In this episode, we sit with Libby Lenkinski, Founder and President of Albi, a fund, institute, and lab built on one belief: that art is not an accessory to change, it is the spark.

After years in movement spaces, Libby turned toward culture as the ground where possibility is first imagined. What she is building with Albi is not just support for artists, but an infrastructure for imagination. A commitment to the idea that creativity can open what politics alone cannot.

Some stories don't just move you. They change you. Through its ⁠Film and Television Fund⁠, its ⁠Palestinian Creatives Pipeline⁠ in collaboration with Jalal Masarwa and Rosalin Agbaria, and its ⁠Fáros Fellows program⁠, Albi pours itself into the stories that humanize, that ache, and that stay with you long after the screen goes dark. This is what Libby describes as "Creative Defiance." A refusal to accept a world where empathy is scarce and imagination is limited. A belief that art can reach where argument fails, and move people before they know they are ready to be moved.

Show notes:

At the time of recording this episode, 4 Albi-supported films were shortlisted at the Oscars: Holding Liat, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Coexistence, My Ass!, and Children No More: Were and Are Gone. Two of them were eventually nominated for Academy Awards: Children No More: Were and Are Gone for Best Documentary Short Film and The Voice of Hind Rajab for Best International Feature Film.

In addition, here is the open letter by Avigail Sperber mentioned in the episode in relation to the cultural boycott of Israeli  films, or any kind of association with Israeli films.

Films / Shows Mentioned in the Episode

• Arab Labor
• Our Boys
• Five Broken Cameras
• Waltz with Bashir
• Unorthodox
• Under African Skies
• Arna's Children

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on January 6, 2026. The facts presented in this episode reflect what was known at the time, but new information may have since come to light. Similarly, the opinions expressed by the hosts were shaped by our perspectives at the time of recording and may have evolved as events unfolded. Please note that engagement with our guests does not imply endorsement, and the views expressed by our guests do not necessarily represent our beliefs, either on or off our platform. What has not changed is our commitment to a just and united future.

Credits

• ​Sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Albi World⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Hosts / Executive Producers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amira Mohammed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ibrahim Abu Ahmad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Associate Producer / Editor / Audio Mix: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Evelyn Uzan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Original Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Layan Hawila⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Support her journey as a music therapy student at Berklee
• ​Filming: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nissan Film Production⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Branding: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sophie Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Animation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Santiago Gomez⁠⁠