Published by the Atlantic The past few years may well be remembered as the nadir of Iranian-Israeli relations, and the first occasion when the two countries attacked each other directly. But they were also a golden period for Iranian-Israeli collaboration in cinema. In 2023, Tatami was the first-ever film to be co-directed by an Israeli (Guy Nattiv) and …
Published in Universal Cinema Iranian cinema has long been known for its poetic films and, more recently, for its intense dramas. But one oft-ignored Iranian genre is comedy, a rarity on the festival circuit. In the Iranian box-office, however, comedies often do well. Soroush Sehhat’s Breakfast with Giraffes is one example. Although it hasn’t been shown in …
Published by the National The wildfires currently rolling through southern California have brought unprecedented damage to the Golden State and dominated global headlines. Thousands of miles away from the US, in Iran, the wildfires have become the subject of a revealing political debate between the country’s divergent political factions. It can be seen as a …
Published on my Substack Last September, I spent a week in Lisbon, long one of my favorite cities. I was there for a conference, but I knew I have a lot of free time and had decided to use it to engage in being what I love most: a flaneur. I had flaneured in Lisbon …
Published by the Atlantic The Iranian presidency seems to be a cursed position. Of the eight men who have held it before the current president, five eventually found themselves politically marginalized after their term finished. Two others fell to violent deaths in office (a bomb attack in 1981, a helicopter crash in 2024). The only exception is …
Published by the National Iran is often in the news for its regional and international affairs, but in recent weeks a domestic political issue has dominated the headlines in the country – censorship of the internet. Ordinary Iranians have had limited access to the internet for very many years now. Thousands of websites are banned, …
Published by Al Majalla Donald Trump is still a few weeks away from the White House, but every decision he makes is watched closely by a host of stakeholders around the world. What we do know is that the president-elect is notoriously unpredictable, especially when it comes to Middle East policy. Observers are thus looking into his …
Published by the Atlantic Iran’s Axis of Resistance, an informal coalition of anti-Western and anti-Israeli militias, was already having a terrible year. But the loss of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad may have dealt the knockout blow. Syria was both the organizing ground and the proof of concept for the Axis. Assad owed his throne …
Published by the Atlantic A carnival of joy has erupted in Syria with the fall of the strongman Bashar al-Assad. Syrians have waited a long time and paid a heavy price for this jubilation. Thirteen years ago, the country’s revolution began with peaceful demonstrations; since then, by one estimate, more than 600,000 Syrians have lost their lives. …
Published by the Atlantic Until last week, Syria’s civil war was a classic example of a “frozen conflict”: A cease-fire in 2020 had stanched the fighting, but the sides had reached no permanent political settlement. Little happened that rose to the level of active warfare—and yet the country could not really have been said to …