Al Jazeera World

An action movie with global stars, fast cars and an exotic location is nothing new. But the politics behind the scenes of The Misfits, a recent high-octane movie release, reveals its own story - one of producer power struggles, money, influence, politics, and an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of a country. Production on the film began while Qatar was under a blockade by four of its Arab neighbours, including the UAE. When a new Abu Dhabi-based producer took over financing The Misfits, the story, location and focus shifted from a Caribbean crime caper to one involving Qatar and a "terror" plot. Then real political events overtook the fiction, so a watered-down version of the movie was hastily made and released - still with some lingering Qatar references. This investigation explores the lengths taken to try and alter the public perception of Qatar through the production of an adventure movie. It asks: Why was so much money and effort spent on this project? Who was really behind it? And how much

Four stories: a Sinai Bedouin who lived through the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; a retired Jordanian spy who worked undercover in the occupied West Bank; the granddaughter of the leader of a bid for independence in a small town in Egypt in 1919; and one man’s recollection of the protests in Tunisia on January 17, 1961, sparked by the filming of the Hollywood movie, The Thief of Baghdad. In this film, we present witnesses' accounts of these historical stories - each told through a unique and subjective perspective by those who witnessed the events first-hand, or who have had the narrative handed down to them orally. Each storyteller recounts key moments in history, as they saw it, upfront and personally.

Courage, corruption, culture and competition – all major factors in the life and times of the first women’s football team in Somalia and its inspirational young coach, Shaima Sellal. The government gave the go-ahead for a women’s team in 1994, but it did not take off because of the continuing civil war. Football can be a casualty of the conflict in a "failed state". But when an enthusiastic, 19-year-old player-coach arrived from Kenya in 2015, she kick-started the team and adopted the name the "Golden Girls". The team grew, and it applied to FIFA for funding to go to South Africa to play in a tournament in 2018 – but the local authorities siphoned off the cash. When Shaima questioned them, she received threats and had to flee back to Kenya. Now Shaima arrives back in Somalia, firing on all cylinders. In this film, she and her players tell their personal stories of having to fight the prejudices of a traditional, conservative Muslim culture and for recognition by their families and society as a whole. But wh

Between 2006 and 2011, a high-stakes negotiated prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip. During that time, the two sides did not have any direct contact, so mediators from Egypt, Germany and Ireland were involved. At stake were the terms of exchange between one captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners. This film goes behind the scenes of that remarkable five-year operation. Al Jazeera Arabic reporter Tamer Almisshal and his team secured access to those at the centre of the complex negotiations, including a rare interview with senior Hamas leader Marwan Issa as well as former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. It is a story of deadlines, brinksmanship, intelligence and ultimately of deal-making: in exchange for the release of Shalit, Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. In early 2021, Hamas claimed to hold a further four Israeli prisoners, captured in the 2014 war. While Israel disputed their full claim,

Arabs Abroad: The Designer & the Atomic Scientist profiles two people who have built highly successful, yet quite different, lives in countries beyond their Arab homelands. The film meets an Iraqi graphic designer living in Germany - a man whose work is seen by millions - and a Palestinian-American atomic scientist whose research with the smallest of particles brings life-changing benefits to people around the world. Decades after they moved, both remain connected to their roots, each - in their own way - giving something back their region of origin. While stories about migrants and refugees from the Middle East are often simply about their journeys, Arabs Abroad explores what happens after these people arrive at their destination.

Football is hugely popular in Chad but results on the pitch have been disappointing. It has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup. In 2016, the national team was suspended after facing financial problems. That ban was lifted in 2019, the starting point of this film. Players, coaches, politicians and fans all have conflicting views on how the national football team will find success. The weight of that responsibility now rests on a handful of players, each filled with footballing passion but without the resources they need. In one of the poorest countries in the world, can the squad find success at last? What will it take to rebuild a team recovering from a ban from the Africa Cup of Nations, largely caused by financial problems? And how will it overcome these economic woes to deliver the wins they need?

Pirate radio: A force for change or a transient subversive movement? The Voice of Peace and Radio Caroline were pirate radio stations that launched in the 1960s and 1970s, broadcasting from ships anchored outside national territorial waters, in an attempt to challenge the societies around them. Radio Caroline, moored off the east coast of England, was "The Boat that Rocked" and was hugely popular with young 1960s music fans. Along with other pirate stations of the time, it helped bring about a cultural change in British broadcasting that is still felt today. The Voice of Peace, based in the eastern Mediterranean, expressed an alternative, pacifist, political viewpoint outside of 1970s Israeli mainstream politics. This documentary intercuts the stories of these two stations, through a mix of archive, presenter anecdotes, journalistic analysis and historical context. In so doing, it sheds light on both 1960s European pop culture and on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Music offers insights into the songwriter, the performers, the audience and their cultures. In this film, we delve into the stories of four songs from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan. From Morocco comes an expression of mourning and loss - Younes Megri is a renowned regional name whose most famous song was picked up by a western pop group. The Algerian song is from the legendary Hamid Cheriet, aka ‘Idir’, who sang in the Amazigh language and achieved a global fan base. The patriotic Tunisian anthem was written by Mohamed Jamoussi, who was close to the country’s first Prime Minister Habib Bourguiba. And from Sudan is a people's song about heroism that dates back to a major flood on the Nile in 1946. All are part of the long North African tradition of songwriting and performance. We speak with a range of musicians, historians and commentators who explain these songs' fascinating contexts and histories.

A Palestinian boy who was rescued from danger in 1967 grew up to become a major global figure in the Red Crescent and Red Cross, while a Jordanian woman who struggled to get into American medical schools now leads cutting-edge research into rheumatic treatments. Dr Hossam Elsharkawi was rescued from Gaza during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; decades later, he has been responsible for rescuing thousands of people from war zones. Jordanian Dr Nadera Sweiss is now also a highly regarded physician based in Chicago. Both doctors not only achieved their goals but have also selflessly improved the lives of thousands of patients and those suffering in conflicts and crises around the world. We follow both their stories in the latest episode of Arabs Abroad, a series about men and women who have left the Middle East to lead successful careers in other countries. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/al

"Less is more," so the saying goes. While many people aspire to earn more, buy more and own more, some are challenging material values and looking to seriously declutter their lives. The "simple living" movement, also known as minimalism, is about being satisfied with what you have rather than constantly craving more. In this documentary, a social media consultant in Istanbul persuades his family to follow him on a quest for a less materialistic lifestyle. They visit a self-sufficient rural commune and meet others who have already rejected consumer values - including a former automotive engineer who gave up all his credit cards and an architect-turned-shepherd in the Anatolia Mountains. As the global pandemic forces us all to adjust to a "life on hold", this film taps into the zeitgeist and asks if we really need so much stuff.

Volcanic eruptions, large-scale destruction, seismic movements and emergency evacuation - are all constant threats to the three million people who live near the world's most dangerous active volcano, Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, Italy. The 800,000 who live in the "red zone" in the immediate vicinity of the volcano are at even greater risk. Mount Vesuvius has not erupted since 1944, but many volcanologists say a new explosion is due. In this documentary, we meet local people who, far from living in fear, embrace life in the red zone and would not live anywhere else. While some are understandably nervous, farmers and gardeners love the rich soil and the quality produce, while winemakers make a good living. Others are so attached to the volcano that they miss it when they go away, and a supportive community has formed in the high-risk area. This film reveals the human side of volcanic seismology and captures the contradictions and complexities of living in the shadow of what some locals call "a monster".

Cafés and thickly brewed Arabic coffee have often been at the heart of literary, artistic and political change in the Arab world practically from the beginning. Arab cafés are meeting places, watering holes, smoking dens, board game venues, hubs of conversation, political chatrooms - or simply somewhere to pass the time. Some attract business people, others attract journalists, traders, actors or artists - but each has its own character and feel. This programme visits iconic cafés in four major Arab cities - Marrakesh, Cairo, Algiers and Hebron - and listens to the stories of the wide array of customers that frequent them.

Ismael El Ouali is a barber and fan of Moroccan film star Rachid El Ouali, no relation. Ismael not only adopted his hero’s name but also made it his mission to go and meet him. Palestinians Mahmoud Afana and Mohammed Qassim are childhood friends who performed in school plays and now run a sweets shop to subsidise their passion for filmmaking. Youssef Benkaddour is a security guard so in love with Bollywood that he watches at least three films a day. Azizz Oubiye was a clerk and actor in 2013 when his young son, Yazid, was diagnosed with leukaemia. The boy suggested his dad should make a film and so My Bird in Heaven is the touching story of the life and death of his young child. These five characters would all like to make it in the filmmaking world - but equally important is their desire to repay the faith others have shown in them. They all share a hope that any modest rewards they gain might be just around the corner, inshallah.

When Spanish director Paula Palacios embarks on a road trip across Spain to uncover her roots, she discovers her own Muslim past and a very different version of history to the one she learned at school. Her journey pieces together a centuries-old jigsaw and the largely untold story of Christian Spaniards of Muslim origin. In 1502, shortly after the fall of the last Muslim state in the Iberian Peninsula, Muslims in Spain faced a stark choice: convert to Christianity or be exiled to northwest Africa. Those who stayed formed a new social class, Christians of Muslim origin, known as the Moriscos. In 1609, however, a royal decree demanded that the Moriscos be expelled completely. Palacios' trip takes her across Spain where she talks to archaeologists, historians, architects and anthropologists, as well as descendants of the Moriscos. She discovers solid clues that suggest that thousands of Moriscos had indeed remained in Spain, backed up by modern historians who contend that many had lived quietly under the rada

In mid-2020, a mobile phone belonging to an Al Jazeera Arabic investigative team was hacked. Over the next few months, reporter Tamer Almisshal and the Canadian research group Citizen Lab investigated Pegasus, the sophisticated spyware used. Pegasus is manufactured by an Israeli technology company called the NSO Group and is among the most advanced spyware in the world. It can access and infiltrate a smartphone without the owner clicking a link, opening an email or even answering their phone - meaning it can go undetected. This investigation exposes how Pegasus works, how governments like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have bought the hugely expensive spyware and how it has been used beyond the stated intentions of the NSO Group of “developing technology to prevent and investigate terror and crime” - including to target journalists.

In European cities, young people of Arab descent often see themselves as socially, economically and culturally excluded from their immediate environment. In some cases, they are also vulnerable to radicalisation. In Belgium, the densely populated Brussels suburb of Molenbeek is home to 100,000 residents, many of them first and second-generation immigrants. It gained notoriety in 2015 as the home of some of the Bataclan attackers in Paris. In Sweden, Muslims in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby say that authorities have abandoned them, leaving them vulnerable to far-right racist attacks, while police dismiss suggestions that they have failed to protect immigrants. And in Denmark, in the Copenhagen suburb of Norrebro, communities speak of a social hierarchy that places Danes at the top of the socioeconomic ladder and Arabs at the bottom. In The Other Face Of Europe, we visit these three cities to get an insight into the issues and to hear directly from those living with it every day: radicalised young people, c

Samir Kassir, a Lebanese journalist, academic and political activist, paid the ultimate price for his work when he was killed by a car bomb outside his Beirut home in 2005. While accusations, speculation and denials followed his death, it was clear that Kassir's critical voice had drawn the ire of big power players in Lebanon. This documentary tells the story of the infamous murder while also exposing some of the politics that define Lebanon, both then and now. Lebanon saw a particularly bloody year in 2005. On February 14, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, an opponent of Syria’s 30-year presence in Lebanon, was assassinated in a car bomb in Beirut. His death triggered huge public protest, which led to Syria withdrawing all its troops in April 2005. Among the many who were outraged at the assassination was Kassir. Just months later, after a regular phone call with a French reporter, Kassir got into his car to go about his work. Seconds after he started the engine of his silver Alfa Romeo, explosives deto

We are what we eat. In this film, we embark on a culinary journey and dig into the hidden history of four favourite foods - from Andalusia to the Levant. Travelling through Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, we seek out their true origins and discover what they tell us about the cultures that created them. Paella dates back to the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain - from 661 to 750 CE - and derives its name from the Arabic word "ba-iya" meaning "leftovers". While the rulers enjoyed the finest seafood banquets, the servants took whatever remained, mixed it with rice in a large metal pan and shared it around the town. Zgougou assidat is a 19th-century Tunisian dessert created during a time of famine. Jordan’s national dish Mansaf, meaning "large platter", has its roots in Bedouin culture. Fattoush is a well-known salad made with toasted Arabic flatbread, tomatoes and radishes, claimed by the Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians. But its likely origins can be traced to a single family in one place: Zahle in L

In October 1973, Israel and Egypt were on the brink of war. Egypt wanted to regain territory in Sinai lost in 1967 and thought that surprise might give them the edge. But somehow, Israel knew an attack was imminent. Egyptian businessman Ashraf Marwan was already feeding Israel valuable intelligence. He told the Israelis when Egypt would attack: at sunset on October 6, the Jewish Day of Atonement. As it happened, he was off by a few hours. Egypt did take Israel by surprise in what became a 19-day war that saw Sinai regained, along with a large amount of national pride. What part did Ashraf Marwan really play in this Arab-Israeli drama? Was he a spy, a double agent - or just an untrustworthy opportunist? And why did he die in mysterious circumstances in London 34 years later? Ashraf Marwan was well connected and married to the daughter of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was reported to have amassed his fortune brokering arms deals and is described as a diplomat, businessman, government ministe

The political sands are shifting in the Middle East. New alliances are being formed that until recently would have been unimaginable. But as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and, potentially, Sudan forge closer relationships with Israel, where does this leave the Palestinians, particularly those in Gaza? How is Hamas - the elected government of Gaza - and its paramilitary wing, the Qassam Brigades, adjusting to the new regional political climate? In this film, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Tamer Almisshal meets Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniya and discovers dramatic and surprising military preparations that may seriously concern Israel and its allies. Today, the Gaza Strip is blockaded by the two countries bordering Gaza, Israel and Egypt, but it somehow continues to obtain rocket technology, some of it homemade, some smuggled in. Tamer Almisshal has obtained video of rockets being manufactured in Gaza. Iran is cited as a likely supplier but the source of some of this weaponry is unexpected. While clearing dama