introduce all Arabs to French culture,” His Highness said.
“In 2003, the French Republic conferred the ‘Order of the French Republic for Arts and Letters,’ with the rank of ‘Knight Commander’ upon me. I saw this honour as a mandate to continue cultural giving, and I discussed the Republic of France’s pioneering role in intellectual enlightenment and civilised communication, as well as its contributions to the cultural field, translation, and literature, and the spread of the concepts of freedom and justice,” His Highness added.
From that day forward, the Ruler of Sharjah initiated the acquisition of available written records that document the cultural history of the French Republic, using the titles of books in the Egyptian Scientific Institute in Cairo. “I collected nearly 8,000 rare titles in French and decided to establish a scientific institute for those books in Sharjah, similar to the French and Egyptian Institute,” His Highness added, saying he donated his entire collection to the institute in Egypt after it was turned to ashes by a violent fire in December 2011.
The opera was produced by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission.
“Zarqa Al-Yamama,” the world’s first and largest grand opera in Arabic, made its debut at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, taking the audience on a lyrical journey through one of the best-known folkloric tales in the Arabian Peninsula.
The opera was produced by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission, and will run until May 4, telling the story of the central character’s attempts to warn her Jadis tribe of an imminent invasion.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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ـ “Zarqa Al-Yamama,” the world’s first and largest grand opera in Arabic, made its debut at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh. (SPA)9
Moroccan reciters performed well at the competition and demonstrated exceptional talent and proficiency in Quranic recitation.
Moroccan Ilyas Hajri has clinched the title of World Quran Reader in the Hafiz category at the fourth edition of the Bahrain Online Quran Recitation Competition.
The Moroccan Quran reciter won the prize for his exceptional proficiency in reciting the Holy Quran.
This win adds to a string of previous successes, as Hajri has consistently shown excellence in Quranic recitation competitions. Last year, he won first place in the International Quran memorization competition in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In addition to Hajri, Moroccan Yassine El Kazzini secured the second position in the same category.
Meanwhile, Moroccans Abdelbasset Ourach and Mustapha Zahid claimed third places in the categories of memorized recitation (Tajweed) and melodious recitation (Murattal) respectively.
The finals of the competition were conducted in-person in Bahrain’s capital city Manama, where the top performers competed to secure their positions in various categories of Quranic recitation.
The competition brought together over 5,000 participants from 74 countries.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Sameer Mohamed Mujahid from Bahrain was crowned the World Quran Reciter in the Tajweed category, while Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Ahmed from Yemen secured the same title in the category of junior reciters.
Organizers of the competition highlighted its mission to promote and celebrate the recitation and memorization of the Holy Quran.
It also aims to serve the Quranic tradition by providing a platform for individuals of all ages and nationalities to showcase their skills and proficiency in reciting the Quran.
Moroccans have built a strong reputation for their excellence in Quran recitation competitions, consistently shining on the global stage.
Last month, Moroccan Elias Al-Mahiawi won first place at the 20th International Quran Competition in Tanzania.
The third annual Hollywood Arab Film Festival began this week, bringing the best of 2024’s Arab cinema to Los Angeles and giving fans a chance to see the films in theaters as well as introducing a new audience to the Arab world’s top talent.
The event, which runs until April 21, was attended by a number of celebrity guests including Egyptian producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy, Tunisian actor Dhaffer L’Abidine, renowned Egyptian star Elham Shahin and Egyptian producer Tarek El-Ganainy.
At the event, Hefty said: “Arab cinema really needs a platform to tell our stories and to show who we are, our identity, our hopes and dreams, our pains, and all the different social topics that are tackled in some of the films that are being presented are maybe more relevant today than ever. So I think it’s a great opportunity to have this dialogue.”
Hefzy’s film “Hajjan” was showing at the event. It is a Saudi Arabia-based film directed by Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky.
“Hajjan is a film about a young boy who got a very special connection to his camel, who has a brother who was a camel jockey and races,” Hefzy said. “And, one day when something really unexpected happens to his brother, and shatters his world, it forces him to step into his brother’s shoes and become a camel jockey, and so starts racing himself.”
The movie is a co-production between the Kingdom’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, and Hefzy’s Film Clinic.
“It was a film made in Saudi Arabia with Saudi talents and actors with an Egyptian director, but with the Saudi co-writer and Saudi actors and shot mostly in Saudi Arabia,” Hefzy said. “So I think it’s, it was a great experience, and learned a lot about Saudi Arabia, learned a lot about the culture.”
The festival featured cinema from various Arab countries, presenting films from 16 different nations. Marlin Soliman, strategic planning director of HAFF, highlighted the inclusion of six feature films, ten short films and six student films.
Spanning five days, HAFF offered its audience a vibrant experience, including a red-carpet affair, panel discussions on filmmaking and diversity in Hollywood, and, of course, screenings of high-profile films.
The festival also saw several filmmakers singing the praises of Saudi Arabia’s expanding film industry.
L’Abidine, the writer and director of “To My Son,” said: “I’m thrilled to be back again with my second feature film ‘To My Son,’ a Saudi film… I think there is a great evolution of Saudi cinema that’s been happening in the last few years.”
The activities of the seventh session of the International Festival of Arabic Language and Culture were concluded in the Italian city of Milan, which was held under the auspices of the Sharjah Book Authority and organized by the College of Linguistic Sciences and Foreign Literatures and the Arabic Language Research Center at the Catholic University, under the title “Language and Artificial Intelligence: A Limit to the Past or a Horizon for the Future.”
“In a step that reflects the spirit of the global cultural mission of the Emirate of Sharjah and confirms the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in highlighting the role of the Arabic language as a bridge for civilizational and cultural communication between peoples.
The events were attended by His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, Mario Cristina Gatti, Director of the Arabic Language Research Center at the University, His Excellency Muhammad Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Radio and Television Authority, and Dr. Amhamed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, while participating in The festival sessions included 35 researchers from 18 countries, including 9 Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Yemen and Palestine, in addition to Turkey’s presence for the first time. The festival also hosted 12 academics and university professors from the Catholic University in Italy.
The seventh session of the festival sought to explore the intersections of artificial intelligence with Arabic language and culture, highlighting key topics that include “ethics and legislation of artificial intelligence” and its role as a translator who crosses linguistic borders, as a poet who organizes poems, and as a novelist who weaves stories.
The festival also focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on language teaching and its applications in the language of social communication. It discussed “the role of artificial intelligence in the scientific research and philosophy sector” and its potential in “restructuring the Arab heritage” with a focus on “its impact on language and the arts” in a way that enhances the status of Arabic as a living language. Interact with modern technologies.
His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri had stressed in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the festival that pride in one’s own language is pride in all languages, as the diversity of languages is a necessity for the diversity of cultures, and it is not possible to imagine the world in one language because this means that cultures lose much of the beauty and incentives for learning and discovery, highlighting Shedding light on the major project led by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which is the historical dictionary of the Arabic language, of which 67 volumes have been published to date covering 15 of the 28 letters of the Arabic language.
For his part, Dr. Wael Farouk, director of the festival, said: “The participants in this year’s session presented ideas on the topic of ‘Language and artificial intelligence: a limitation of the past or a horizon for the future.’
The opening session presented by Mario Cristina Gatti, director of the Arabic Language Research Center at the university, also witnessed the launch of The first Italian translation of the poetry of Al-Mu’allaqat, which is considered one of the most famous classical texts in the history of Arabic poetry. It is a translation presented by Jolanda Guardi, and it presents a poetic reading by the Iraqi poet and translator Kazem Jihad on the occasion of the publication of his collection of poems in the Italian language.
The festival devoted sessions on the digitization of the Arabic language, artificial intelligence, imagination, artificial intelligence, and translation, with the participation of Dr. Emhamed Safi Mosteghanemi, Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, who reviewed the emirate’s experience in collecting and publishing the largest historical dictionary of the Arabic language as a successful example of digitization.
The translators, Muhammad Haqqi Sushin, Samir Greiss, and Naglaa Wali, raised questions about the capabilities of artificial intelligence as a translator of literary texts, the role of literary translators in the era of artificial intelligence, and the ways in which literary translation can benefit from artificial intelligence.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has recognised Oman’s rich cultural history by including two significant Omani cultural milestones in its list of anniversaries for 2024-2025. This recognition includes the 350th anniversary of the Jibreen Castle and the 150th death anniversary of renowned Omani historian and poet Humaid bin Mohammed bin Ruzaiq.
Since 1956, Unesco has been instrumental in commemorating historical events and eminent personalities of its member states, elevating their significance on a global platform. Such celebrations are pivotal in fostering international understanding, enhancing cultural exchanges and promoting peace.
An architectural gem of the 17th century, Jibreen Castle marks its 350th anniversary of construction under the reign of Imam Belarab bin Sultan al Yarubi. Completed in 1675, the castle is a testament to Oman’s architectural prowess, built by the era’s finest craftsmen and architects. Beyond its architectural magnificence, Jibreen Castle was a centre of knowledge and learning, and served as a residence for the imam and the seat of his governance.
It flourished as an educational hub, attracting scholars and educators in various fields such as jurisprudence, literature, history, astronomy, mathematics, medicine and chemistry. It produced over 40 distinguished scholars and writers under Imam Belarab bin Sultan’s patronage.
In addition to Jibreen Castle, Unesco commemorates the 150th anniversary of the passing of the 19th century Omani historian Ruzaiq. His contributions were monumental in documenting the historical phase from the rise of the Al Busaid dynasty to the end of Sayyid Said bin Sultan’s reign in 1856. His works, characterised by neutrality and meticulous research, provide invaluable insights into the European presence in the Indian Ocean and the Arab region. Ruzaiq’s writings are not only historical records but also serve as critical references for contemporary researchers in Omani history.
The inclusion of these two elements takes the total number of Omani contributions to Unesco’s celebration programme to eight. The sultanate has successfully highlighted six other Omani figures in the past, including linguist Al Khalil bin Ahmed al Farahidi in 2005, pharmacist Rashid bin Omairah al Hashimi al Rustaqi in 2013, polymath Sheikh Nour al Din Abdullah bin Humaid al Salmi and physicist Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad al Azdi, known as Ibn al Dhahabi, in 2015, poet Nasser bin Salem al Rawahi, also known as Abu Muslim al Bahlani, in 2019, and the famed navigator Ahmed bin Majid al Saadi in 2021.
Unesco’s recognition of Omani cultural heritage underscores the sultanate’s significant contributions to the global cultural landscape, celebrating the rich tapestry of its history and the enduring legacies of its eminent personalities.
Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab became the first Arab artist to be awarded at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.
Sherine, 43, claimed the title of Billboard Arabia, a partnership between Billboard and SRMG, a Saudi-integrated media group.
She became one of seven winners of the Global Force Awards at Billboard Women in Music, part of the Billboard Awards held at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles on 7 March.
Global Force also included Annalisa (Billboard Italy), Maria Becerra (Billboard Argentina), Sarah Geronimo (Billboard Philippines), Nini Nutsubidze (Billboard Georgia), Tia Ray (Billboard China), and Luísa Sonza (Billboard Brasil).
Sherine was awarded for her Kalam Eineh at No. 1 and El-Watar El-Hassas at No. 2 which topped Billboard Arabia’s global flagship charts.
In her acceptance speech, Sherine expressed her appreciation for Billboard, saying “I am very proud you enjoyed my work, and of course, I am thrilled and proud that there is a music award specially for women. I hope that my work will always reach the entire world.”
Billboard Arabia was launched in June 2023 to shed light on Arab artists, while pledging “to be the premiere global destination for artists with Arab roots.”
According to Billboard Arabia, the platform follows the well-established parameters set by Billboard over eight decades, drawing data from leading digital streaming platforms like Spotify, Anghami, YouTube, and Apple Music, reflecting Arab music preferences globally.
In its inaugural year, Billboard Arabia included ElGrandeToto, Marwan Pablo, Amr Diab, and Ahmed Saad in its top five Arab artists.
