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Welcome to the latest edition of The Arts Edit, the weekly newsletter from The National's Abu Dhabi newsroom rounding up this week's most noteworthy arts and culture stories.

 

IN FOCUS

Ramadan is well under way and it once again provides a much-needed opportunity to reflect on faith and community – not to mention give us the chance to partake in the region’s favourite yearly pastimes.

Whether it is during fasting hours, after iftar or just before suhoor, the holy month offers plenty of time to settle in with a good book, particularly those that deal with the same themes that are on our minds at this time of year.

Maan Jalal lists 10 that make for excellent Ramadan reading, from historical fiction to love stories and complicated family reunions to spiritual journeys. The list is available here.

There are plenty of great books to get lost in this Ramadan, from personal accounts of spiritual exploration to moving historical drama
There are plenty of great books to get lost in this Ramadan, from personal accounts of spiritual exploration to moving historical drama

For those on the go, podcasts have become a staple for many during the holy month. Last year, podcast streaming rose 38 per cent on Spotify during Ramadan, with self-help and regionally produced content standing out in particular.

Many streaming services are leaning into that trend, compiling playlists and podcast pages tailored to Ramadan listening. Saeed Saeed has compiled a list if you need some great recommendations.

Ramadan, of course, is also the biggest TV month of the year in the Mena region.

As families gather to watch the biggest new series or some returning favourites each night after iftar, the 2024 season has already produced some standout hits. Our list of the 20 must-see Arabic series airing this month is available here.

Kuwait’s biggest effort this year is the television drama Zaman Al Ajaj, starring Mona Hussain of Netflix’s The Exchange. Saeed visited the set ahead of release and his exclusive behind-the-scenes report is available here.

The UAE has produced several exciting hits, with some still to come, and one of our favourites so far is the historical drama Al Boom, set on the cusp of the Second World War. The series, which clearly has a high production value, not only provides great storytelling but also a unique look into the country’s trade heritage. Find our review here.

The Emirati historical drama Al Boom stars Omar Al Mulla. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Network
The Emirati historical drama Al Boom stars Omar Al Mulla. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Network

As is always the case, not all the new releases have been good, however. The famed prankster Ramez Galal's new series seems to find the tenured television personality out of ideas, as Saeed explains in his review.

There is also a lot on offer in the country from a cultural perspective, with the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation offering free entry during Ramadan.

The team and I wish you all a blessed holy month. We have much more planned that I can’t wait to share with you over the next few weeks.

William Mullally
Arts & Culture Editor

 

How a Palestinian filmmaker fulfilled her mother's homecoming wish

Palestinian filmmaker Carol Mansour has long produced a string of powerful films about the plight of her people. Though her latest is by far her most personal.

The film, Aida Returns, which we review here, finds her on a journey suffused with grief, exile and an unwavering commitment to fulfil her mother's final wish: to return to her ancestral home of Jaffa, even if it's after her death.

Together with the aid of her friends, she helped smuggle her late mother's ashes into Jaffa so that they could be scattered in the places she loved the most.

Carol Mansour, director of Aida Returns. Victor Besa / The National
Carol Mansour, director of Aida Returns. Victor Besa / The National

“[The film] is personal, but it’s also very collective and universal,” Mansour says.

To her, there is no doubt that Aida Returns speaks to a larger audience of displaced Palestinians, waiting for their right to return.

“If it were only about me, I wouldn’t have done the film,” Mansour adds.

Find the incredible story behind how she made the film here.

 

Issam Kourbaj's new exhibition draws parallels between Syria and Gaza

Art galleries tend to be subdued, reverential sites. But Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj's exhibition at Kettle’s Yard, an independent art space in Cambridge, has the low buzz of a theatre foyer – a thrum of hushed conversations lanced by the occasional warm greeting or exultant reaction.

Kourbaj, whose exhibition Urgent Archive is now on show, is responsible for a good portion of this activity. He is regularly in the gallery, adding to artworks and fulfilling daily tasks he has set himself in the space.

For the work Killed, Detained and Missing (Women) (2019), Kourbaj has written the names of the thousands of Syrian women who have disappeared or been killed on two old pianola scrolls.

Issam Kourbaj stamps a page in a calendar, which is part of his major show Urgent Archive. Melissa Gronlund for The National
Issam Kourbaj stamps a page in a calendar, which is part of his major show Urgent Archive. Melissa Gronlund for The National

Every time he visits the gallery he pulls down the paper a few more inches to emphasise the number of victims he has had to inscribe. He writes their names in indigo ink on the exterior windows of the space, and will eventually cover the full gallery windows.

In another room, for the work Thought of the Day, he stamps a calendar for each day – a ritual that started with his father, who would struggle to read his calendar's thought of the day each morning. At Kettle’s Yard, he tears off a page, stamps it and returns the pad to its place.

Melissa Gronlund visited the space to learn more about the evolving exhibition, which is available to read here.

 
 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

  • Dubai Comedy Festival – April 12 to 21
  • Dubai Esports and Games Festival - April 19 to May 5
  • Abu Dhabi Comedy Festival at Etihad Arena – May 18 to 26
 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

First Bassam Freiha Art Foundation show reexamines orientalism
Hollywood's most colourful tell-all memoirs
Will these long-awaited video games ever see release?
Japanese inventor of karaoke dies at 100
 
Updated: March 19, 2024, 10:40 AM
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