The Arab Film Club Podcast

Series 2. Episode 3: Hasan Hadi on The President's Cake.   In this episode, we speak with award-winning director Hasan Hadi about his debut feature film, The President's Cake. We discuss how Hasan brought 1990s Iraq to life, the impact of casting non-professional actors and the film's potential to put Iraqi cinema in the spotlight. An emotional film with a universal message, The President's Cake i...

Series 2. Episode 2: Soudade Kaadan on Nezouh. In this episode, we speak with multi award winning filmmaker Soudade Kaadan about her feature film Nezouh. We discuss the significance of Syrian stories on screen, producing independent cinema and the inventive use of comedy and magic realism as a way to tackle difficult themes and topics. Soudade reflects on making the film, the casting of Kinda Allo...

Series 2. Episode 1: Cherien Dabis on All That’s Left Of You. In this episode, we speak with filmmaker and actor Cherien Dabis about her powerful film All That’s Left of You. We discuss the origins of this sweeping Palestinian family story, the deeply personal choices behind its casting including working with the Bakri family and what it was like for Cherien to direct herself in such an intimate r...

The Arab Film Club podcast is back for a second series, where host Sarah Agha will dive deep into Arab cinema: the stories, the craft, and the voices shaping its future. New episodes will drop every two months on the first Wednesday, starting from February 4th, 2026.  Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. Subscribe today. Presented by Sarah Agha Poster and production by Hemeroscope Mus...

On June 30th 2024, The Arab Film Club returned to the Southbank Centre for a special event for Refugee Week around the theme, 'Home'. The screening was followed by a Q&A hosted by curator Sarah Agha with the filmmakers in person. This bonus episode is a recording of the Q&A which took place on stage.   The programme... Al Sit by Suzannah Mirghani (Sudan, 20 minutes) "In a cotton-farming vi...

Episode 5: Farah Nabulsi on 'The Teacher' Farah Nabulsi is a multi award winning Palestinian British filmmaker and human rights advocate. Her short 'The Present' won a BAFTA Award for Best British Short Film and an Academy Award Nomination for Best Live Action Short at the Oscars (2021). It is available to watch now on Netflix. Farah’s most recent work 'The Teacher' had its world premiere at Toron...

Episode 4 : Annemarie Jacir on 'Wajib'. Annemarie has written, directed and produced over sixteen films with festival premieres at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and Toronto. All three of her features were Palestine’s Oscar entries.  She is the founder of the production company Philistine Films and the co-founder of the artist-run space Dar Jacir for Art & Research in her hometown of Bethlehe...

Episode 3: Ameen Nayfeh on '200 Metres'. Ameen Nayfeh is a Palestinian filmmaker from Tulkarem who wrote and directed 200 Metres, based on his experiences growing up in the occupied West Bank. Logline: “The Israeli separation wall sits between Mustafa and his family. Denied entry on a technicality, Mustafa will stop at nothing to reach his injured son on the other side.” The film starring Ali Sule...

Episode 2: Lina Soualem on 'Bye Bye Tiberias'. Lina is an actress and filmmaker of Palestinian and Algerian heritage, born and raised in Paris. Through intimate storytelling, the film explores the life, love and losses of Lina's mother - the Palestinian actress and star of HBO's 'Succession' - Hiam Abbas. Logline: “Years after leaving her Palestinian village, Hiam returns home in this intimate doc...

Episode 1 : Darin J. Sallam on 'Farha' Darin wrote and directed Farha  - a feature film depicting how one girl’s life was torn apart by the Nakba. Nakba is Arabic for Catastrophe and refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in 1948. In the film we meet a Palestinian father in 1948 who hides his 14-year-old daughter inside a locked pantry and promises to return. Locked insi...

Series One : Palestinian Cinema. Launches 1st May. Music by Mina Samy.