*A still from ‘Cotton Queen’ by Suzannah Mirghani, which will screen in Critics’ Week in Venice*

Doha Film Institute Venice-bound films include the stunning 'Cotton Queen' by Suzannah Mirghani and Kaouther Ben Hania's Competition title 'The Voice of Hind Rajab'

E. Nina Rothe August 14, 2025

Other titles supported by the respected Qatari cinematic organization include Jihan K’s personal doc on the disappearance of her father during the Qaddafi regime, Cyril Aris’ ‘A Sad and Beautiful World’ starring Mounia Akl, which will be screening in the Official Selection and Giornate degli Autori lineups, respectively, along with Sofia Alaoui’s sci-fi fable ‘Tarfaya’ which participates in the Venice Production Bridge.

DFI's 2024 Fall Grants announcement includes projects by Youssef Chebbi, Sofia Alaoui, Mehdi Hmili and Anas Khalaf

E. Nina Rothe January 30, 2025

As well as a feature doc by Iraqi actress and filmmaker Zahraa Ghandour, a web series by Palestinian storyteller Amer Shomali, Damien Ounouri’s and Adila Bendimerad’s follow up to festival fave ‘The Last Queen’, and shorts by Qatari talents Mahdi Ali Ali and Majid Al-Remaihi.

Soudade Kaadan's breathtaking 'Nezouh' finally opens in the UK on May 3rd

E. Nina Rothe April 29, 2024

This is definitely a film you won’t want to miss. And read on for a personal interview with the Syrian filmmaker to find out why.

*A still from ‘Brief History of a Family’ by Jianjie Lin*

Seven DFI supported films to screen at this year's Berlinale

E. Nina Rothe February 7, 2024

They include two projects ‘In Competition’, three in ‘Panorama’, one each in the ‘Encounters’ and ‘Generation’ sections.

Lebanon's 'Wine and War': An interview with filmmakers Mark Johnston and Mark Ryan

E. Nina Rothe October 8, 2020

In their latest documentary ‘War and Wine’, filmmakers and world travelers Mark Johnston and Mark Ryan explore the world of winemaking in Lebanon. And in the process, they manage to show us perfectly the humanity, resilience and beauty of both the country and its people.

Farah Nabulsi on her haunting film 'The Present' and the "misrepresented Palestinian stories" she was born to tell

E. Nina Rothe May 27, 2020

The discovery of Farah Nabulsi’s stunning, honest and beautiful film ‘The Present’ I owe to Palestinian favorite actor Saleh Bakri. I mean, as soon as I saw his name on the Brooklyn Film Festival line-up page, I was hooked. But while his presence is undeniably a wonderful pull into the film, Nabulsi’s perfect oeuvre stands on its own.

The title ‘The Present’ could refer to a gift, the one Yusuf, Bakri’s character goes to buy for his wife on their wedding anniversary. But it also means, to me, the current state of affairs, the here and now, for the Palestinian people.

Living in Times of Coronavirus screens on Daraj: Dispatches from Lebanon on lockdown

E. Nina Rothe April 30, 2020

The five filmmakers featured in this omnibus of shorts, featuring life in the ghost town and home shelters of Beirut, are the brightest of the new wave of directors from Lebanon.

A still from ‘Human’ by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

“Cinema with a Conscience”: Five Movies that Changed My Life

E. Nina Rothe February 11, 2018

We’ve all experienced the positive power of cinema. It is that moment, at the end of a movie, right before the lights come back on and as the credits roll by, when we feel we can change the world. We feel invigorated, wish to do better, want to be better and walk out of the theater with a new spring in our step. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, that energy, the magic of the movies, stays with us in our daily lives and continues to inspire a change that can become momentous.

Favorite movies only need apply. Life is too short to write about what I didn't enjoy.