Revue culturelle N°88

The Moroccan pavilion, designed by the Moroccan National Tourist Office for the event, covers an area of 900 m2. It is divided into three sections, corresponding to three visions of Morocco: its history ("Morocco, land of confluence"), its cultural heritage and know-how ("Morocco, land of light"), and the investment opportunities offered by the country ("Morocco, land of opportunities").

A special section, produced in collaboration with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, looks back at the kingdom's historic achievements at the last World Cup in Qatar and Morocco's status as the organiser of the 2030 World Cup.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, inaugurated the reopening of the Bahia Palace, the Badii Palace and the Saadian tombs. However, a number of security measures have been put in place to allow the remaining rehabilitation work to continue, while maintaining access for visitors.

The Salé Foundation for Culture and Arts will host its first urban arts festival, the "Hitan" festival, from 20 November to 30 December. The aim is to awaken the local population to the urban culture of Salé, to educate them about its heritage, and also to boost the region's economy through the tourism generated by the event. In addition, the works produced by the artists in the city of Salé for the festival will provide an opportunity to reinvent the city at the end of 2023. Artists wishing to take part in this first edition have until 31 October to submit their applications.

Photo : copyrights 2m.

On the initiative of the Al-Muniya Marrakech Association for the revival and preservation of Moroccan heritage, the twelfth edition of this festival will be held from 19 to 22 October, featuring lectures and concerts on the theme of Moroccan medinas, particularly Marrakech. The event will bring together artists, town planners, musicians, architects, cultural figures and experts in Moroccan heritage.

From 26 to 28 October, the city of Essaouira presents the 19th edition of this festival celebrating solidarity and life, just a few weeks after the earthquake that struck the kingdom. Nearly 150 Jewish and Muslim artists will be showcasing the Moroccan way of living together. Exhibitions and concerts, flamenco ballets and conferences. Full details on the event's Facebook page here.

The exhibition, which runs until 10 November, showcases the artist's contemporary canvases, which lay claim to a deep-rooted Moroccan identity and heritage, despite being influenced by various international movements such as action painting, cybernetics and Sufism. Malika Agueznay's famous coloured seaweed is a prominent feature of the exhibition.

"Through a group of some twenty works, all referring to the research carried out by the artist during 1968, the gallery wishes to pay tribute to the artist's creative power." - Loft Gallery press release.

Born in 1938 in Marrakech, Malika Agueznay studied at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts from 1966 to 1970, taking part in the adventure of the painters of the "Casablanca School", Farid Belkahia, Mohamed Chabâa and Mohamed Melehi. She began engraving in 1978 at the Moussem d'Asilah and went on to develop her technique in New York, in the workshops of renowned engravers such as Mohamad Omar Khalil, Krishna Ready and Robert Blackburn, and in Paris at Atelier 17. Every year since 1978, she has continued to take part in the workshops in Asilah, during the Moussem culturels.

In an exhibition at the Hassan II Centre in Assilah, Syrian painter and engraver Ali Ali Sultan has teamed up with Moroccan painter Saïd Messari in an exhibition showcasing their preliminary work on their forthcoming book, "Suleiman et Salua", which tells the story of Ali Ali Sultan's Syria through folk tales and artistic illustrations.

"I tried to dig deep into my memory to find enough memories to make a book. The text is written by the Spanish writer Francisco Fernández Navalet, and is accompanied by 22 illustrations which I did. I wanted to honour Syrian oral culture, much of which is in danger of disappearing." - interview with Ali Ali Sultan for Aujourd'hui le Maroc.

Mohamed Zafzaf Prize for the Arab Novel was awarded for the 8th time to Lebanese novelist Rachid El-Daïf at the Assilah Forum. The decision was taken by a jury chaired by literary critic Saïd Yaktine, and comprising Chokri Mabkhout (Tunisia), Said Bengrad (Morocco), Katia Ghassan (Lebanon), Habib Abdulrab Sarori (Yemen), Hassan Bahraoui (Morocco) and Mohamed Benaissa, General Secretary of the Assilah Forum Foundation.

Born in 1945 in northern Lebanon, Rachid El-Daïf is the author of ten novels and three collections of poetry. His works have been translated into eight different languages in Europe (English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Polish), and even into Japanese. The narrator of his works is called Rachid, and his writings often revolve around the theme of the couple.

Released in 2021, the Moroccan rap star's debut album has so far racked up over 100 million streams. This is a first for an artist from the region, who is preparing to tour Europe and the United States from November.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, nine Moroccan artists and producers have decided to share exclusive tracks to create a compilation entitled "Music For Relief - A Fundraiser for Morocco's Earthquake", in support of the earthquake victims.

The compilation features DJ Mouhcine Zouitina, known as Polyswitch, Driss Beniss, Kidizdey, Cee Elassaad, Guedra Guedra, Saib, Kosk, Chryzalid, Raskas and VA.

All sales will be donated to the Insaf and Tamounte à Ouirgane associations, both of which work to protect women and children. The compilation is available exclusively for digital purchase on Bandcamp, the online music and merchandising platform of choice for independent artists.

The event is back for its sixth edition, with the theme "Stories of Resilience", running from 5 October to 2 November.

The programme for this event is rich and varied, including exhibitions and meetings with the public, a fascinating round table on the theme "How to think about African photography today", captivating screenings and a "Photo Marathon" for young talent, with prizes awarded by the CDG Foundation. The venues for these exhibitions and activities are the Galerie Nationale Bab Rouah and the cinema Atlas.

The participating artists: Azzeddine Abdelouhabi, Amal Bachir, Brahim Benkirane, Karima Hajj, Fatima Mazmouz, Halim Nabila, Nissrine Seffar, Moussa Toure.

Photo: Karima Hajj, copyrights @kariimahajji.

Following the success of the play 'Cha Ta Ra' (best script prize at the Baghdad Theatre Festival, multiple prize at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre, etc.), the Thifsouine theatre company introduces its new creation, 'Ichawchawen'.

According to Ahmed Samar, president of the association to which the troupe belongs, "This play is the result of a collective effort by a team of 17 people". It tells the stories of three characters, Hmimed, Hamidou and Alia, who find themselves in a psychiatric asylum run by a despot.

Participating actors: Chaïmae El Allaoui, Mohamed El Maknouzi, Soulaïmane Akelti, Rachad Koukouh and Mohamed Oufkir.

The festival will see the participation of 13 countries and will welcome 21 guests from 15 to 22 October. 28 national and foreign films will be screened over the five days. Several competitions will also be held alongside the festival, including feature films, narrative shorts, workshop films, "Cine-Mobile" films and a competition for content creators.

The official feature-length competition will feature several Arab films, including "19B", directed by Egyptian Ahmed Abdullah Al-Sayed, "The Slave" by Moroccan Abdelilah El Jouahri, and "Happy Buddy Day" by Algerian Elias Bouchoucha.

The short film competition includes "Une image chère" by Kuwaiti director Mashael Yousef, "La Mission" by Yemeni filmmaker Rasha Hashem, "The Mail Reader" by Iraqi director Zulfiqar Al-Mutairi, and "Ramad" by Omani director Suleiman Al Khalili.

American actress Jessica Chastain will chair the jury for the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival, which runs from 24 November to 2 December 2023. Her jury will award the Golden Star to one of the 14 feature films in the international competition.

The opening of the exhibition by painter Abbès Saladi, entitled "Saladi, the Alchemist", took place at the Museum of Immaterial Heritage on the Place de Jemaâ El Fna in Marrakech.

"The exhibition is divided into three sections, three periods that characterise his artistic life. The first section depicts the everyday reality observed in the artist's surroundings, with themes that reveal a style that can be described as naïve. The second section highlights Saladi's preoccupation with composition, which has become essential to his approach and whose line has become much more refined, as well as the oriental influence of miniature painting, particularly Persian and Pharaonic, which emerges as his distinctive mark". - exhibition press release.

For Mehdi Qotbi, Chairman of the National Museums Foundation (FNM), "the reopening of this museum illustrates the FNM's determination to revitalise Marrakech's cultural and tourist offering. It was made possible thanks to the mobilisation of all the necessary resources, as well as the major contribution of the ALIPH Foundation, of which Morocco is an active member". (statement made to the MAP).

This exhibition, which runs until 27 October at the Mohammed V Foundation, features 15 works by the artist. It shows the artist's love of bright colours, but also the variety of supports: canvases, wooden pallets, number plates, walls, car bodies, etc. Everything is used according to his imagination of the moment. Cheaib El Barki mainly shows urban landscapes, in particular the cities of Rabat and Casablanca.

The Cheikh Fadel Ben Achour International Centre for Culture and the Arts is home to a new digital space, "Maken" or "place" in Arabic, dedicated entirely to creative participatory intelligence. It includes a coffee place for digital creativity, a digital cultural museum, a digital arts theatre and an exhibition for immersive experiences, an Arabic calligraphy space, a recording studio, various coworking spaces and meeting rooms, a library, etc.

The creation of this venue dates back to a decision taken by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 2019.

Photo: copyrights La Presse.

The festival "Du bist wunderbar, Berlin" (Berlin of the magnificent), organised by the Goethe Institut, is a series of cultural events taking place in Tunis from 13 to 22 October 2023, and celebrating the life and culture of Berlin. It is in this context that two Tunisian artists and photographers are exhibited: Malek Khemiri and Skander Khlif. Through street scenes, scenes of life and captured moments, the two photographers offer a glimpse of Berlin through their eyes.

Malek Khemiri is a Tunisian filmmaker, photographer and musician. Co-founder of the hip-hop group Armada Bizerta, he explores artistic synergies around the world. In 2021, he produced "Black Label", a photojournalism exhibition recounting the latest Tunisian mobilisations from 2020 to 2021.

Born in Tunis in 1983, Skander Khlif grew up on the shores of the Mediterranean. In 2003, he moved to Germany to study engineering and took up photography. Since then, he has been playing with shapes and light with his lens. He mainly takes art, street and documentary photographs.

Photo: "A June Day in Tunis" by Skander Khlif.

The organising committee of the 34th edition of the Carthage Film Festival, which runs from 28 October to 4 November 2023, has officially announced that Tunisian producer Dorra Bouchoucha will chair the jury.

Dorra Bouchoucha has held a similar position at a number of festivals: in 2017 she was a member of the International Jury at the Berlinale, in 2020 she took part in the First Works Jury at the Venice Film Festival, and in 2023 she was president of the FESPACO Jury.

"The Ministry of Cultural Affairs reiterates its total commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and calls on the institutions under its authority to suspend all festive programmes until further notice". - Tunisian government press release.

A few hours after the unprecedented operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip on Saturday 7 October, Tunisia expressed its "total and unconditional" support for the Palestinian people.

As part of Musical October 2023 and with the support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble will be touring Tunisia, playing a series of concerts and master classes in Monastir, Mahdia and Tunis from 6 to 13 October 2023.

The group is made up of Swiss musicians - Stephan Athanas (bass, composition), Tony Renold (drums) and Dave Feusi (saxophone) - and Tunisian musicians Samiha Ben Said (vocals, qanun) and Samir Ferjani (ney). ContempArabic Jazz blends and interprets Arabic music, jazz and various influences from modern music.

For its Tunisian tour, the ensemble will be performing at the conservatoire in Monastir, the conservatoire and the Maison de Culture in Mahdia. In Tunis, the ensemble will be performing at Ennejma Ezzahra and Espace Mass'Art.

From 13 to 15 October 2023 in Le Kef, the Museum Lab association organises the second edition of "Kif-El-Kef", a festival focusing on the heritage of north-western Tunisia.

Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in Kef and its history, visiting museums, historic centres and archaeological sites. Digital prototypes have been developed to help visitors discover this cultural heritage in a different way, through unique immersive experiences. This will be an opportunity to learn about the latest initiatives to restore and rehabilitate the medina: new functions have been given to the restored mosques, and initiatives such as cultural tours and coworking spaces have been set up.

A number of artists are also taking part in the event, including the Algerian music group El Besta, featuring Sofiane Merabet, Larej, Dadi and Abed, who bring Tunisian heritage to raï music.

Photo: Le Kef, copyrights La Presse Tunis.

The 'Al-Sitar' association for theatrical creation in El Oued has announced the organisation of the 3rd edition of the International Festival of Women's Monodrama from 6 to 10 November in the wilaya of El Oued, with Palestine as guest of honour.

The festival will be attended by troupes from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and other countries, as well as the two Algerian troupes, the Bouderka Association and the Al-Nahda Al-Nailia Cooperative. Palestine will also be present with the Kawalis troupe and their show entitled Nous étions... et sommes toujours (We were... and still are).

These works will be in the running for the event's main prizes (best direction, best scenography, best text, best interpretation and jury prize), and will be assessed by a jury made up of the Algerians Dr. Bachir Ghrib and the actress Fadila Hachmaoui, as well as the artists Khaled Bouzid from Tunisia, Manal Salama from Egypt and Mariam Al-Ghamdi from Saudi Arabia.

Seven companies will be performing at the 12th edition of the Bejaia International Theatre Festival, scheduled from 14 to 21 October, with Syria, Tunisia and Egypt among the Arab countries. Stay tuned!

The 26th edition of this fair is scheduled to run from 25 October to 4 November, under the slogan "Africa writes its future", and will be attended by nearly 1,200 exhibitors (including 360 Arabs) from 61 countries. Some forty cultural and literary activities have been scheduled, including seminars and platforms on literature, history, childhood and youth, with Algerian, Arab and foreign personalities in attendance.

A number of eminent figures will be taking part, including Rachid Boudjedra, Ouassini Laredj and Lahbib Sayah from Algeria, as well as other writers from Camroun, Guinea, Mali, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The 8th Cairo International Meeting for Arabic Calligraphy is scheduled to take place from 10 to 20 October.

Kour Noureddine has won several national and international prizes, including 3rd prize at the International Festival of Arabic Calligraphy in Médéa in 2022, as well as writing a book entitled "Heritage and Arabic Calligraphy" published by the National Centre for Prehistoric, Anthropological and Historical Research in Algiers.

That's what Pulitzer Prize-winner and Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold calls the Lebanese chef's croissant, declaring that it is one of the "99 things to eat in Los Angeles before you die".

Noubar Yesseyan was born in Beirut, and has since pursued a self-taught career as a baker and pastry chef between the United States and France. In 2014, the "King of Croissants" won the final of the culinary show "King of Cones", best ice cream maker, on the Food Network television channel. He is a consultant for leading culinary establishments such as Savory in Malibu and SOHO House in West Hollywood, and executive pastry chef at Soho House West Coast. He has opened a guest house in the Quercy region of France with his partner. La Maison Noubar is recommended by the programme "The Gardens of Julie" on France 3.

Photo: Noubar Yesseyan and journalist Julie Andrieu around croissants. Photo by L'Orient-le-Jour.

A collection of Farjallah Haïk's works has recently been published by L'Orient des Livres, on the initiative of Jocelyne Dagher Hayeck. The writer's works had already been published by the major Parisian publishing houses - Gallimard, Calmann-Lévy, Plon, etc. - but are still little known in Lebanon.

Farjallah Haïk, born in 1909 in Beit Chabab and died in 1994 in Beirut, was a French-speaking Lebanese writer. In 1967, he was awarded the Prix Monceau for his body of work. He is the author of several works, the best known of which are "L'Envers de Caïn", "La Crique", "Joumana", ...

The thirty-something Franco-Lebanese is known for his many graphic novels, including "Les Lumières de Tyr" published in 2012 by Steinkis (drawing by Xavier Jimenez); "Je n'ai jamais connu la guerre", published the following year by Casterman (drawing by Maud Begon); "Yallah Bye" (Le Lombard, drawing by Kyung Eun Park), which has won numerous awards, and "Monsieur Coucou" (Le Lombard in 2018, drawing by Kyungeun Park), and in 2023 "Les Fusibles" (Dupuis), co-written with Cyril Doisneau.

As part of the Beirut Livres literary festival, he is exhibiting the plates from his book Les Fusibles at the Maison Mamelouk in Tyre, along with photographic archives recounting the history of his family, which was a major source of inspiration for the book. On view until 21 October.

Launched in 2019 by London-based Lebanese actor and designer Marwan Kaabour, Takweer is a huge photo album that tells the story of the queer movement in Arab culture. It features Egyptian actor Ismaïl Yassine, in a silk skirt and blouse, holding hands with actress Gamalat Hassan, in a suit, tie and tarbouche, a photo taken in 1944 for the magazine Mussawar. But contemporary creation is also present, with Moroccan actor Bouchaïb el-Bidaoui, and Arab drag icon Bassem Feghali (Lebanon).

Today, the Instagram page has over 20,000 followers, enabling many interested parties to analyse and explore regional queer identities, and to reconnect with Arab LGBTQIA2+ history, which is often overlooked.

"I launched the platform because I needed to reconnect with my Arab and queer identity. I wanted to share this archive with people like me who might feel represented by seeing this." - Marwan Kaabour.

For Marwan Kaabour, the Takweer platform breaks down two myths: on the one hand, the Arab myth that queer culture is a neo-colonial product, imported from the West. On the other, the Western myth that portrays all Arabs as reactionary, patriarchal and homophobic. "It's a middle finger raised to both fronts" - Marwan Kaabour, excerpt from L'Orient-le-Jour.

The artist has set about compiling a lexicography of the queer slang vocabulary used in the Arabic-speaking world. Entitled "The Queer Arab Glossary", Kaabour's first book and Takweer's first paper publication will be published in June 2024 by Saqi.

Photo: "'The Landing Strip' is a photographic series by the artist @thekaderattia (Algerian-French) that documents the lives of a group of Algerian transgender sex workers living in Paris in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By focusing on the shared intimacy of the group and taking photographs over a period of around two years, Attia sought to capture and present the real lives of members of the community. The title of the series is the name of the boulevard on which the commuante works. This long straight road, which separates the centre of Paris from its suburbs, resembles an airport runway". Copyrights Takweer.

This festival is dedicated to the pre-Islamic poet Imrou'l Qays, who was born in the Najd region in 501 and died in Turkey in 544, and is organised by the Saudi Ministry of Culture as part of the Year of Arabic Poetry 2023. There will be shows, concerts and exhibitions on the life and work of Imrou'l Qays, as well as workshops, including one led by two Saudi artists, Wijdan al-Jahwri and Meznah Jiffry, who have produced several paintings inspired by verses by the poet.

"The paintings I am presenting as part of this workshop are inspired by one of Imrou'l Qays' most famous poems, in which he evokes, in great detail, the beauty of his lover" - Meznah Jiffry, referring to the first of the seven famous Mu'allaqat. - taken from Arab News.

Chemena Kamala, who was previously style director for women's ready-to-wear for designer Anthony Vaccarello at Yves Saint-Laurent, is now creative director at Chloé. She will present her first pre-collection for the brand in Paris in January 2024, followed by her autumn-winter collection in February 2024.

Opened by Fawzi Kabbara, Lebanon's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, on 4 October at the Art Pur gallery, the exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Lebanese artist's career. The event features almost 70 paintings, with canvases that are always in motion, and that surprise both through their colour composition and the media chosen.

"Chawki Chamoun is not only an exceptional Lebanese artist, but also a symbol of Lebanese and Arab culture. He was one of the first Arab artists to adopt the style of renewal in the field of painting, and has also contributed to the development and promotion of contemporary Arab art". - Fawzi Kabbara, Lebanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Né en 1942 dans la Bekaa, Chaouki Chamoun obtient son diplôme de l’Institut national des beaux-arts de l’Université libanaise. Il poursuit ses études aux États-Unis, où il décroche une maîtrise en beaux-arts à l’Université de Syracuse, puis un doctorat en art et esthétique à l’Université de New York en 1979. Il se fait vite un nom dans le monde de l’art. A son palmarès de peintre plus de 30 expositions personnelles à New York et autres villes américaines, en Europe, dans le monde arabe et bien sûr au Liban. De même, il a déjà participé depuis 1968 à de multiples expos collectives et biennales. En 2007, une de ses œuvres a enregistré chez Christie’s Dubaï une vente record pour un artiste libanais de son vivant. Art Price l’a classé dans le top 25 des artistes internationaux dont les œuvres ont été récemment vendues aux enchères.

Photo "A Love Poem to Her" by Chawki Chamoun.

"I feel a great responsibility to tell our story through art. One of my main goals is to paint many murals not only in Riyadh, but in all parts of Saudi Arabia - each capturing a distinct aspect of our identity." - Noura ben Saidan for Arab News.

Best known for her mural on Riyadh City Boulevard, dubbed the 'Mona Lisa', Noura ben Saidan is making a name for herself on the international art scene, explaining her recent collaborations with MDL Beast and participation in Adidas global campaigns.

"Art galleries bored me, to be honest. Every time I visited, I saw the same people, and I realised that I didn't just want to exhibit my paintings and sell them to this restricted circle. (...) I wanted to reach everyone, from children to the elderly, whether they were locals or tourists. For me, art should be accessible to everyone. What's the point of exhibiting in a gallery in front of 300 people when there are millions outside who can't access it, who aren't invited into this elitist world?"

This is how the urban walls of the Saudi kingdom became giant canvases for the artist. She also performs in international cities such as Barcelona, where the urban art scene remains particularly important in Europe.

Photo: "Mona Lisa", Noura ben Saidan, on Riyad City Boulevard.

Manga Arabia, part of the Saudi Research and Media Group, has announced a collaborative project with the Commission for Literature, Publishing and Translation to adapt four Saudi novels into manga. The aim of this initiative is to promote Saudi literature among young people, making it more accessible and attractive.

Founded in 2021, Manga Arabia is a platform specialising in the publishing and production of Arabic and Japanese manga. It publishes two magazines: "Manga Arabia Youth" and "Manga Arabia Kids".

These eleven short films will be screened from 30 November to 9 December:

• "Smokey Eyes", directed by renowned Egyptian director Ali Ali, starring rapper Marwan Moussa, is set in Cairo during its most chaotic period. It follows a girl whose evening turns into a nightmare of fears and challenges. Ali Ali has won several awards throughout his professional life, making him one of the most awarded directors in the world.
• "Manity", directed and written by Hussen Ibraheem, tells the story of 11-year-old Firas as he embarks on a bird-hunting adventure in the Lebanese countryside with his father Tayseer and his friend Rayan. What begins as a normal hunting trip turns into an unforgettable journey, transforming an ordinary sunny day into an unforgettable adventure.
• "The Key a film directed by Palestinian Rakan Mayasi, revolves around young Edina who is constantly disturbed by a mysterious sound that disrupts her sleep at night. As this disturbing noise increasingly invades their lives, it remains to be seen how her parents will react.
• "Somewhere in Between", by Lebanese director Dahlia Nemlich, tells the story of a couple facing imminent separation. As Elias and Christiane delve into their shared memories, they prepare for a final farewell that will test the strength of their bond.
• "Amplified" by Jordanian director Dina Naser tells the story of Hind, a charismatic young karate fighter who is hard of hearing. After a traumatic incident at the karate centre, Hind's world descends into chaos, testing her resilience and spirit.
• "The Woodland", directed by Libyan actor Firas Taybeh, follows the journey of two brothers who set off to bury their deceased father. Along the way, unresolved issues surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of brotherly bonds, family ties, land and personal pride.
• Directed by Egyptian Jad Chahine, "The Call of the Stream" presents the adventure of a young boy in a cursed stream, where he witnesses a life-changing event that will ultimately determine his destiny.
• "Farewell", directed by Palestinian Ibrahem Melhem, features Salma's risky journey to her homeland, crossing borders illegally to deliver her brother's body to the family home. Along the way, she encounters challenges that force her to make a life-changing decision.
• "Saeed", directed by Saudi director Rami Alzayer, explores the life of Saeed, who decides to flee when he learns that his sister Salma is due to return to their mother's house. His journey is a search for a more promising refuge.
• In 'Deaf', Lebanese director Roy Arida presents Hassan's solemn task of creating his late wife's final resting place with the help of his children, Tamara and Rami. They are determined to fulfil their mother's last wish: to be buried in her childhood village, which has been abandoned for more than two decades.
• "Me & Aydarous directed by Sara Balghonaim, is about a brave young Saudi woman who sneaks off on a date, which leads to an argument with her driver - who also happens to be her chaperone. The film explores the complexities of personal freedom and societal norms in a conservative society.

The El Gouna Egyptian Film Festival has postponed its sixth edition, initially scheduled for 13 to 20 October, until 27 October and 2 November. The decision was taken following the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

"It is crucial that we provide a space for healing, understanding and solidarity" - press release.

Chilean Palestinian singer Elyanna, who was due to perform at the festival, has also said she will not sing.

The Franco-Moroccan designer won the award for her piece inspired by AlUla's heritage, landscape and artistic legacy.

"I've always been attracted to lighting and when I saw this old oil lamp, I thought it was a very clever piece. (...) Ancient lanterns were inspired by nature, particularly birds. They were shaped like birds, with beaks and tails. They also had inscriptions and drawings of plants". - Imane Mellah for Arab News.

The artist has created a lamp combining tradition and modernity, in the ochre colours of the Saudi region, whose shape is directly reminiscent of the region's natural heritage and architecture.

"Today, I'm living my dream in the United States. But today, my family in Gaza is living a nightmare. I can't help feeling guilty here and not being able to hug and protect my brothers and sisters. I have drinking water, electricity to charge my phone and security. They don't. Crazy as it sounds, I wish I could go home to Gaza to be with them, but I can't. My friend was killed yesterday. My friend was killed yesterday. We were playing basketball together. He was just a kid, like me. Just like me." - Instagram post by the young rapper.

The message from the 15-year-old rapper, who has been making music since the age of 9, follows the release of 'The Pen & The Sword' last month, a track about the lost dreams of young people in Gaza .

Hana Alfasi, Maram Taibah and sisters Raneem and Dana Almohandes were chosen from 85 applications from Saudi filmmakers. They will take part in the year-long programme, which will include collaborations with international film professionals. They will also have access to various development funds to help them create and share their work.

The programme is part of the wider AlUla Creates platform, which promotes female creativity in film, fashion and the arts. It is one of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiatives. The platform is funded by Film AlUla , the Royal Commission of the AlUla Film Agency.

Photo: The winners and their mentors Haifaa Al Mansour, Jane Moore, James Richardson and Roua Al Madani. Copyrights Al Ula Film.

Abu Dhabi is preparing to put on a city-wide exhibition of lights. Entitled "Manar Abu Dhabi", the event will showcase more than 35 commissions and in situ works of art across the city from 15 November to 30 January, illuminating the entire coastline.

The programme includes light sculptures, projections and immersive works by Emirati artists such as Mohammed Kazem, Jumairy and Nujoom Al Ghanem, as well as foreign artists such as the Palestinian Samia Halaby, the Indian Shilpa Gupta and the Japanese TeamLab.

"The magic of luminous art lies in its ability to transcend traditional boundaries, bringing together people from all walks of life" - Rita Aoun, Executive Director of the Cultural Sector, Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.

Photo: Luciferin Shores (2023) by Emirati artist Jumairy. Copyrights DCT Abu Dhabi

From 15 to 19 October, over a thousand poets will gather in the Emirati capital for this event, which aims to become one of the world's leading celebrations of Arabic poetry.

Several pavilions will be used to explore Arabic poetry, including one dedicated to Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, and another specifically dedicated to Emirati poetry. A platform, called Poetry Trail, will highlight the stages and evolution of Arabic poetry throughout history.

Cultural seminars and poetry sessions will also be held with writers from various Arab countries. There will be an area dedicated to book signings and a pavilion specially designed for children. The final auditions for the "Million's Poet" TV competition, which promotes Nabati poetry, will also be held during the festival.

Photo: copyright "Million's Poets", 2022.

The group exhibition curated by Nadine Atallah runs until 29 October at 32Bis in Tunis.

"If there were only a hair between me and my subjects, I would let it go when they pulled it and stretch it when they let it go".

This statement by the founder of the Umayyad dynasty, Muawiya, is the common thread running through this exhibition, which put an end to the first fitna following the death of the Prophet. The relationship to history and Islam of the various artists taking part in the exhibition are the main themes of this event, which also explores the theme of love, going back to the etymology of the term "fitna".

Summary: "Writing this book... Its title has been with me for more than twenty-five years... Talking about this city of the world, Casablanca, its upsides and downsides, the places where it goes beyond the boundaries that have always been assigned to it, those of the colonists, those of the wealthy, those of the businessmen, and those of women and men of good will. Casablanca is the main character of this novel, because it is more than just a city: it is a powerful matrix in which all those that it contains ferment and germinate, coming and going in a tidal movement as irresistible as the ocean that does not limit it. Between El Bahriyine karyane - the shanty town clinging to the top of the cliff not far from the mythical El Hank lighthouse, where families are settled, bundles of this vulnerable and fraternal humanity, struggling in a precariousness that organises a recognition of resources, a reading of the world - and the prestigious district of Anfa, the hill where luxurious mansions shelter the ambivalences of Casablancans from another society but also from another city: This text explores all the contradictions of the city, between predation and solidarity, violence and humanity, greed and sharing.

It also tells the story of a couple's return home to the south of the world after years of training in the West, the inevitable confrontation of models, the crumbling of illusions, the revelation of contradictions and schisms in the light of lived reality, the fault lines that organise the constructions of masculine and feminine. Giving voice to what is written differently, in an interweaving of narratives, organising at the heart of the text the gestation of another perspective through May's pregnancy notebooks.

Casablanca Circus is a love song to those who resist, because always, on the horizon of the stakes and projections, stands this scrambled and agile, vulnerable and generous, living humanity, which is the beating heart of the world".

Born in 1966 in Casablanca, Yasmine Chami studied at the Lycée Louis le Grand in Paris, before going on to study philosophy at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Ulm. She also holds an agrégation in social sciences. She then turned to anthropology and worked on the lineages of migrant women, tracing genealogies and histories from France to Morocco, in an attempt to elucidate the consequences of migration on representations of motherhood and filiation. Her first novel, Cérémonie, was published by Actes Sud in 1999. When her sons were born in New York in 2001, she decided to return to Morocco, where she ran the Villa des Arts in Casablanca before founding and running an audio-visual production company for 10 years, which, through social programmes broadcast on Moroccan television, offers an understanding of the issues at stake in the changes taking place in Moroccan society as a result of urbanisation. Her programmes tackle issues such as patriarchy, education, the place of women, money, sexuality and religious transmission, always questioning the relationship between norms and reality. Since 2011, she has devoted herself to teaching. "Casablanca Circus is her fifth novel.

Hosted by Galerie Hind, the Omani artist is presenting a solo show entitled "Circular Reflections", featuring 32 of her paintings, until 26 October. The exhibition literally revolves around the study of the circle, both in terms of the shapes and colours chosen by the artist. A member of the abstract movement, Neila Al-Maamriya's canvases offer multiple interpretations, but it's hard not to think directly of the issue of nature and the climate crisis when you see her paintings.

This fifth edition of the exhibition is being held at the Stal Art Gallery and features some thirty works by eight Omani visual artists: Hussein Obaid, Musa Omar and Idris Al-Hooti, Iqbal Al-Maimani, Abdul Rahim Al-Hooti, Ahmed Al-Shabibi, Khadija Al-Maamriya and Hajar Al-Harrasiya.

Featuring sculptures, photographs, drawings and paintings, the exhibition showcased the creations of new talents on the Omani art scene. This year's exhibition differs from the previous one in its breadth and inclusiveness, having added ceramics and photography to the plastic arts.

Photo: copyright Oman News Agency.

The Union of Arab Writers in Syria is calling for the battle of the "Flood of Al-Aqsa" to be documented. This call is addressed to Syrian and Palestinian intellectuals, but also to the entire intelligentsia that supports the Palestinian resistance.

The Syrian artist and writer has died. A tribute was paid to him by the Syrian government as well as the Syrian artistic community.

The feature film "Sahari Slem Wesaa" by Moroccan director Moulay Taieb Bouhnana won the official competition. The documentary competition was won by the Palestinian film "Resilience".

"Sahari Slem Wesaa" by Moulay Taieb Bouhanana tells the story of Hammad, Salka and Ammar, three brothers from the Kingdom's southern provinces, who decided after the Green March to break their ties and go their separate ways.

Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan's third feature film will make its Arab premiere at the festival, which runs from 15 to 24 November. Co-written with Rami Alayan, A House in Jerusalem made its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival 2023. The film has received recognition at various festivals, including the Boston Palestinian Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival in the United States, the Mostra de Valencia-Cinema del Mediterrani in Spain, the Athens Palestinian Film Festival in Greece, and the Palestinian Film Festival in Australia.

With a cast including Johnny Harris, Makran Khoury, Souad Feres, Miley Locke and Sheherazade Makhoul Farrell, the film follows young Rebecca, who moves from London to Jerusalem in the hope of finding comfort after the sudden death of her mother. The family home is full of secrets, and Rebecca is determined to uncover them. The film has also received development funding from the Doha Film Institute, the Dutch Film Fund, the MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, the British Film Institute and the French Consulate General in Jerusalem. He has also received the Filmmore Postproduction Award and the Cinema Grant from AFAC.

Focusing on the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, the book is aimed at children and concentrates on twelve female figures who devoted their lives to politics, literature, law and education. Its creation was supported by the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. While the English version is published in hard copy under the title "Brave and Bold", the Arabic version is currently available online free of charge.

"There's always this misconception that feminism is alien to the region; that it's a Western idea that's trying to 'invade' our traditions and morals. People forget that many changes which happened in the region are due to Arab feminists who pushed for girls to be allowed to go to school or for adult women to be able to vote and work outside the home. These laws were not promoted by men, but by women who came together and tried to achieve change through government or activism." - Samantha Elia, project manager based in Beirut.

The book's illustrations were done by Aya Mobaydeen, based in Amman. Each of the women's portraits is surrounded by flowers and objects that have defined their careers, from pens to urns to scales of justice.

Photo: illustration by Aya Mobaydeen of Raufa Hassan Al-Sharki, the first Yemeni journalist.

Ameer Fakher Eldin's feature film "The Stranger" made its worldwide debut on Netflix on Friday. It was Palestine's entry for the 2022 Oscars, in the Best Foreign Film category. The story is set in a small village on the occupied Golan Heights. The viewer follows the life of a desperate, unlicensed doctor who is going through an existential crisis. His life takes an unfortunate turn when he meets a man wounded in the Syrian war. "The Stranger" is the first part of a trilogy entitled "Home".

Written, directed and edited by Fakher El-Din, the cast includes Ashraf Barhoum, who won Best Actor at the Tiburon International Film Festival for The Curve, and Mohammad Bakri, winner of several awards, including Best Actor at Cannes for Wajib. "The Stranger" premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival (2021), where it won the Edipo Re award and was also nominated for the Giornate degli Autori award.