It's been a year of quiet introspection for me- a lot of which happened in the form of calligraphic sketches. In what follows, I collect these in an attempt to oder thoughts and create a dialogue between letters- admittedly, talking to myself- and archive them in a digital format. The result is random, at times incoherent, just as the year that it charts left little room for a consistent focus- much needed. As it draws to a close, I find myself looking forward with renewed hope- not in political systems, or economic ones, but in the ability of people to look beyond their differences and discover the common goals that lie beyond apparent divisions. This may sound very old-fashioned, and possibly not outraged. The challenges that face the world as a whole go beyond petty economics and the global theatre of politics and national securities (in fact, they may be caused by the preceding), they are global in scope and will affect most lives. Brand this fake news (it ain't news) if you will. And so- onwards, with little hearts, Taheyya dancing in the background and love, unto 2017.
Over the past three years, a great number of films dealing with the Egyptian Uprising, whether documentary, docufiction or pure invention have been brought to screens and festivals around the world. The latest such offering I have watched, Marco Wilms documentary Art War, is an interesting and polarising case. ART WAR - Trailer from HELDENFILM on Vimeo . " ART WAR is the story of young Egyptians who, through art and enlightenment, and inspired by the Arab Spring, use their creativity to salvage the revolu tion. Using graffiti murals and rebellious music and films, they inspire the youth culture around the world and throughout the streets of conquered Egypt. The film follows revolutionary artists through 2 years of post-revolutionary anarchy, from the 2011 Arab Spring until the final 2013 Parliament election. It describes the proliferation of creativity after Mubarak’s fall, showing how these artists learn to use art in new ways--as a weapon to fight for their unfinish
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