Dr Khalid Ali explains why ‘Wajib’ is an authentic Palestinian story with universal themes In her third feature film, ‘Wajib’, award-wining director Annemarie Jacir explores the opposing viewpoints of Palestinian emigrants and those who remained at home through a bittersweet tale of a son and his father. Shadi (Saleh Bakri) is Palestinian architect living in […]
Header image: “What do you mean, here we are?” Photo by Andy Stagg courtesy of The Mosaic Rooms 6 July – 15 September Coming to an end this week at the Mosaic Rooms is What do you mean, here we are? a retrospective of the renowned Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1998, Townhouse emerged onto […]
Al-Janabi’s film ‘Stories of Passers Through’ is a triumph of cinematic vision inspired by personal trauma Review written by Dr Khalid Ali, Safar writer-in-residence In ‘Stories of Passers Through‘ Koutaiba Al-Janabi (Iraqi director and cinematographer) weaves a poignant story based on his own memoirs from escaping Baghdad at the age of 17. He fled his […]
Header image credit: Margaux Chalançon, Zoubeyda from the “Zoubeyda’s World Series”, Film Photography In times of war, life is interrupted and people find themselves forced from their lands, their traditions and their communities. Tints of Resilience, on show at London’s P21 Gallery, is a collective exhibition that brings together the works of 11 Middle Eastern artists […]
SAFAR writer-in-residence Dr Khalid Ali highly recommends “El Tareeq” (The Search), SAFAR 2018 opening night film SAFAR FILM FESTIVAL 2018 has announced that “El Tareeq” directed by Houssam Eldin Mustafa will be its opening night film. Based on the Naguib Mahfouz book of the same name, the film explores one of Mahfouz’s favourite themes: ‘Existentialism’. Boasting […]
Dr Khalid Ali, SAFAR 2018 writer-in-residence, pays tribute to legendary director Youssef Chahine Friday 27th July 2018 marks the tenth commemoration of the visionary Arab and international film maker, Youssef Chahine (25th January 1926- 27th July 2008). The list of honours that makes Chahine arguably the most influential Egyptian film director is a long one; […]
We’re delighted to host this fantastic interview with Algerian artist Rachid Koraïchi, exploring his latest exhibition Les Maîtres du Temps (Masters of Time) at October Gallery, London. Taken from the exhibition catalogue, this interview was conducted by Gerard Houghton, Director of Special Projects at the Gallery. Born in Ain Beida, Algeria, in 1947, Rachid now lives and works in […]
In the London art lover’s calendar, June is a busy month, bringing a wave of new artists into the spotlight via the platform of the university degree show. From fine art and fashion, to textiles and ceramics, there really is something for everyone to immerse themselves in at the many art schools across the city, […]
Job Description: Job Title: Office Manager (Part Time) Salary: Between £23,500 to £26,500 pro rata (dependent on experience) Working Hours: 3 Days a week spread across 5 days (ideally 9am – 1pm). Alternative arrangements will be considered. Contract: 18 months fixed-term with the opportunity to extend. Holiday entitlement: 25 days pro rata (not including bank holidays […]
Aser El Saqqa, director of award winning organisation, Arts Canteen, tells us about about his whirlwind visit to Art Dubai and the inspiring people he met there. Winning the Arab British Centre Award for Culture in 2017, I was offered the opportunity to visit a country in the Arab world of my choosing. Since last summer, […]