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The 25th Arab World Festival : art and culture echoing troubled times

October 25, 2024

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The Arab World Festival of Montreal is turning 25 this year. Current conflicts are a palpable presence in this year’s edition, making the event an essential platform for artistic and human dialogue. We spoke with the event’s executive and artistic director, Joseph Nakhlé, who told us about the festival’s evolution, its role as a bridge between East and West, and the challenges it faces.

By Philippe Couture

How does this year’s edition reflect current artistic practices in the Arab world?

Joseph Nakhlé: Since its inception, the festival has always presented around 40 in-house artistic creations. These works have always sought to show that Arab culture can express itself in modern contexts. This year, for example, the productions supported by the Festival meld a variety of traditions, such as whirling Dervishes and Sufi chanting, in works such as the play Selma : Les voix de l’extase, as well as in shows that touch on themes like revolution, freedom and identity, for example Sainte-Marine, opéra immersif. This year’s theme reflects the desire to continue hosting inspiring artistic dialogues.

You also welcome many international artists. Who are some of this year’s standouts?

J.N.: This year, our opening show features Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti, an exceptional artist whose voice is truly a musical instrument. Our closing show stars Nour Kamar, a Tunisian rising star in classical Arab singing. Our other international guests include Abdelkader Chaou, a legend in Algerian Andalusian singing, as well as Mohamed Abozekri, a prodigy on the Egyptian oud.

The festival includes debates and round tables. What’s the philosophy behind this part of the event?

J.N.: The cultural salon is an essential part of the festival. It is a space for exploring important questions in current affairs, in particular the situation in Palestine. This year, we’re welcoming intellectuals and public figures like Louise Harel, who will discuss Western denial of Gaza, and Algerian feminist Wassyla Tamzali. The salon provides a platform for in-depth discussions, a space where current affairs can be discussed freely.

The festival is 25 years old, does the milestone hold any special significance for you?

J.N.: It’s a reminder of the great patience and resilience required to succeed, the long road travelled with all its highs and lows. It inspires a sense of pride in having transformed an idea and a dream into a real-world event that stands out on Quebec’s cultural scene thanks to the quality and scope of the works presented, and particularly for the philosophy that guides the

team and the participating artists. This edition is special because it’s taking place against a backdrop of tragic global events, particularly what is happening in Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon. Many of our team members are directly affected, which gives this edition a particular flavour – not necessarily a joyous one. But I believe that the artistic works that we’re presenting have the power to salve wounds and open dialogue.

Your mission is to build bridges between the West and the Arab world. Has that grown more difficult?

J.N.: Yes, it is harder than before. But the bigger the challenge, the greater our determination to persevere. We have overcome some very difficult challenges, for example following September 11 or during the “reasonable accommodations” crisis of 2007. The festival has nearly collapsed several times, but we’ve always rebounded thanks to our dedicated team. Today, the global situation is disheartening, and the theme of this year’s edition, “Méprise” (mistakes) calls into question our 25 years of dreaming. We have to think about the way the festival can continue to promote creativity and dialogue.

Arab World Festival
October 25 to November 23, 2024

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