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Kawalis | Cinema, Television & Theater from the Arab WorldAuthor: afikra
Formerly afikras Movie Night podcast, this series dives into the performing arts, from stage to the small and big screens. We zoom in on the work of some of the most noteworthy Arab actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, stage designers, producers, and crew who have worked on some of the best productions from the region old and new. We ask questions about the industry, the writing and production processes, the behind the scenes, and genres behind some of the Arab worlds best films, TV series, plays and performances. Language: en Genres: Arts, Film Interviews, TV & Film, Visual Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Palestinian Theater Under Occupation: A History Nobody Has Written Until Now | Dr. Samer Al-Saber
Episode 33
Wednesday, 26 August, 2026
Arabs are a remarkably theatrical population, yet many remain unaware of the profound importance and relevance that theater holds in daily life. Scholar and performer Dr. Samer Al-Saber discusses his award-winning book, A Movement's Promise, which charts the history of contemporary Palestinian theater. The conversation explores how a small, tenacious community of artists used storytelling and comedy as forms of resistance under occupation while navigating pervasive institutional censorship. From the legendary tours of Al-Hakawati Theatre to the unique role of commercial theater in shaping regional consciousness, this episode highlights a world-class cultural heritage that continues to endure. 00:00 Introduction 01:15 First Memories of the Live Stage 03:20 The Intertwined Destinies of Theater and Media 05:46 Dualities of Performance 08:25 The Mechanics of Exportation & the VHS Era 11:59 The Roots of Social Commentary 15:19 Mapping a Movement: Theater as Liberation 19:55 The Walled-Off Era & Global Ambassadors 23:55 Characters Every Arab Should Know 28:05 Ideologies, Regimes, & the Arab Body Politic 31:47 Theater as a Leading Indicator 35:36 Creating Art Under Pressure 42:03 Tracing the Legal Frameworks of Pervasive Control 45:04 The Precarious State of Spaces & Cultural Institutions Samer Al-Saber is a critical scholar, historian, director, and playwright at Williams College, where he is Associate Professor of Theatre. He comes to Williams after serving for over a decade at the Department of Theater and Performance Studies at Stanford University, the School of Theater at Florida State University, and the Theater Department at Davidson College. He received the Walter J Gores Award at Stanford and the Undergraduate Teaching Award at Florida State University, the most prestigious teaching awards at these institutions. His monograph A Movement's Promise: The Making of Contemporary Palestinian Theater (Stanford University Press, 2025) is the first comprehensive history of the Palestinian Theater Movement. He is co-editor of the anthology Stories Under Occupation and Other Plays from Palestine (Seagull Press/University of Chicago Press), editor of To The Good People of Gaza (Bloomsbury Press), and co-editor of Arab, Performance, and Politics (Routledge, 2024). Directing credits include Returning to Haifa (Golden Thread Productions, 2025), Betty Shamieh's As Soon As Impossible, Hasan Abdelrazzak's The Prophet, and others. He holds a PhD in Theatre History and Criticism from the University of Washington (2013). Connect with Samer Al-Saber 👉 https://instagram.com/samer.al.saber Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns FOLLOW & RATE THE KAWALIS PODCAST:» Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-movie-night/id1646405109» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wG6CeZgE9LGtOVKwB6d5U» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639402THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORKExplore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7IMTj6Jk7yAJXCMMqxaP5A&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
