Tarwida

In this episode of Tarwida, we sit down with Palestinian comedian Alaa Abu Diab for a sharp, poignant, and darkly witty conversation. We talk stand-up comedy as a craft: how jokes are built, why cities develop different humors, and what it means to laugh from inside catastrophe- not as escape, but as confrontation.
Alaa also shares insights about his latest shows, including “Virtual Reality”, which is currently touring across Europe and the Arab region. He reflects on how live performance creates an intimate space for collective reflection and release.
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This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 
This conversation was conducted in Arabic and recorded on November 30, 2025. You can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube through this link. 
Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners, and more, about their very own Palestine.  
In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 
Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast
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Relevant links and Resources: 
Follow Alaa Abu Diab on Instagram (@alaabudiab)
Book your tickets to Alaa’s upcoming shows
Learn more about Ghassan Kanafani
Follow Palestinian comedians:
Ayman Nahhas 
Hanna Shammas
Relevant Tarwida Episodes:
Listen to our episode with Maysoon Zayid

When six-year-old Hind Rajab reached out to the Red Cross for help in January 2024, the ambulance car was 8 minutes away from her. She could have been saved, but instead, the Israeli army murdered her and two of the rescuers in cold blood. Her voice went on to haunt millions around the world, standing as a chilling testament to the brutality and impunity with which Israel continues to commit genocide.
In an attempt to document and remember Hind, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania felt compelled to create The Voice of Hind Rajab; an Oscar short-listed film that documents the devastating story.
In our conversation, Ben Hania reflects on the ethical and artistic choices behind the film, the responsibilities filmmakers carry when the violence they address has not ended, and the role of cinema as an act of listening. 
This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 
This conversation was recorded on December 21, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 
Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  
In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 
Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast
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Relevant links and Resources: 
Follow Kaouther Ben Hania on Instagram (@kaoutharbenhania)
Read Forensic Architecture’s investigation on the killing of Hind Rajab. 
Watch Al Jazeera’s documentary on the killing of Hind Rajab. 
Watch the trailers of Kaouther Ben Hania’s films:  
The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025)
Four Daughters (Banat Ulfa) (2023)
The Man who Sold his Skin (2020)
Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

When six-year-old Hind Rajab reached out to the Red Cross for help in January 2024, the ambulance car was 8 minutes away from her. She could have been saved, but instead, the Israeli army murdered her and two of the rescuers in cold blood. Her voice went on to haunt millions around the world, standing as a chilling testament to the brutality and impunity with which Israel continues to commit genocide.
In an attempt to document and remember Hind, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania felt compelled to create The Voice of Hind Rajab; an Oscar short-listed film that documents the devastating story.
In our conversation, Ben Hania reflects on the ethical and artistic choices behind the film, the responsibilities filmmakers carry when the violence they address has not ended, and the role of cinema as an act of listening. 
This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 
This conversation was recorded on December 21, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 
Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  
In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 
Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast
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Relevant links and Resources: 
Follow Kaouther Ben Hania on Instagram (@kaoutharbenhania)
Read Forensic Architecture’s investigation on the killing of Hind Rajab. 
Watch Al Jazeera’s documentary on the killing of Hind Rajab. 
Watch the trailers of Kaouther Ben Hania’s films:  
The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025)
Four Daughters (Banat Ulfa) (2023)
The Man who Sold his Skin (2020)
Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

During the 1990 Gulf War, Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and actress Cherien Dabis experienced racism for the first time while living in the United States. These experiences shaped her path toward filmmaking and commitment to Palestinian storytelling. 
In this episode, we hear more from her about her beginnings and delve into her latest Oscar short-listed feature film, All That’s Left of You, which traces a Palestinian family’s journey from the Nakba of 1948 to 2022, examining intergenerational trauma and life under occupation. Cherien explores
In addition to that, we spotlight her other notable works, including Amreeka, Ramy, and Mo, and discuss how comedy and TV have brought the Palestinian story to the American mainstream. 
This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 
This conversation was recorded on November 26, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 
Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  
In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 
Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast
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Relevant links and Resources: 
Follow Cherien Dabis on Instagram (@cheriendabis)
Get tickets to see Cherien’s new film, All That’s Left of You
Watch Cherien’s first feature film, Amreeka (2009)
Watch Cherien’s second feature film, May in the Summer (2013)
Watch Mo on Netflix 
Learn more about Palestinian author Hala Alyan
Learn more about up-and-coming director, Sarah Mokh
Learn more about Suad Amiry and her novel, Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2003)

​​In this episode of Tarwida, we take you on a virtual tour of SILA, a collaborative exhibition, that brings together artists and artisans to explore how Tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) has evolved from a traditional craft into a powerful language of identity and resistance.
Showing at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah from September 2025 to January 2026, SILA presents contemporary interpretations of Tatreez across a wide range of mediums, including ceramics, pottery, fashion, design, installation, and even sound.
The founder of SILA, Rula Alami, joins us to discuss how the Inaash Association has worked for decades in Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, preserving and evolving the heritage of Tatreez while creating sustainable livelihoods for women artisans.
The episode also features a conversation with SILA curators Cima Azzam and Noor Suhail, who share insights into the curatorial process. They reflect on the central role of women artisans in preserving collective memory, how Tatreez has transformed from village craft into a cultural language, and how the exhibition engages with themes of identity, memory, resistance, and continuity.
We close with interviews with three of the twenty-five participating artists — Zaid Farouki, Areen Hassan, and Samar Hejazi — who reflect on their individual works and creative approaches to Tatreez.
Whether you’re drawn to Palestinian culture, contemporary art, textile practices, or stories of resilience, this episode offers a rare, layered perspective on how creativity becomes a form of endurance.
 
Our guest host is Dana Alhanbali. The episode is produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 
These conversations were recorded in November of 2025.
Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  
In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 
Follow us on @tarwidapodcast
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Relevant links and Resources: 
To learn more about SILA, visit their website here
To learn more about The Inaash Association and their artisans, visit their website here
Follow Rula Alami (@kiyanart) and visit her website here
Learn more about Cima Azzam and the Maraya Art Center here
Learn more about Noor Suhail and the 1971-Design Art Space here
Follow Zaid Farouki (@zaidfarouki) and visit his website here
Follow Samar Hejazi (@samarhejazi) and visit her website here
Follow Areen Hassan (@by_areen) and visit her website here
See below to learn more about the mentioned artists and their work:
Hazem Harb, Visual Artist 
Ghassan Kanafani, Author 
Huguette Caland, Artist and Founder of the Inaash Association 
Liane Al Ghusain, Artist and Writer 
Naima Almajdobah, Multidisciplinary Designer 
Wafa Ghnaim, Historian and Author 
Amer Shomali, Interdisciplinary Visual Artist 
Participating SILA artists:
Amer Shomali – Abdel Rahman Katanani – Areen Hassan – Aya Haidar – Bokja – Cristiana de Marchi – Dahouk Chamsi-Pasha – Farah Behbehani – Hazem Harb – Katya Traboulsi – Joanna Barakat – Leila Jabre Jureidini – Liane Al Ghusain – Maysaloun Faraj – Nada Debs – Naima Almajdobah – Naqsh Collective – Nour Hage – Omarvis – Sama Alshaibi – Samar Hejazi – Samia Halaby – Tala Hammoud Atrouni – Steve Sabella – Zaid Farouki