Kaleem Aftab

Contributor

London

Kaleem is the author of an authorised biography of Spike Lee titled Spike Lee: That’s My Story and I’m Sticking To It, and has contributed to a number of other books. He selects films for the East End Film Festival and gives programming advice to a number of festivals around the globe. He has been working as a freelance journalist specialising in Arab, European and American indie cinema since 1999.

How Kingsley Ben-Adir juggled playing Malcolm X and Barack Obama at the same time: 'It was just a whirlwind'

It took perseverance and a bit of luck for the actor to land the part of the civil rights activist in 'One Night in Miami'

January 14, 2021

Maisa Abd Elhadi in ‘Huda’s Salon’, which was shot in Nazareth and Bethlehem, and is based on real-life events about two women fighting for their freedom. H&A Production

How Palestine's Hany Abu-Assad is tackling feminism in his latest work: 'It's not about a woman being equal to a man'

The Oscar-nominated director gives a few clues about the plot and tone of his latest film, ‘Huda’s Salon’

December 11, 2020

A scene from Shadi Abdel Salam’s 1969 film ‘The Mummy’, also known as ‘The Night of Counting the Years’, which is widely acknowledged as the greatest masterpiece of Egyptian cinema. IMDb

'Barra and Zaman': Essay explores story of Egypt through the lens of 1969 film 'The Mummy'

Writer Youssef Rakha analysed Shadi Abdel Salam's masterpiece in context of the world at the time

December 9, 2020

Ghofrane Binous is the subject of Tunisian director Raja Amari's new documentary, which tackles the subject of racism in Tunisia. Cineteve, Arte

'She Had a Dream': Director Raja Amari puts racism in Tunisia under the lens with new documentary

The film follows Ghofrane Binous, a budding black politician, as she runs for office

November 29, 2020

Amir El Masry, right, and Vikash Bhai in 'Limbo' (2020). IMDb

A different narrative: how British film 'Limbo' tells a refugee story with humour

‘Limbo’ stars British-Egyptian actor Amir El Masry who plays an asylum seeker stuck on a Scottish island

October 16, 2020

Riz Ahmed plays musician Zed in 'Mogul Mowgli'. Courtesy Pulse Films

How Riz Ahmed's 'Mogul Mowgli' tackles tough questions about identity: 'Inherited legacy is one of trauma'

The actor and director Bassim Tariq took a trip to Pakistan as they wrote the film together

October 12, 2020

‘Their Algeria’ takes on the story of Aicha and Mabrouk, filmmaker Lina Soualem’s paternal grandparents who ended their marriage after 62 years. Courtesy Lina Soualem

A family tribute: director Lina Soualem explores her grandparents’ troubled past in ‘Their Algeria’

After 62 years of marriage, Aicha and Mabrouk are separating. Their granddaughter explores their relationship in directorial debut

April 14, 2020

Robert Fisk was in Idlib in 2018 to report on the conflict. Tinam Inc

The inside story on Britain's 'most famous foreign correspondent' Robert Fisk

Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang documents Fisk's life as a journalist covering the Middle East for decades

March 19, 2020

Mouna Hawa and Firas Nassar star in ‘Between Heaven and Earth’. Courtesy of Najwa Najjar

Why a destroyed Palestinian village is the real star of 'Between Heaven and Earth'

We learn about the long journey to a forgotten part of Palestine that inspired director Najwa Najjar to make her latest feature

February 13, 2020

Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce in ‘The Two Popes’ IMDb

Review: Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce shine in Netflix's 'The Two Popes'

The film asks big questions about what type of leader, and man, is needed to helm the Catholic Church

December 18, 2019

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in Marriage Story. Wilson Webb / Netflix

'Marriage Story' is one of the best love stories of recent times - and it's about divorce

Laura Dern, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star in this much-lauded new film

December 5, 2019

Elie Kamal shoots in infrared, making the trees a vivid hue Elie Kamal

How filmmaker Elie Kamal used Lebanon’s abandoned railways to explore his country's past

Poetic picture ‘Beirut Terminus’ has premiered at Cairo International Film Festival

November 25, 2019

Muhammad Malas was the director of the first Syrian movie to be screened at the New York Film Festival. Nezar Andary

'Food, language and fear of war' unify Arabs, as can Muhammad Malas's movies

The legendary Syrian director changed Abu Dhabi-based Nezar Andary’s outlook on identity

November 23, 2019

Sami Bouajila and Najla Ben Abdallah in 'Bik Eneich - Un Fils'; the film will screen as part of Ciff's Arab Cinema Competition. Coutesy Jour2Fete

Arab premieres and Venice favourites: What to expect at this year's Cairo International Film Festival

The revitalised festival, which kicks off its 41st edition tomorrow, is putting the best of Arab cinema in the spotlight

November 19, 2019

Egyptian actor Karim Kassem in a scene from his latest film ‘Sawah’, in which he plays a DJ who makes it to the World Championships.

Egyptian actor Karim Kassem on his new film and breaking stereotypes

The Egyptian actor tells us why he doesn’t want to be cast as a refugee or a terrorist

October 13, 2019

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
. . .
45
»

Sunday	H:22 ° L:16 °	22°
Monday	H:22 ° L:15 °	22°
Tuesday	H:22 ° L:19 °	22°
Wednesday	H:22 ° L:19 °	22°
Thursday	H:22 ° L:16 °	22°
Friday	H:20 ° L:17 °	20°

AUTHOR

UAE

WORLD

BUSINESS

OPINION

ARTS&CULTURE

LIFESTYLE

SPORT

VIDEOS

PODCASTS