Happy(ish?) New Year! We're back with a discussion on the 2025 Oscar Nominations and the groundbreaking Palestinian, Iranian, and Moroccan films that were nominated. The Palestinian and Tunisian The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Iranian and French It Was Just an Accident, and the Moroccan and Spanish Sirat each received a nomination for Best International Feature, while writer-director of It Was Just an Accident Jafar Panahi received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Covering genocide, oppression, and so much more, so much of SWANA set filmmaking is tragic, but the filmmakers always make powerful art to memorialize and honor our various struggles. Congratulations to all the filmmakers. We also have an exciting update about our panel return to this year's Awesome Con, March 13-15, in DC!

Swara's review of The Voice of Hind Rajab for But Why Tho?

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What will one sacrifice for a greater cause? How do we fight overwhelming systems of oppression? Does working within a corrupt system work, or do we need to tear it all down? Wicked: For Good explores these questions in great depth, with stunning performances from Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and more. We review the film, decipher what it has to say about the above questions, give our recommendations, and much more.

Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project

Decolonize Palestine

Donate to help Sudan

Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza

Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine

Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here.

We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks,

Follow us on BlueSky @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz

Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media

Please support us on Patreon!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is a reverberating ethos through Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir's latest film, Palestine 36, which chronicles the last days of the British Mandate of Palestine and its lasting ramifications. Produced by Philistine Films, BBC Film, BFI, Doha Film Institute, Watermelon Pictures and more, and starring Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Massri, Saleh Bakri, Jeremy Irons, Robert Aramayo of The Rings of Power, Liam Cunningham of Game of Thrones, Karim Daoud Anaya, and others, the film details the violent colonization of Palestine that violently continues to today. Why does such colonization happen? What are the societal, capitalistic, and manipulative tactics employed? What does Palestine 36 have to teach us for today's many challenges? Join us in our discussion of this urgently timely film.

Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project

Decolonize Palestine

Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence

Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza

Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine

Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here.

We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks

Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social

Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media

Please support us on Patreon!