Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal? The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years. Saudi Arabia
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Culture The weight of war: Erdal Duman’s sculptures probe politics of violence As missiles cross again Middle Eastern skies, Turkish artist Erdal Duman’s brightly colored weapons ask an uncomfortable question: When does war really begin? Turkey
Culture 'Gesture of resistance': Gaza war and Iran repression in Oscars spotlight This year’s Oscars nominations include Middle Eastern films whose themes of war, government violence and protest have shone a spotlight on politics at home. Iran
Remake of Turkey's favorite school flick flunks at the box office Based on novels by the popular author Rifat Ilgaz, the "Chaos Class" film series has been a Turkish favorite for four decades, but a remake of the original comedy has been widely panned. Turkey
Israelis crazy for mass singings The Koolulam mass singing phenomenon has swept up thousands of Israelis in an effort to bring harmony to a divided society. Israel
From Aleppo to alpha male: Beirut dance fest takes on the world Founded 15 years ago, the Beirut International Platform of Dance strives to make contemporary dance a staple of Lebanon’s artistic culture while pushing the boundaries of the art form to speak to the issues of the day. Lebanon
Award-winning Palestinian author's 'White Horse' gallops onto stage "Time of White Horses," a 2007 novel by award-winning Palestinian writer Ibrahim Nasrallah, makes its way onto the stage in both Palestine and the United States. Palestine
Turkey's Orange Blossom Carnival blooms despite economic, political woes Orange Blossom Carnival is Turkey’s first and only street carnival, which in its seventh year attracted over 250,000 visitors to southern Adana province over the weekend, all for the love of color. Turkey
Turkey’s emerging artists dwell in dystopia The Mamut Art Project, an annual platform for young artists, reflects the new generation’s concerns on immigration, gay rights and the destruction of nature in the country. Turkey
Can this project bring contemporary art to conservative towns in Palestine? Two Palestinian organizations have cooperated to launch a program in the conservative town of al-Dahriya that involved artists interacting with residents to prepare an exhibition. Palestine
Controversial Iranian rapper reignites clash between Reformists, hard-liners An Iranian rapper's weed-smoking at a concert in Georgia has given Reformists another chance to attack rival conservatives, who once idolized the controversial singer. Iran
Netflix shakes up Egyptian film, TV industry A year after "The Secret of Nile" became the first Egyptian series on Netflix, more Egyptian productions are finding their way to the streaming service. Egypt
Independent film festival builds home for Palestinian cinema in Haifa In Israel's Haifa, an independent film festival showcases Palestinian and Middle Eastern films in an effort to create a local artistic hub and reconnect the coastal city's Palestinian community to the rest of the Arab world. Palestine
Will Egyptian, African filmmakers inch toward co-productions? With Egypt assuming the African Union presidency in 2019, it is looking to increase cooperation with Africa in various fields and the cinema industry is one of them. Egypt
Iran's state TV woos audiences with American-style shows Iranian versions of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "America's Got Talent" are now on state TV, but seem to draw more criticism than ratings. Iran
