INTERVIEW:

Can films about Palestine and other contested areas in the region really make a meaningful difference in global understanding? What are the best strategies for financing and marketing such films at a time of such polarizing opinions around the world?

Palestinian cinema and stories from Palestine are game changers when it comes to raising awareness about the conflict and its origins. While these films have always been present at big festivals, and there is a history of many Palestinian filmmakers who made significant achievements with these films, the need to change the narrative around the conflict is today more important than ever.

It is essential to raise funds internationally, but it remains very difficult. This year, we saw an Oscar winner beaten almost to death by Israeli settlers, highlighting the bravery required for filmmakers to raise their voices about what is happening in Palestine, including the oppression and occupation.

I remember working on a short film about the Nakba, in Jordan, with Amjad Al-Rasheed and Darin J. Sallam. I was very happy to be part of this short, which was a co-production between Germany and Palestine. The film, titled ‘THE PARROT,’ was distributed by MAD Solutions. However, as a short film, it struggled to find significant outlets and media attention; we should have seen more of it.

Spain had its MONEY HEIST moment, and South Korea made a global splash with SQUID GAME; how close is the Arab World to creating its own global streaming hit?

Authenticity is what we need. We often tell our stories in a way that caters to Western expectations or reflects colonial or post-colonial perspectives, portraying our characters as victims and making them easily defeated. This approach neither creates a global drama nor appeals to a global audience. What truly resonates is authenticity, regardless of the content's origin. In today’s globalized, streaming-oriented media landscape, we should focus less on simply going global and more on telling our stories creatively and authentically.

Egyptian films of all genres not only keep breaking local box office records, but they also attract large audiences in Saudi Arabia too. When will this new generation of commercially-focused Arab cinema achieve success outside the Arab-speaking world? What will it take for a global blockbuster to occur?

Logically, the Arab World is united by language and culture, so it’s natural to tap into this market. The opening of cinemas in Saudi Arabia has completely changed the landscape, providing greater opportunities for films from the region, especially Egypt, to generate revenue and reach a wider audience. While Hollywood thrives globally due to its cultural reach and the widespread use of English, it is already a significant achievement for Arab films to resonate regionally, not just locally. The challenge of creating global blockbusters lies in our unique cultural and linguistic specificity, which hinders our ability to go global.