SEMINAR: STORIES BEYOND BORDERS – THE IMAGE OF ARAB WOMEN IN EXILE THROUGH FILM
How are Arab women portrayed when they leave their homeland? What happens to identity, memory and belonging when home becomes distant—or impossible to return to?
This seminar explores the representation of Arab women in exile through cinema. Film can provide a space where experiences of displacement, migration and exile are not only documented, but also reimagined through personal stories, memories and different perspectives.
Through selected films and a conversation with filmmakers, cultural practitioners and/or researchers, the seminar will examine how Arab women navigate questions of identity, home, belonging and cultural heritage while living away from their countries of origin.
The discussion will also look at the relationship between representation and self-representation: Who tells the stories of Arab women in exile? How do women filmmakers challenge stereotypes and create more complex and diverse images of Arab women and their experiences?
Stories Beyond Borders invites us to look beyond geographical borders and explore cinema as a meeting place between memory and the present, between homeland and exile, and between individual experience and collective history.
The seminar is part of Arab Women Film Days, a film event celebrating Arab women’s voices, stories and perspectives through cinema.
3 October 15:00 Cinema Panora – Malmö
Free entry
Presented in collaboration with Hand in Hand Association
Panelists
Mona Al-Attar
Mona Al-Attar is based in Malmö, Sweden, where she works in educational guidance and education. She also manages The Arabic Library, a specialized bookstore offering Arabic books in Sweden, and runs Lamaso, a publishing and printing house producing publications in both Arabic and Swedish.
Her work focuses on promoting education, culture and publishing, with a particular interest in strengthening knowledge, cultural exchange and communication between Arab and Swedish communities.
Nabela Ali
Nabela Ali is a writer, critic and researcher specializing in women’s issues and social affairs. She is Head of the Women’s Committee at Eid Bi Eid Association and an active voice in social and community-related issues. Her work combines literary criticism, research and creative writing, with a particular interest in women’s experiences and representation in Arab society.
She has published several books and studies, including the short-story collection Filed Against an Unknown Person, the critical work The Black Dream, A Reading of the Female Character in the Works of Emirati Women Short-Story Writers, and the research study The Question of the Relationship Between Educated Women and Development in Contemporary Syrian Society. She has also authored Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutics and the Renewal of the Arab Critical Method. Her writings have appeared in a number of Arab magazines and cultural publications, and she has participated in and delivered numerous seminars and lectures. She has also received several certificates and awards in recognition of her literary, research and social work.
Wafaa Ahmed Suleiman
Wafaa Ahmed Suleiman is a former professor at the Faculty of Education at Damascus University, an educational researcher and trainer specializing in early childhood education. Her work focuses particularly on storytelling as an educational and creative tool, and on developing activities inspired by stories to support children’s learning, imagination and communication skills. Through her experience in education and training, she has contributed to developing child-centered approaches that connect storytelling, creativity and learning.
Moderator
Mouhamad Keblawi
Mouhamad Keblawi is a producer, director, film expert and artistic advisor involved in numerous cinematic and cultural projects. He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) and has extensive experience in film and television production and direction, with a particular focus on documentary filmmaking.
Over the years, he has also worked with international film funds and supported film initiatives and projects in different parts of the world. His expertise extends to project management, media production and the development of cultural and creative projects, with a strong emphasis on cultural diversity, international collaboration and the role of cinema in building bridges between communities and cultures.