Spotlight
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
Middle-class Russians are angry that the EU’s new visa restrictions punish them for a war they have no power to stop. But the inconveniences they face pale in comparison to Ukrainian suffering, which the new entry policy makes it more difficult for them to ignore.
A Film Held Hostage
Honey Trehan’s “Panjab ’95,” a film on Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been stuck in censorship limbo for three years as India’s film board demands cuts. The case reveals the unprecedented pressure felt by Indian filmmakers as the Modi government cracks down on cinema.
The Afterlives of Assad’s Prisoners
When the Assad regime collapsed, the doors of its prisons were flung open to release tens of thousands of political prisoners. A year later, three former detainees — one rebuilding his family, one turning his trauma into film, one determined to forget everything — trace the uneven road of life after captivity.
A Yemeni Maestro’s Mission To Reinvent His Country’s Music
A Yemeni maestro is giving his country’s music a second life, blending folk songs from Hadramawt province with Western orchestras to create something entirely new.
The Cooperative in Tartus Bridging Syria’s Divides
A cluster of abandoned military barracks outside Tartus, Syria, has become an unlikely experiment in communal survival and coexistence. Led by veteran Marxist organizer Suleiman “Kastro” Dakdouk, the Solidarity Fields co-op helps displaced families produce food, earn an income and live side by side across sectarian lines.
‘Black Pete’ Still Has His Supporters
The blackface tradition of “Black Pete” has largely vanished from Dutch streets after a concerted campaign. But its remaining supporters increasingly see it as a right-wing cause.
Inside the Arab-Owned Cafes Bringing the Middle East to the West
A form of Middle Eastern nightlife is gaining popularity in the West, with late-night cafes popping up across North America. Offering a space for socializing that fosters culture and community, they represent an alternative to the more expensive, alcohol-infused scene of bars and clubs.