Syrian activist, revolutionary and filmmaker Waad al-Kateab gave birth to her daughter Sama under siege in Aleppo, sheltering in a makeshift hospital while Bashar al-Assad’s forces bombed the city around them. As a new mother, she decided to pick up her camera and document what she imagined were her last moments alive.

Three years after her landmark documentary For Sama toured the world, al-Kateab continues to campaign for the rights of Syrians, those displaced and those still facing persecution and violence at home. She is also raising two daughters now in her family’s new home in the UK.

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit with the filmmaker at the opening of her new exhibit, ‘We Dared To Dream’, to talk about displacement, new beginnings and unfinished fights.

Filming: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa 
Audio editor:  Houda Fansa Jawadi

www.middlleeasteye.net 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at [email protected] or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.

You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

After four years of political turmoil, Israel's far-right Zionist agitators have emerged victorious, seeking to expel Palestinians, implement Jewish loyalty laws and tear up the peace process once and for all.

With the help of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have dominated Israeli politics and are set to take over the most powerful positions in government, despite the alarm of the international community.

Daniel Levy is a former Israeli peace negotiator who was instrumental in the 1993 Oslo Accords. He now heads the US Middle East Project and advocates for Palestinian rights at the United Nations and other international bodies.

In this episode of The Big Picture, Levy breaks down the rise of Israel's far-right and what their electoral victory says about Israeli society today.

Filming: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa 
Audio editor:  Houda Fansa Jawadi

www.middlleeasteye.net 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at [email protected] or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.

You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

In our first in a series of long-form interviews with great minds, we speak with human rights advocate Dr Kat Eghdamian on why the fight for women's liberation in Iran is not about religion but control.

Dr Eghdamian explains how the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman, inspired a nationwide movement built on Kurdish traditions and slogans and what we can learn from the young people putting their lives on the line for a better future.

Filming & Recording: Hossam Sarhan
GFX: Anas Alaa 
Audio editor:  Houda Fansa Jawadi

www.middlleeasteye.net 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at [email protected] or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.

You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG