Middle East

Cutting-edge films bring Middle East headlines to life

October 11, 2013 By Bill Meyer

Last month's Toronto International Film Festival featured, among its 146 world premieres from 70 countries, cutting-edge films from the greater Middle East - the cutting edge of not only technology but coverage of critical world events.

Kurdish struggle a key factor in Syria and beyond

August 30, 2013 By Conn Hallinan

For almost a century, the Kurds-one of the world's largest ethnic groups without its own state-have been deceived and double-crossed, their language and culture suppressed, their villages burned and bombed, and their people scattered; now they...

From “Reel Bad Arabs” to “Valentino’s Ghost”

August 20, 2013 By Bill Meyer

The group that has been consistently maligned since the days of silent star Rudolph Valentino's portrayal of The Sheik in 1921 are the Arabs. They have now become the caricature of the "terrorist."

Turkey: Uprising’s currents run deep

July 31, 2013 By Conn Hallinan

Issues that fueled the May and June protests are hardly a laughing matter, and they are not about to quietly disappear.

“The Attack”: Can a love story explain the Arab-Israeli conflict?

July 16, 2013

Like many of the best movies ever, the story of Amin, Siham and their friends and family, is only the front part of the film, while the real story is taking place in the background.