Arab Spring
Kleptoscope Two: The Alchemy of Making Money from Sand
The second evening in the Kleptoscope series explored the illicit wealth originating from the Middle East that flows through the capital’s economy.
Kleptoscope #2: London’s Dirty Money
We are delighted to present the second talk in our series of events investigating corruption and dirty money in London: interrogating its origins, its launderers and how it gets spent. Hosted by investigative journalist Oliver Bullough, Kleptoscope unites journalists, campaigners, academics and others to discuss the latest research into the UK’s role as an enabler of global kleptocracy.
Screening: A Revolution in Four Seasons + Q&A
In A Revolution in Four Seasons, two politically-opposed young women fight to shape their lives along with the political future of Tunisia, the sole country to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings as a functional democracy. Director/Producer Jessie Deeter and Co-Producer Sara Maamouri began filming in 2011.
Yallah!: Underground Music in the Middle East
By Ratha Lehall On Monday 16 November, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of the documentary Yallah! Underground, a vibrant look at a diverse groups of Arab artists and musicians using culture to challenge the status quo. The film is set in the years prior to and during the Arab spring, and focuses on artists from […]
Screening: Yallah! Underground + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Farid Eslam via Skype.
From the early days of the Arab Spring that sparked hopes for change to the years of instability and political tension that followed, this enthralling documentary follows the stories of young prominent underground artists from across the Middle East during the period of 2009 to 2013.
From Damascus to France: A Syrian Love Story
By Francis Churchill The plight of Syrians has returned to the headlines following the recent release of a tragic image of young Aylan Kurdi lying dead in the sand. It is easy to forget that the current situation in Syria, and the millions of refugees who have been forced to flee the country, has its roots in […]
Screening: A Syrian Love Story + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Sean McAllister.
Amer, 45, met Raghda, 40, in a Syrian prison cell 15 years ago. Over months they communicated through a tiny hole they’d secretly made in the wall. They fell in love and when released, married and started a family together. This film tells the poignant story of their family torn apart by the tyrannical Assad dictatorship.
Screening: Everyday Rebellion + Q&A
The reasons for the various people’s uprisings across the world may be diverse, but the creative nonviolent tactics they use in their struggles are strongly connected. So are the activists who share these strategies, new ideas and established methods. Everyday Rebellion is a story about the richness of peaceful protest, acted out everyday by passionate people from Spain, Iran, Syria, Ukraine, the USA, the UK and Serbia.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Arman Riahi.
Insight with Srdja Popovic: Blueprint for Revolution
In 2000, Srdja Popovic was one of the leaders of the Serbian nonviolent resistance group Otpor! that helped topple Slobodan Milošević. Then in 2003 he decided to use his experience to help pro-democracy activists around the world, teaching them how to bring down a dictator. He will be joining us in conversation with Steve Crawshaw, director of the office of the secretary general at Amnesty International and co-author of Small Acts of Resistance, to share his story and the ingenious ways in which non-violent resistance has achieved its means around the world, from Occupy Wall Street to Tahrir Square, and from Nelson Mandela to Harvey Milk.
Libya: “A country which seems to be falling apart by accident.”
By Caroline Rogers On Wednesday 17 September, a panel chaired by Channel 4 News’ international editor Lindsey Hilsum, came together to discuss the current plight of Libya; what has gone wrong since the 2011 revolution, whether it really is on the brink of becoming a failed state, and what role the international community should play in pulling Libya […]
Libya: A Failed State?
Is Libya on the brink of becoming a failed state? Three years after Nato-backed rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and the country was held up as the success story of the Arab Spring, Libya is deeply divided. As Libya’s parliament calls for foreign intervention to protect civilians from deadly clashes between rival militia groups, we will be asking what has gone wrong in the country.
First to Fall – Losing Innocence
By Ratha Lehall On Monday 31 March, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of First to Fall, followed by a Q&A with the director of the film, Rachel Beth Anderson, and its co-director, Tim Grucza. First to Fall follows two Libyan young men, Hamid and Tarek, who return to Libya from Canada during the conflict […]
Screening: First to Fall + Q&A
In 2011, director Rachel Beth Anderson followed two friends who abandoned their peaceful lives in Canada and returned to their home country of Libya to fight in the revolution. Hamid (26) and Tarek (21) had never fired a gun, but in 2011 they ran recklessly towards war, fuelled by their hatred of Muammar Gaddafi and their desire to be part of history. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with co-directors Rachel Beth Anderson and Tim Grucza.
Insight with Paul Danahar: The New Middle East
Nearly three years after the start of the revolution in Tunisia, which was followed by uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, many are beginning to examine what has changed in the region. One of those that has had a front row seat of this recent history is the BBC’s Middle East Bureau Chief, Paul Danahar. He will be joining us in conversation with BBC Arabic’s Samir Farah, to share his insight and analysis of events and what he feels the future holds for the region and it’s relationship with the West.
Egypt’s New Roadmap
By Dan Tookey Following Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s removal from power by the Egyptian military on the 3 July, the Frontline Club hosted a debate, ten days later, exploring what has happened and asking what these events mean for Egypt’s future.
Egypt’s New Roadmap
A year after his victory in Egypt’s historic first free election Mohamed Morsi has been ousted. Since his removal from power by the military on 3 July tensions have soared on the streets of Egypt. With events developing at great speed we will be taking stock of what has happened and asking what this means for Egypt’s future.
With Iran’s new president, cautious optimism
By Jim Treadway The election of cleric Hassan Rouhani to Iran’s presidency last week has Iranians and the world turning their heads to wonder: is the Islamic Republic changing direction? Will Rouhani’s promised pragmatism and reform replace the hardline conservatism of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? An expert panel convened at the Frontline Club on 26 June, […]
Will the Arab Spring stretch to Iran after election day?
by Sally Ashley-Cound With just over a week to go until Iranians go to the polls to vote for a new president, the Frontline Club’s First Wednesday panel on 5 June discussed the question: who will be the next president of Iran and why does it matter?
Writing Revolution: The Voices from Tunis to Damascus
By Helena Williams On Tuesday 29 May, the Frontline Club showcased ‘Writing Revolution: the Voices from Tunis to Damascus’, a book which celebrates some of the best new writing to emerge from the Arab Spring. The collection of articles and essays focusses on what the revolutions, which have rumbled across North Africa and the Middle […]
Writing Revolution: The voices from Tunis to Damascus
From Cairo to Damascus, Tunisia to Bahrain, Writing Revolution brings together some of the best new writing born out of the profound changes shaking the region. We will be joined by the editors and two of the contributors to talk about their work and how it has been shaped and influenced by the historic events unfolding around them.
Transforming Egyptian Journalism
By Richard Nield The key to the development of the media in Egypt is not the transformation of journalists but the transformation of institutions, argues Naomi Sakr in her new book, Transformations in Egyptian Journalism. “I wanted to demonstrate that journalism as such may be the least of the problems in the Egyptian media,” said […]
A pattern of bloodshed
By Nishat Ahmed Syria’s continually deteriorating situation set the tone for January’s First Wednesday – the first panel debate of the year. The group, chaired by Paddy O’Connell of BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, included Melissa Fleming, spokesperson of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); Ausama Monajed, the executive director the the London-based Strategic Research […]
Magnum Revolution: 65 Years of Fighting for Freedom
By Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi How does a photographer work with a dozen iPhones obscuring her view? This was just one of many questions debated on Thursday 13th December at the Frontline Club’s sold-out event on Magnum’s latest publication: Magnum Revolution: 65 Years of Fighting for Freedom.
FULLY BOOKED Insight with Jeremy Bowen: The Arab Uprisings
BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reflects on the past two years of game-changing moments in the history of the Middle East.
THIRD PARTY EVENT Bahrain: The abandoned revolution
THIRD PARTY EVENT organised by Dr Ala’a Shehabi, Bahrain Watch.
On February 14 2011 just days after Mubarak fell in Egypt, the Bahraini people began a popular uprising that has been unabated. We will be asking why do we hear very little about events in Bahrain in the media? What strategies has the Bahraini regime adopted to win the media battle, as well as the daily battles on the street? We will also be presenting the findings of a research project on the PR companies employed by the regime.
In conversation with Yosri Fouda – Egypt after Mubarak
Report by Nigel Wilson “These are tear gas canisters made in the USA and this in my opinion epitomises the whole story in the Middle East in the last few decades.” Renowned broadcaster Yosri Fouda began the evening recounting a pivotal moment in the Egyptian revolution. On the 1st of the 18 days of protests […]
Screening: It’s all in Lebanon
It’s all in Lebanon is a journey through modern Lebanon, a country torn between contradictions. Wissam Charaf explores the significance of the image in Lebanese society, showing opposing campaigns of political movements, Hezbollah videos of heroic martyred fighters and music videos of high-heeled, scarcely dressed pop stars.
In conversation with Hamid Dabashi: The Arab Spring – The End of Postcolonialism
Renowned author and academic Hamid Dabashi will be joining us to share his reflections on the Arab Spring that challenge current thinking about ‘the Middle East’ and propose a re-imagining the moral map of the region.
The challenges ahead for Egypt’s first democratically elected president
Report by Jonathan Couturier Mohammed Mursi has become Egypt’s first democratically elected president – but while he may have been chosen as the people’s representative, the country still has to contend with the powerful Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), who may thwart any attempt at change. The panel was divided over Mursi’s ability […]
Screening: Goodbye Mubarak
With the presidential elections scheduled at end of May, a possible run-off mid June and the trial verdict of President Hosni Mubarak expected Goodbye Mubarak is a timely examination of the period right before the so-called Arab spring. What were the expectations of the uprising and to what extent have they been met so far?