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      Kaleem Aftab

      Kaleem Aftab

      Contributor
      Location
      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. He selects films for the East End Film Festival and gives programming advice to festivals around the globe. He has been working as a freelance journalist specialising in Arab, European and American indie cinema since 1999.
      Follow on XInstagramLinkedIn

      Articles

      Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Omar Shargawi says his father’s death prompted him to make the film EPA
      Western Arabs: when you belong to two cultures, which one takes precedent?

      Omar Shargawi's latest documentary explores the personal angst growing up the son of an Arab in Denmark

      FilmFebruary 11, 2019
      Vivienne Westwood then and now: the fashion designer who pioneered the punk look is as much of a diva now as she was in 1977. Rex / Lush
      Why Vivienne Westwood was the 'most reluctant protagonist'

      ‘I thought we had a friendship but … I think she’s being stupid as the film is the ultimate portrait,’ says the director

      FilmFebruary 06, 2019
      Willem Dafoe and Julian Schnabel, right, made the film about van Gogh, with Dafoe in the lead role. Getty
      At Eternity's Gate: the artist turned director behind the Van Gogh biopic

      We talk to Julian Schnabel about tackling the myth and controversy of the artist in film

      FilmFebruary 03, 2019
      Stills from Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell’s documentary film ‘Gaza’. Photo by Andrew McConnell
      Gaza: a documentary of stories of everyday life experienced in extraordinary ways

      From fishermen to tailors: new documentary focuses on the strength of the human spirit in Gaza, says Kaleem Aftab

      FilmJanuary 28, 2019
      Fady Hanona was a member of the film's production team, but missed its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival due to being stuck in Gaza. Courtesy Fay Hanona
      Members of 'Gaza' documentary crew trapped as film premieres at Sundance

      Fady Hanona and Ali Aby Yaseen have been desperately trying to make it to the US for the premiere of the documentary they've both been involved in producing

      FilmJanuary 28, 2019
      People walk near a tourist shop as it snows in downtown Tromso on January 11, 2019. At this time of year, daylight lasts about 2 hours, between 11am and 1pm. AFP
      How a remote city in Norway is offering a glimpse into the Arab world

      We explore why Tromso, deep within the Arctic Circle, is celebrating movies from the Middle East, with a particular focus on female Arab filmmakers such as Dalia Kury

      FilmJanuary 21, 2019
      A still from ‘The Reports on Sarah and Saleem’. Courtesy PalCine Production
      Palestinian director Muayad Alayan on beating all the odds to make films in Palestine

      Making ‘The Reports on Sarah and Saleem’ meant breaking through many barriers

      FilmDecember 06, 2018
      Mowgli with the cunning black panther, Bagheera, played by Christian Bale. Courtesy Netflix
      Rohan Chand on playing the role of Mowgli from the famous 'The Jungle Book'

      'India is where Mowgli is loved the most. So to bring the story back to its roots was great,' says the 14-year-old Indian-American actor

      FilmDecember 06, 2018
      English actor Ralph Fiennes, poses on the red carpet during the 40th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival on November 26, 2018. / AFP / CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVA / PATRICK BAZ
      Camera16
      The big winners at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival

      Tunisian, Egyptian, Thai and Uruguayan films were all honoured, as was British actor and director Ralph Fiennes

      FilmDecember 02, 2018
      A still from ‘Fatwa’, starring Tunisian actor Ahmed Hafiane, right, as divorced father Brahim Nadhour.
      Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud’s ‘Fatwa’ tackles radicalisation in Tunisia

      After winning the Best Film award at Carthage Film Festival, we speak to the Tunisian director to find out why he wanted to make this film

      FilmDecember 02, 2018
      Gabriel Yammine, left, and the late Adel Chahine in ‘Good Morning’
      Good Morning: new film looks at Lebanese society through the eyes of two older men

      Lebanese director Bahij Hojeij returns with a light-hearted feature comedy

      FilmNovember 28, 2018
      Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo in 'Widows'. AP
      The cast and crew of 'Widows' on breaking down barriers to achieve the impossible

      'It was their struggle – these women had to deal with their stereotypes and get over them,' says director Steve McQueen

      FilmNovember 20, 2018
      Alshaima’a Tayeb, who plays Amra is not a professional actor. She used the experiences of her friends in the same situation to help shape the character. Courtesy Mahmoud Sabbagh
      Saudi film ‘Amra and the Second Marriage' tackles a shift in tradition

      We talk to director Mahmoud Sabbagh about tackling masculinity and polygamy in his new tragicomedy

      FilmNovember 17, 2018
      Clare Smyth in the kitchen at her restaurant Core in London. Courtesy of Core by Clare Smyth
      The Netflix show turning Michelin stars in to television stars

      We meet Clare Smyth, the British chef who has graduated from making Gordon Ramsay look good

      FoodNovember 17, 2018
      Zahraa Ghandour and Ameer Jabarah in ‘The Journey’. Courtesy Mohamed Al-Daradji
      Mohamed Al-Dharadji's ‘The Journey’ travels into the mind of Iraqi suicide bomber

      The filmmaker's new Oscar hopeful is a movie that draws inspiration from his own kidnap by Al Qaeda

      FilmOctober 29, 2018
      More Articles

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