logo
‘You're Palestinian. No one will care': Cherien Dabis on ‘Mo' and making space in Hollywood

‘You're Palestinian. No one will care': Cherien Dabis on ‘Mo' and making space in Hollywood

Middle East Eye18-04-2025
"You can't be a filmmaker. You're Palestinian - no one will care."
Cherien Dabis is a Palestinian-American filmmaker and actress constantly working to break new ground for Palestinian representation in Hollywood. In 2022, she made TV history as the first Palestinian ever nominated for an Emmy, for her work on 'Only Murders in the Building'. Throughout her career, Cherien has pushed back against one-dimensional portrayals of Arabs and Palestinians - often stereotyped, cast as villains, or erased entirely.
Most recently, you may have seen her as Nadia in Netflix's 'Mo', the hit series widely celebrated for its portrayal of the Palestinian experience.
In this episode of Real Talk, Cherien opens up about growing up Palestinian in Ohio, the challenges of telling her own story, and the fears that keep many from supporting Palestinian voices in Hollywood.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this
form . More about MEE can be found
here .
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jameson Blake says he and Barbie Forteza are good friends
Jameson Blake says he and Barbie Forteza are good friends

Filipino Times

timean hour ago

  • Filipino Times

Jameson Blake says he and Barbie Forteza are good friends

Kapamilya actor Jameson Blake clarified that he and Kapuso actress Barbie Forteza are currently just friends, following buzz online after they were seen holding hands at the GMA Gala over the weekend. While the moment sparked speculations, Blake said during the advance screening of his film Flower Girl with Sue Ramirez last June that it's still too early to label their closeness as anything more than friendship. 'We're just friends. It's too early pa. I enjoy my time with her. She's really nice and very professional din,' he said. Blake shared that they became close in a short span of time and bonded over running events, which has become a new shared hobby for them. 'Mabait talaga siya. We're trying to spend time working out together. Pag may mga runs, we join the run,' he said. Blake admitted this new friendship feels different as he's not usually seen publicly spending time with someone. 'I'm just happy na I got to meet her, and magandang project din 'yung ginawa namin,' he said, referring to Kontrabida Academy — an upcoming Netflix film they're both starring in alongside Eugene Domingo.

Fatima Sana Shaikh celebrates ‘Sam Bahadur's' win at National Film Awards
Fatima Sana Shaikh celebrates ‘Sam Bahadur's' win at National Film Awards

Gulf Today

time9 hours ago

  • Gulf Today

Fatima Sana Shaikh celebrates ‘Sam Bahadur's' win at National Film Awards

Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh is all excited after her film 'Sam Bahadur' received not one, not two, but three prestigious honours at the recently announced 71st National Film Awards. The Meghna Gulzar directorial was awarded the 'Best Feature Film' on National, Social and Environmental Values, along with 'Best Makeup' and 'Best Costume Design.' Commemorating the significant achievement, Fatima congratulated the team, saying, 'Huge congratulations to the team of 'Sam Bahadur' for bagging three incredible National Film Awards!! It's truly a moment of honour.' Showing her gratitude for being a part of this incredible journey, the 'Dangal' actress added, 'I feel glad to be a part of the film and play the role of Smt. Indira Gandhi. Working with our director, Meghna Gulzar, was a dream, and it was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for me.' Made under the direction of Meghna Gulzar, 'Sam Bahadur' narrates the inspiring journey of India's first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw. Fatima stepped into the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the biographical drama. Backed by Ronnie Screwvala, under the banner of RSVP Movies, the project starred Vicky Kaushal in the title role, along with Sanya Malhotra as Silloo Manekshaw, Manekshaw's wife, Neeraj Kabi as Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Gen. Yahya Khan, Darius Chinoy as Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal., Elango Kumaravel as V. K. Krishna Menon, Vivek Bahl as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Sanjay Roy as Zakir Husain. Released on Dec.1, 2023, 'Sam Bahadur' is believed to have recorded a lifetime collection of 128.17 crore. On Tuesday, Fatima was all praises for her 'most favourite co-actor' and 'best guy ever' R Madhavan. Taking to her Instagram, she dropped a couple of precious moments with Madhavan from the sets of their romantic comedy 'Aap Jaisa Koi'. She penned, 'Maddy & Fatty... My most favourite co-actor!! Thank you for being so kind, generous, and for making this entire shoot feel easy and fun.' Fatima also thanked Madhavan for treating her with 'perfect filter coffees' and his mother's 'sambar masala recipe.' Meanwhile, as her film 'Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery' was honoured with the Best Hindi Film award at the 71st National Film Awards, actress Sanya Malhotra talked about visiting Ghatigaon during the prep and how it deeply impacted her. Sanya took to Instagram, where she shared a string of behind-the-scenes stills from the film. 'During the prep for Kathal I remember Yasho and I driving to Ghatigaon meeting the people who inspired him to write this story changed something in me. I still remember sitting in that car holding onto the weight of what it meant to play Mahima. I was overwhelmed, humbled and so deeply grateful,' she shared. 'Kathal — A Jackfruit Mystery,' is a satirical comedy drama film written by Ashok Mishra and directed by Yashowardhan Mishra for Netflix. Indo-Asian News Service

Netflix Is Betting Big on KPop Demon Hunters With Two Sequels
Netflix Is Betting Big on KPop Demon Hunters With Two Sequels

UAE Moments

time2 days ago

  • UAE Moments

Netflix Is Betting Big on KPop Demon Hunters With Two Sequels

After breaking records and topping charts, KPop Demon Hunters is officially leveling up. According to a new report from The Wrap, Netflix is fast-tracking not one, but two sequels to the viral animated sensation—essentially confirming that the fan-favorite is here to stay. Since its launch, KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix's most-watched animated film ever, while its infectious K-pop soundtrack hit #1 on multiple global charts. With those kinds of numbers, Netflix isn't just thinking sequel—it's thinking Frozen -level franchise. The streamer reportedly sees KPop Demon Hunters as its own Frozen moment: a genre-defining, culture-moving hit that could become synonymous with the platform. Sure, the metrics are different (hours watched vs. box office billions), but the cultural impact is tracking in the same direction. So what's next? The obvious: KPop Demon Hunters 2 and 3 are in early development. But that's not all. Other bold ideas being tossed around include a live-action remake and—get this—a stage musical. Yes, seriously. The film's rise has been anything but ordinary. It just hit its highest viewership yet—six weeks after release. That kind of delayed surge is unheard of in Netflix-land, where most projects peak early and fade fast. It turns out people keep coming back not just for the movie, but for its soundtrack—which doubles as a visual album you can vibe to on loop. The breakout tracks? Golden by the heroic band HUNTR/X and Your Idol by the sinister Saja Boys. Fittingly, the plot of the film revolves around those very two groups battling for chart dominance... and the soul of the planet. If you missed the memo: the film's premise is delightfully chaotic—generations of musicians using music to protect the world from demons. But when demons start dropping K-pop bangers of their own? Yeah, things get weird.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store