Back in June, CinePunked’s Robert JE Simpson and Dr Rachael Kelly were invited to contribute to an Arabic documentary series حكايات السينما (Tales of Cinema) produced by Alaraby TV. Over two episodes the show looked at film in Northern Ireland and CinePunked were asked to comment on the appeal of Northern Ireland for producers and the development of film at an industrial level.
Filming took place upstairs at the Sunflower bar in Belfast’s city centre, a local landmark. Other contributors include filmmaker Brian Mulholland, and critics Brian Henry Martin and Jim McClean.
Alaraby broadcasts in Arabic, and is based out of London, with additional facilities located around the world. According to their online presence, the network “aims to fulfil the Arab citizen’s desire for content that engages them and capture the way they perceive themselves, their world and the future”
The episode (خصوصية السينما الايرلندية) first aired on 2nd July 2019 and can be watched online here.*
The rest of the series can be viewed here.
*While the presenter and text is in Arabic, the interviews with Northern Irish commentators are in English with Arabic subtitles.
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