DUBAI: The annual Arab Women in the Arts showcase returned to New York City and online for its sixth edition, celebrating the work of acclaimed Lebanese filmmaker Danielle Arbid while highlighting the growing influence of Arab women in global cinema.
Presented annually by the Arab Film and Media Institute, the event honors generations of Arab women who have transformed artistic expression. This year it focuses on Arbid, whose films explore war, memory, isolation, sexuality and displacement through intimate, female-centered narratives.
Taking place from July 29 to Aug. 2, the program included screenings of Arbid’s short and feature films at venues across New York City, alongside a filmmaker mixer, with a selection available online.
AFMI says the showcase was created to provide a platform for Arab women filmmakers whose work has often struggled to reach wider audiences.
“The goal of this showcase has always been to honor the generations of Arab women who have excelled in, and revolutionized, all forms of artistic expression,” Nanor Vosgueritchian, AFMI’s head of film programming told Arab News. “Arab filmmakers struggle to find a platform for their stories to reach audiences ... AWITA specifically provides a platform for viewers to discover the works of Arab women filmmakers.”
Each edition centers on a single director, allowing audiences to engage deeply with her body of work, including films that have been overlooked or rarely screened publicly.
Arbid, whose films draw heavily from her own experiences growing up during the Lebanese Civil War and later moving to Paris, has earned acclaim for confronting personal and political subjects with honesty.
“I think that Danielle has the unique gift of capturing very particular situations and emotions ... that end up resonating with a broader audience precisely because of their specificity,” said Vosgueritchian.
Arbid’s films, including “In the Battlefields” (2004) and “Parisienne” (2015), reflect autobiographical experiences, while her documentaries and short films examine family relationships with an unflinching gaze.
“I think ultimately she is always searching for the truth in whatever story she’s telling, and that really comes across on screen,” added Vosgueritchian.
Arbid’s willingness to address subjects often considered taboo within Arab societies has become one of the defining features of her filmmaking. Her work frequently revisits the legacy of Lebanon’s civil war and the lasting impact of trauma on individuals and families.
“She is not afraid to make films about ‘taboo’ subject matters,” said Vosgueritchian, adding that the director prefers “to challenge the repressed pasts of people who experienced” the war while confronting its continuing effects.
The showcase also reflects what organizers see as a broader shift in the recognition of Arab women filmmakers internationally.
“Arab women filmmakers ... are really leading the current wave of beautiful, thoughtful, and moving new Arab films,” said Vosgueritchian, pointing to the growing visibility of directors including Cherien Dabis, Kaouther Ben Hania and Annemarie Jacir at international festivals and in theatrical releases.
For audiences discovering Arbid’s work for the first time, AFMI hopes the retrospective challenged expectations about Arab cinema.
“I hope that the people who watch Danielle’s films ... leave behind any preconceived notions they might have of what an Arab film can or should look like,” said Vosgueritchian, adding that the stories demonstrated the diversity and complexity of Arab experiences while encouraging viewers to explore the filmmaker’s wider body of work.
