Listen, Read, Watch: Syria

During our much-needed winter break, we published a series of curated #ListenReadWatch over on our Instagram. Every post offered one album to listen to, a book to read, and a film to watch from somewhere in the Arab world. We envisioned this series as a way to celebrate some of the best creative minds from across the region and times.

Listen:
Migrant Birds, TootArd

TootArd — formed by brothers Hasan and Rami Nakhleh in the picturesque setting of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights —has evolved from their reggae-inspired beginnings to embrace a myriad of influences including Tuareg style and psychedelic rock. They describe their style as "mountain rock reggae”. Watch their Quartertones interview with us from 2022.

Read:
No Knives in the Kitchens of This City

Khalid Khalifa’s No Knives in the Kitchens of This City won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.

“Set between the 1960s and 2000s, No Knives in the Kitchens of this City unravels the systems of fear and control under Assad. With eloquence and startling honesty, it speaks of the persecution of a whole society.” (via AUC Press)

Watch:
As Though Nothing Happened, Taim Karesly

“Seven Damascenes, eight years apart, one collective trauma. This is the story of a city and the psychological scars its people bear from years of war.” (via IMDB)