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Amal Murkus

Actor
Amal Murkus is a prominent Palestinian singer, actress, and activist, known for her contributions to Arabic music and culture. Born in Kafr Yasif, Israel, she began performing at a young age and has since become a leading figure in the Palestinian artistic community. While Murkus is primarily celebrated for her music, which blends traditional Arabic styles with contemporary influences, she has also appeared in several films and theatrical productions. Notable film appearances include "The Time That Remains" (2009), a semi-biographical drama directed by Elia Suleiman. Murkus's work often focuses on themes of identity, resistance, and heritage, reflecting her commitment to social and political issues affecting Palestinians. Her contributions to the arts have earned her various accolades, though she is most celebrated for her powerful voice and poignant performances that bridge cultural divides.

Films

Cinema Sabaya

Cinema Sabaya

By Orit Fouks Rotem

2021 | 95 min | Drama

Israel's Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards is a heartwarming journey of unlikely friendships and empowering conversations.

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If You Die, I'll Kill You

If You Die, I'll Kill You

2011 | 91 min | Drama

In IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YOU, Kurdish-Iraqi director Hiner Saleem (MY SWEET PEPPER LAND), looks at the Kurdish community in Paris. Siba is played by Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson). Avdal dreams of staying in France and plans to bring his fiancée, Sibato, Paris. She’s due to arrive in the next few days. The two men strike up a friendship when unexpectedly, Avdal dies and Philippe has organize funeral arrangements for his friend. What should he do with the body?

When I went to visit the boys

When I went to visit the boys

2024 | 90 min | Documentary

In southern Burgenland, a region where time seems to stand still, a filmmaker encounters men of different ages and backgrounds. With her cell phone camera, she documents conversations about work, family, dreams, and the challenges of modern life. The men open up, share their stories, and reflect on their roles in a changing society. What begins as personal field research unfolds into a quiet but profound portrait of a region and its men. Initial strangeness gives way to trust. The men talk about ...

She Is a Good Boy

She Is a Good Boy

2022 | 26 min | Drama

In the Ruhr Valley, the couple Ava and Sascha run the FLINT* pub STÖRENFRIDA. A heartfelt project that serves as a shelter for the community but also as a home for the couple. Into this closed world suddenly enters Ava's father Gunter, a former miner who needs a place to stay for a few weeks. Based on this charged triangular constellation, the film depicts the inclusivity and exclusivity of shelters and critically examines supposedly feminine and masculine spaces.

Room Without a View

Room Without a View

2021 | 73 min | Documentary

A thought-provoking gaze of the exploitative migration and the terrible dilemmas facing women who must choose between earning money and caring for their own children. The film drives the realities underlying the domestic work and care solutions found by Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon. These solutions do not address continuing gender inequalities, and all too often rest on the exploitation and even dehumanization of the women who actually provide the care of children and do all the domestic ...

Soldier Ahmet

Soldier Ahmet

2021 | 76 min | Documentary

Ahmet Simsek is a hardworking paramedic in the Austrian army and talented boxer. Despite being the dutiful son of Turkish immigrants, Ahmet feels a sense of detachment from himself and his community. However, things take an interesting turn when he enrolls in acting classes and lands the lead role in A Streetcar Named Desire. But as he tries to confront his own vulnerability, he struggles to break free from traditional gender roles and conflicts with himself arise. The film provides a nuanced and ...

Anqa

Anqa

2023 | 91 min | Documentary

Three women in Jordan live in isolation – not by choice, but out of fear of further violence. Their home is their refuge, but it is also a prison that separates them from the outside world. What does it mean to live a life in the shadows? How do you find strength in the midst of pain? Helin Çelik's documentary addresses a reality that often remains hidden. ANQA is an intimate exploration of the survival strategies of these women, whose stories are told not in words but in images. The camera focuses ...

Birds of September

Birds of September

2013 | 99 min | Documentary

People are invited to share a personal moment. It is a thoughtful portrait of some of the city's inhabitants as they sit at the back of the van and express their innermost thoughts. Sarah Francis' documentary BIRDS OF SEPTEMBER is her debut film and was screened at CPH: DOX and the Art of the Real New York. "A portrait of a city and the people who live there, which amazingly enough manages to unite a number of otherwise highly different genres into a unified whole. An original and accomplished ...

The Return of the Aramean People

The Return of the Aramean People

2012 | 62 min | Documentary

"Tur Abdin" is what Aramaic Christians call their homeland in southeast Turkey, not far from the Syrian border. One of the earliest Christian settlements in the world, very few live there today. Most Aramaic Christians have fled war, violence and repression. Some even fled to Germany. Now, exiled Arameans from Göppingen want to return to southeastern Turkey to safeguard their cultural heritage and rebuild their destroyed villages. Director Anja Reiß accompanies them back home. "Migration is a constantly ...

Do Not Fear

Do Not Fear

2019 | 66 min | Documentary

What happens when a very popular village priest decides after 27 years of successful community work to finally face a lifelong issue and publicly announces his transgender identity? The rumors that he was wearing women's clothes forces pastor Hans-Gerd Spörkel to take a break. Shortly thereafter, his wife separates from him, and the village turns their backs on him. Half a year later, she resolutely returns as Elke Spörkel and holds her first service as a woman. After a controversial discussion, ...

Bacha Posh

Bacha Posh

2015 | 29 min | Icons & Media Art

Afghan wisdom says that if you have many daughters, you can raise your youngest as a boy and the next child will be a boy. "Bacha posh" are the names of these girls and Farah Noz is one such girl. But instead of becoming a "girl" again after the birth of her brother, the 14-year-old decided to remain a boy. Elaha is different, she made her own decision to wear men's clothes on the street and find her female role on her own. In their documentary installation, Ginan Seidl and Yalda Afsah show the ...