Film Review: The Oath (2010) | Dir: Laura Poitras
23 March '11
By Mohammad Mirbashiri A pillow case is lifted to the reveal the face of a bearded man who sits kneeling, hands and feet bound, in a dimly li...
Documentary Filmmaking in Morocco by Saeed Taji-Farouky
03 March '11
There is a saying in Arabic that translates as “I see the stars at noon.” We use it when everything in life is turned upside-down, when things are not as they should be. I first heard it in the tiny Moroccan village of Sebt Jahjouh, travelling with a man named Abdelfattah, a man whose world […]
Sura, an Egyptian Film by Yasser Alwan
03 January '11
Sura A Film by Yasser Alwan Photographer Yasser Alwan pairs his compelling portraits of Cairo’s working poor with speeches by Gamal AbdelNasser and popular song. The 11-minute film is about Egyptian Revolutions past and present. Director: Yasser Alwan | Genre: Documentary | Produced In: 2011 Image: Al Hussein bus stop after Friday prayers, 2001. […]
Signs of our times at Leighton House Museum
14 December '10
By Syma Mohammed I first heard about Leighton House two years ago at Lure of the East, a British-Orientalist art exhibition. I discovered t...
Mada’in Saleh by Virginia Forbes
03 December '10
The C130 lumbered into the dawn sky above Jeddah, heading northwards to Mada’in Saleh. I had waited 20 years for this visit, my every request being met with an ‘Inshallah’, and suddenly it was happening. A Nabatean city like Petra, Meda’in Saleh stands in the desert as Petra used to – unknown by the masses […]
Remi Kanazi at Poetry International
16 November '10
By Syma Mohammed Remi Kanazi, Palestinian-American poet and activist, gave a rousing performance at South Bank’s annual Poetry International ...
Reem Kelani in Concert
29 October '10
The following article was written by Susannah Tarbush and published in the Saudi Gazette. Arab British Centre raises its cultural profil...
Middle Eastern Hospitality by Caroline Muir
03 October '10
I was married on 13th August 1966 and one week later went with my husband to Lebanon, where he was learning Arabic at MECAS. I was 21 and had no actual knowledge of the Middle East at that point, but I had heard of the famous Arab hospitality. My husband had completed the Intermediate Arabic […]
Interlude in a Sandstorm by William Fullerton
03 September '10
Interlude in a Sandstorm by William Fullerton Forty years ago I had the good fortune to have the chance to travel by Land Rover from Beirut to Jedda. The vehicle was my own and I was going to take up a posting as Information Officer, a title I soon adjusted to the grander sounding one […]
Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival Winner of 2010 Arab British Culture and Society Award
21 May '10
By Sehr Sarwar The highly anticipated Arab British Culture and Society Award Ceremony was held on Thursday 20th May at our premises in Gough Square t...