Lebanon's resistance through culture: Return of Beirut’s Metropolis Cinema As Beirut continues to navigate its path toward recovery, Metropolis Cinema stands as a symbol of the enduring power of art and culture to resist, unite and inspire. Lebanon
Analysis How Saudiwood’s power play is reshaping Middle East film industry While the country's first entry at Cannes didn’t win, its inclusion in the festival was another step toward Saudi ambitions to become a film industry powerhouse. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
UK music festival rocked by boycotts as artists shun Israel The artists are refusing to play at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton, a seaside resort in South England, over one of the sponsors' ties to Israel. Israel
‘Written Eye’ exhibit breathes life into Syria's art scene Several young artists showcased their works at a new-concept exhibition held in the heart of the Syrian capital, signaling a revival of the Syrian art scene after years of war. Syria
Saudi Arabia bans new Spider-Man movie that features transgender flag A few issues of censorship of LGBTQ content have occurred in the Gulf recently, though Saudi authorities did not say exactly why “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will not be shown. Gulf
Turkey's conservatives lash out at actress Merve Dizdar after Cannes win Angry reactions to actress Merve Dizdar’s acceptance speech at the Cannes film festival may foreshadow more crackdowns on the liberal arts sector as Erdogan and a new conservative parliament takes the reins. Turkey
What's behind removal of Palestinian Mohammed Assaf's song from Spotify? Spotify says the Gazan artist’s song was removed from its streaming service by "the distributor." Social media users call the act discriminatory and part of the ongoing censorship of Palestinian content masked under the guise of eliminating anti-Israeli sentiment. Palestine
Egypt's ‘Eissa’ debuts at Cannes with spotlight on Africa’s refugee community Egyptian critics and activists praised "I Promise You Paradise," a short film directed by Egyptian director Morad Mostafa, highlighting untold stories of immigrants living in Egypt, with a focus on African refugees. Egypt
Turkey hands pop star Gulsen jail sentence over religious schools joke The sentence is widely seen as the epitome of the culture wars that the country has witnessed under Erdogan. Turkey
Egypt archaeologists refute Ramses II-Exodus connection The display of the sarcophagus of Ramses II at an exhibition organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism in Paris has revived the debate of whether the Exodus occurred during the era of the king. Egypt
In Iran, hardliners successfully orchestrate takeover of state TV Iran's state TV has been taken over by hard-line figures who use it to transmit ideological and hard-line views targeting the Reformists and opposition, including in entertainment shows. Iran
UK sanctions Lebanon art dealer accused of financing Hezbollah Already sanctioned by the United States back in 2019, Lebanese art dealer Nazem Said Ahmad was sanctioned by the British government on Tuesday. Iran
Arab women's group 'Khateera' dares to defy, one narrative at a time Khateera’s content ranges from misconceptions about women’s intelligence in society and women's unpaid labor, to heavier topics such as sexual rights and honor killings, toxic masculinity and the shame around periods in Middle East society. Gulf
Explainer: Egypt cancels Kevin Hart’s show after ‘Black Egyptians’ reference Hart was criticized on Egyptian social media for comments he allegedly made asserting that ancient Egyptians were black. Egypt
'Punk Orientalism' looks at Russia’s complex relationship with Arab world through art Author Sara Raza explores in her new book the relationship of art between the former Soviet Union and the Arab world through the eyes of several artists. Gulf
Palestinian artists win prestigious Israeli art prize for first time In winning the prestigious 2023 Rappaport award, Hannan Abu-Hussein and Maria Saleh Mahameed mark a breakthrough for Israeli-Arab artists. Palestine
