EXCLUSIVE: Hayat Aljowaily Goes Through the Kalam Aflam Files

“As a young Arab filmmaker myself, I wish that I had spaces like Kalam Aflam where I could show my art when I was first starting out my career.”

In a region that’s scattered not only across two continents, but also across the entire globe, it is difficult to find your audience. Emerging Arab artists, both ones who are finding their start in an Arab country or elsewhere, often find that they have no place to go, no one to really powerfully connect with. The element of diaspora also finds its way into this question of identity and performance; it’s an overwhelming experience for the young artist.

Kalam Aflam, a Paris-based organisation set on scaffolding young Arab artists, has spent the past year creating a home for fledgling Arab creatives in the diaspora. “Kalam Aflam is the space where these artists can kind of gently walk in, instead of having to kick the door,” Hayat Aljowaily, founder of Kalam Aflam, tells CairoScene.

In their pursuit of connection, Kalam Aflam created a community, and continues to foster one through the multidisciplinary events they hold, which, in the words of Aljowaily, “is a space for both reflection on identity and heritage as well as engagement in events that are holistically stimulating.” Kalam Aflam traverses the globe, bringing together creative communities with a shared goal of collective reflection, and creation simply follows through. “Every Kalam Aflam event, it feels like the world is suspended for a few hours. It’s like magic. Everyone is very present at that moment. It’s very beautiful witnessing that and even more beautiful contributing to it.”

“As cheesy as it sounds, over the past year Kalam Aflam has become everything to me,” Aljowaily adds. “It’s a place where we come together, friends, new people and artists who have come to call this community home.” In celebration of Kalam Aflam’s first birthday, we let Aljowaily take us on a tour of her favourite landmarks  - films, artists, musicians, collectives and more - within the folds of the initiative.

Films

Simo

This short film by Egyptian-Canadian director Aziz Zoromba follows the typical rivalries and jealousies that exist between the two teenage brothers Simo and Emad as they unfold into potential harm for the boys’ entire family.

The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry

Based in Jordan, ‘The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry’, directed by Faris Alrjoob, follows a woman as she traverses desolate bars, hotels, and offices alongside the Red Sea in an attempt to feel the ghost of her departed partner.

Sweet Refuge

This short film by Kashmiri-Canadian filmmaker Maryam Mir follows a Syrian grandfather who is spending his first-ever Eid in the United States. He bumps into an Indian refugee who helps him make sales on his lifetime project - walnut baklavas - making the film a wholesome portrait of migration, identity and community. The Kalam Aflam holy trinity, essentially.

Film Program

Al Hob Thawra

In our conversation about her favourite Kalam Aflam films (an impossible question, naturally), Aljowaily could not pick among the film program for Kalam Aflam’s event ‘Al Hob Thawra’. The entirety of the program, which included ‘The Crossing’ by Ameen Nayfeh, ‘Condom Lead’ by Arab and Tarzan Nasser, ‘Bonboné’ by Rakan Mayasi, ‘Siri Miri’ by Luay Awwad and ‘By the Sea’ by Wisam Al Jafari, managed to make it into her list.

Artists

Rali

A Moroccan photographer residing in Paris, Rali is a documentary photographer who debuted with Kalam Aflam at their recent anniversary event.

Naila Salmi Khodja

A long-standing member of the Kalam Aflam community, Naila Salmi is a photographer who’s been with the initiative since its early beginnings, and is described by Aljowaily as “incredible”.

Chez Nous

Crafting sustainable clothing in Tunisia, Chez Nous is a brand whose art is wearable, and whose pop-up at one of Kalam Aflam’s events made a lasting impact on Aljowaily.

Musicians

Elias

It was hard to make picks for the musicians’ section, but Elias, a musician who fuses rai with pop and sings in English, Arabic and French, had to make it to the selection. Elias performed with Kalam Aflam at their second-ever event in July 2023, and has since performed thrice with the initiative. In Aljowaily’s words, “He’s a Kalam Aflam baby.”

Hasna

Hasna performed with Elias at Kalam Aflam’s ‘12 Degrees’ event, where the idea was to bring artists who have never performed together, who have never met, together on one stage. The two had amazing onstage synergy.

MaBeyn

Palestinian-Egyptian artist Ma Beyn performed at Kalam Aflam’s anniversary event, and, according to Aljowaily, wowed the crowd with her impressive fusion of genres.

Hadi Ammar Birajakli

Birajakli, a multidisciplinary artist focused on making progressive rock music, reflects on identity and migration in his solo music, which only sensically places him among Aljowaily’s top picks.

Sossaloza

A combination of various backgrounds in music-form, Sossaloza, Sossaliza’s newest project, has a soft spot in Aljowaily’s heart. “It’s just been really cool to witness how Sossaliza’s style has grown and changed since we first started working with her.”

DJs

Lana Mawlood

Seeing her debut with Kalam Aflam at their anniversary party, Mawlood is a Kirdish-British ‘conjurer of the vibes’ - AKA DJ - who instantly found her spot among Aljowaily’s favourites.

Taziri

Amazigh-French DJ Taziri is notorious on the Parisian DJ scene, so it’s no wonder the artist made it into Aljowaily’s sonic selection.

Deatra

Moroccan artist Deatra, who also resides in Paris, tells elaborate emotional stories through groovy minimal techno, earning herself a spot among Aljowaily’s favourites.

Collectives

Hekayyatna

London-based project Hekayyatna organises events centred around conversation, where they tackle questions that plague the general community’s minds and (try to) find answers. Their research-based community-building has found its way into Kalam Aflam’s events.

La Palestine Nous Rassemble

Translating into ‘Palestine Unites Us’, La Palestine Nous Rassemble is a France-based organisation which aims to celebrate Palestinian heritage and culture, and has also collaborated with Kalam Aflam on their beloved ‘Al Hob Thawra’ event.