Author: BGMN

The second day of a major theater forum was dominated by the provocative and unscripted remarks of veteran Tunisian director Taoufik Jebali, who delivered a sweeping critique of censorship, fickle audiences, and a lack of direction among the new generation of artists. Speaking to a packed audience of international professionals, Jebali, a foundational figure in Tunisian theater, pulled no punches in his assessment of the current cultural landscape. A “Failed” Artist by Choice Jebali, who famously rejects the “emblematic figure” label, preferring to call himself “a theatre man who is…

From a pool of over 192,000 applicants, six readers from five Arab countries have reached the final stage of the tenth annual “Iqra” Reading Competition. The prestigious event, organized by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an Aramco Saudi initiative, has become a regional beacon for literary passion, culminating in the selection of these finalists whose personal stories testify to the transformative power of books. Each finalist’s journey to the finals reveals a unique relationship with literature: The “Iqra” competition continues to demonstrate that its mission extends far…

In a significant accolade for Arab theatre, the Secretariat of the Dr. Salah Al-Kassab Prize has announced that Tunisian director and playwright Fadhel Jaïbi is the recipient of its 2025 award. The decision recognizes Jaïbi’s long and influential career and his profound contribution to the renewal of Tunisian and Arab theatre. Jaïbi is celebrated as one of the most prominent Arab directors to have carved a unique path, centering his theatrical vision on the “here and now.” Throughout his career, his work has powerfully articulated the social and political transformations…

The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC) launched Monday its International Theatre Forum today, gathering a constellation of playwrights, directors, and academics from Tunisia and abroad for a three-day dialogue centered on a pressing theme: “The Theatre Artist, Their Time, and Their Work.” The forum, running until November 26, aims to collectively examine the role of theatrical art through a dual lens: the artist as a witness to their era, and the challenges of positioning art within a specific social context. Following an opening address by the event’s…

The second day of the 26th Carthage Theater Days (JTC) featured a powerful quartet of official competition plays from Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Senegal, each tackling profound themes through distinct theatrical styles. From Egypt, “Free Fall” (Souqout Horr), directed by Mohamed Farag Kheshab, transformed the Rio Hall into a compelling courtroom. An adaptation of the American play “Inherit the Wind,” it revisits the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial” to stage a modern debate on free thought versus dogma. The director employed Brechtian techniques and an immersive, in-the-round stage, turning the audience into…

Hind Rajab’s mother and the film crew attend “The Voice of Hind Rajab” premiere at DFF25. Photo: Instagram The Doha Film Festival opened on a poignant note Thursday as Wissam Hamada, the mother of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, gave an emotional address, turning a cinematic premiere into a global platform for Gaza’s children. Hamada spoke at the MENA premiere of “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film documenting the tragic final hours of her daughter, whose phone call from a car surrounded by Israeli tanks became one of the…