masahat - مساحات

Solidarity and its undersides
2024-09-21 12:00 - 13:30 (Europe/Oslo) | Interkulturelt Museum, Tøyenbekken 5,, Oslo, 0188, Norway
Listening in to a history on the sidelines, tracing overlaps between personal history and public history, witnessing a genocide and morphing through the witnessing, daydreaming of the moment the war will be over, remaking a home by the sea in Gaza, imagining a politics that defaces the universal but that is not stuck in the particular. The aforementioned is a laundry list that tries to unpack solidarity; turning it from a moral act of sympathy and alignment to a mode of engagement where one’s own life from here on is in question. It is an engagement through the troublesome substance of time.
This event is in collaboration with Centre for Islamic and Middle East Studies.

Carnival of Grief: Songs of Anemone
2024-09-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Grønlands Torg, Grønlands Torg, Oslo, 0188, Norway
Songs of Anemone – cries of the land and its people, is a series of events occupying grief practice as a radical form of protest and an act of defiance of all oppressive colonial systems prevalent in our world. Standing on the foundation of grief as the very fabric that holds us together, we will dive into the subject through a two weeks residency to draw on a collective map of grief through voice and body, later, manifesting symbols and words into masks and puppet-making, subsequently offering various public iterations of ritual and performance, as acts to restore our humanity and capacity to acknowledge the mass collective loss that we are enduring.
We hope to amplify the echoes of our brutal times, to defy the silencing establishment, and reclaim our right to publicly mourn the vast expanse of our losses, and express our outrage against all injustices. From the on-going carnage of exterminating people and their culture, to the devastatingly disappointing paralysis of international human rights law, and the daily extinction of species on our earth, we come together to honor the death of every innocent life and living form, and stand in solidarity with all those who are are facing unimaginable systematic savagery and horror. It is our collective responsibility to weave our bodies together in communal practice, and begin to dismantle exercised systems of violence and what it means for genocide and ecocide to be our present reality, and how might we respond to such sustained atrocities.

Poems of Consumption / Hamed Sinno med live strykekvartett
2024-09-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Riksscenen, Trondheimsveien 2T, Oslo, Norway
Det er med stor glede at Masahatfestivalen 2024 og Ultima presenterer den ikoniske libanesisk-amerikanske Hamed Sinno med deres solodebut Poems of Consumption på Riksscenen den 21. september.
Hamed Sinno er tidligere vokalist i det legendariske indie-rock bandet, Mashrou’ Leila.
Det kritikerroste «Poems of Consumption» er en litterær sangsyklus og en multimediaforestilling som utforsker temaer som overforbruk, psykisk sykdom, kjærlighetssorg og klimaendringer. Stykket ble fremført på Londons Barbican Centre i juli 2023. Delvis inspirert av Mark Fishers “Capitalist Realism”, bruker Sinno poesi skrevet som produktanmeldelser på nettbutikken Amazon for å uttrykke følelser rundt den øyeblikkelige tilfredsstillelsen som følger med netthandel og overforbruk.
Hamed vil opptre sammen med en norsk strykekvartett:

Magnus Boye Hansen (fiolinist)
Jon Mehus (fiolinist)
Bendik Bjørnstad Foss (bratsjist)
Inga Byrkjeland (cellist)

Hamed Sinno er komponist, forfatter og kunstner. Deres research bruker fremføring for å utforske stemmen og digital vokalitet som sted for politisk forhandling. Sinno skriver og foreleser om populærkultur som engasjert praksis. De var tekstforfatter og vokalist for Mashrou’ Leila fra 2008-2022. Deres debut i fulllengde opera, Westerly Breath, var under utvikling ved The Industry Los Angeles, og åpnet på New York Met Museum januar 2024. Deres solodebut, Poems of Consumption, åpnet på Londons Barbican Centre i juli 2023.

Magnus Boye Hansen (fiolinist)
Den norske fiolinisten og bratsjisten Magnus Boye Hansen har sin bakgrunn fra Barratt Due musikkinstitutt i Oslo, Universität der Kunste i Berlin og Musikkhøgskolen i Oslo der han har studert med Morten Carlsen, Geir Inge Lotsberg, Axel Gerhardt og Lars Anders Tomter. Han bor i Oslo og er 2016 fiolinist i Kringkastingsorkesteret og Det Norske Kammerorkester, og fra 2018 medlem av Oslo strykekvartett. I sistnevnte ensemble spiller han på en Matteo Gofriller bratsj fra 1710, vennlig lånt fra Dextra Musica-stiftelsen. Han er også medlem i LightsOut ensemble, et ensemble som utelukkende spiller konserter i absolutt mørke for utøvere og publikum og medgrunnlegger av Boyes Musikkkompani, et produksjonsselskap for og med klassisk musikk med prosjekter som spenner fra flere konserter og kammeropera-produksjoner til podcasting. Hans nyeste album er 3 fiolinsonater av Christian Sinding sammen med Mathias Halvorsen.
Jon Mehus (fiolinist)
Jon Mehus er en frilansfiolinist med base i Oslo. Han har bred erfaring fra ulike orkestre og ensembler, både nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Jon har solid bakgrunn innen klassisk musikk, med utdannelse fra Barratt-Due Musikkinstitutt.
Bendik Bjørnstad Foss (bratsjist)
har i vel 20 år hatt en utstrakt frilansvirksomhet i ulike ensembler, orkestre og festivaler i inn-og utland. Han har samarbeidet med flere ledende komponister og utøvere i Norge og utlandet, både som solist, kammermusiker og som medlem av ensembler som Cikada og Oslo Sinfonietta. Som pedagog har han bl.a. vært tilknyttet stiftelsen Dextra Musica, Apprendiz(Brasil) og Transpositions (Vietnam). Han er en etterspurt kammermusikkpartner, og medvirker på et stort antall plateinnspillinger over et bredt spekter av genrer.
Inga Byrkjeland (cellist)
Inga Byrkjeland (f. 1982) er en norsk cellist fra Førde, bosatt i Oslo.Hun har studert ved Norges Musikkhøgskole hos bl.a. Truls Mørk og Aage Kvalbein. Hun er frilanser og har spilt i de fleste norske orkestre, i noen av dem også som gruppeleder. For tiden spiller hun mest i Oslofilharmonien. Hun har som orkestermusiker fått spille på mange scener og festivaler i inn- og utland, som Royal Albert Hall, Philharmonie Berlin, Musikverein, Philharmonie de Paris og Elbphilharmonie for å nevne noen.Inga er en aktiv kammermusiker, og er med i flere ensembler: ensemble neoN, ensemble Temporum og nå også en ny cellotrio – Djup trio. Hun spiller jevnlig i Cikada ensemble og i Oslo Sinfonietta. Hun har gjennom sitt virke i ny musikk-feltet samarbeidet med mange komponister og også bestilt og fått skrevet stykker til seg og/eller sine ensembler.Hun har bred erfaring fra flere musikksjangre, også barokk og pop/jazz.Sammen med Ensemble neoN har Inga to ganger vunnet Spellemannsprisen, i 2013 (Åpen klasse) og i 2016 (Samtid). Hun vant også NMH’s kammermusikk-konkurranse i 2008. Inga spiller på en Justin Derazey, bygget i Paris i 1862.

Djadba Ensemble
2024-09-21 21:30 - 22:30 | Riksscenen, Trondheimsveien 2T, Oslo, Norway
Masahatfestivalen og Riksscenen presenterer Djadba Ensemble, frontet av Khalid Laaouam.

Djadba ensemble koker opp sin egne energiske fusion av Gnawa- og Isawamusikk, shaabi, ørkenblues og tilhørende uttrykk. Det Oslobaserte bandet er et nytt tilskudd til pulsen av suggerende beats fra den afrikanske og arabiske diaspora som trekker stadig flere lyttere til festivalscener og klubber – av åpenbare årsaker!

Bandet frontes av Khalid Laaouam på vokal og gembri. Født i Marokko startet han sin musikalske karriere med sufi-folkemusikk før han etablerte seg i Spania og Norge. Laaouam trakterer også saksofon, ghaitafløyte og diverse perkusjonsinstrumenter, og har blitt en ettertraktet musiker med prosjekter som Zawya og Baba Jalil.

Othman Hmimar (vokal, perkusjon) er kjent fra et av Marokkos største band Hoba Hoba Spirit som har stått på scener som Roskilde og Webster Hall i New York med sin egen trespråklige miks av indierock, gnawa, punk og sufimusikk. Den allsidige Raciel Torres (trommer) fra Cuba er en prisbelønt trommeslager og komponist som har spilt med jazzmusikere i verdensklasse, gitarist Jørgen Kasbo kjenner vi i senere tid fra Fieh, og Erlend A. Tredal(gitar/bass) spiller med bl.a. med Ruben og Sebastian Zalo og er låtskriver/produsent for prosjektene ¡BangBang Watergun! og Soundfocker.

Ultima x Masahat: Club night
2024-09-21 23:00 - 2024-09-22 01:00 | BLÅ, Brenneriveien 9c, Oslo, 0182, Norway
Ultima, Blå and Masahat invite you to a club night with DJ Plead and Deena Abdelwahed.
DJ Plead, a Melbourne/Naarm producer based in Berlin, takes the stage next, drawing on his Lebanese background, to create percussive club music that blends the rhythms, scales and timbres of Lebanese pop and traditional music with other contemporary dance styles. Plead’s contribution responds to Deathprod and sets the stage for the final act.
With her upbeat approach, Tunisian DJ/producer Deena Abdelwahed reclaims the diverse elements of Arabic music, drawing inspiration from electronic dance music influenced by club and avant-garde experimental scenes. Her dynamic performance, concluding in a b2b with long-time friend and collaborator Plead, urges the audience to the dancefloor. Her set is guaranteed to leave your ears tingling with curiosity about parallel musical worlds and the possibilities of connecting them.

Prayer Circle for Courage and Perseverance
2024-09-22 12:00 - 14:00 | Anarres Bokkafé, Urtegata 39, Oslo, 0187, Norway
Through poetry, ritual mantras and rosary work, Lina Atallah and Priya Bains will lead us through prayer work for our martyrs and prisoners, for our people in Palestine and for wretched peoples elsewhere, for our activists and our witnesses to continue to have the courage to persevere in fighting for a world less brutal. The prayer we invite you is not to God’s unknown but to each other, for it is through our commitment to the collective and to each other that we bring about change.

Masahat screens
2024-09-22 14:30 - 18:00 | Vega Scene, Hausmanns gate 30, Oslo, 0182, Norway
Masahat Screens 2024 will present films from the Arab world that explore themes of protest, life under occupation and the struggles of life in exile curated by Mira Adoumier, and a second part with films from Sudan curated by Khalid Albaih.
The program consists of three parts:

kl. 14:45 Mahdi Fleifel short films – Life in Exile | Tickets
kl. 16:45 Five Broken Cameras | Tickets
kl. 18:45 Masahat: Films from Sudan | Tickets

PART I
14:45 PART I (total 1hr 29 mins): is a selection of four short films by the award-winning Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel

20 Handshakes For Peace (2015, 5 min)
A Man Returned (2017, 30 min)
3 Logical Exists (2020, 14 min)
I Signed the Petition (2018, 10 min).

The short films will be followed by Some Strings, a selection of videos by filmmakers and artists from around the world, each contributing with a cinematic gesture in honor of the late poet and teacher Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I must Die”.
PART II

16:45 PART II (total 1 hr 30 mins)

The Palestinian farmer Emad buys his first camera in 2005, when his fourth son is born. The family lives in the village of Bil’in, where over the years Israeli settlements occupy larger and larger parts of the land. The camera captures the son’s upbringing, surrounded by bulldozers, soldiers and ever-higher walls.
5 Broken Cameras is a deeply personal film about citizens questioning non-violent ideals in the struggle against an oppressive regime. Through Emad’s camera lens, we follow the family and the village’s demonstrations over five dramatic years.
This screening is presented by Masahat in collaboration with Oslo Dokumentarkino.
PART III

Curated by Khalid Albaih, the second part of the program presents a powerful collection of films that speak to resilience, defiance, and the enduring human spirit.
The program will feature a selection of four short documentaries: Journey to Kenya by Ibrahim Snoopy (2020, 29 min), Brick of Life by Razan Mohamed (2022, 12 min), Nas Shagala by Klozium Studios (2013, 16 min) and The Art of Sin by Ibrahim Mursal (2017, 45 min). These documentaries offer intimate, poignant glimpses into the lived experiences of Sudanese individuals, exploring themes of displacement, exile, and personal and collective struggles under oppressive regimes that led to the devastating two-year war in Sudan. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A between the filmmaker and curator Khalid Albaih and Ibrahim Mursal.

Den gamle nye Levanten: Film + samtale
2025-03-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Vega Scene, Hausmanns gate 30, Oslo, 0182, Norway
As part of HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival, this event presents a program of short films curated by Masahat, followed by a panel discussion with Nadim Khoury, Rana Issa, and Zeina Bali.
In recent months, the Levant has witnessed dramatic upheavals: an ongoing genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, Israel’s war on Lebanon and the assassination of the Hezbollah leadership, and the fall of Assad’s 54-year rule in Syria. At the same time, we keep hearing about Netanyahu and Trump’s plans to redraw the map of the Middle East.
But how has this map evolved over the past half century?
Through film screenings and conversation, we take a historical look at the spirals of violence, wars, and militarization that have shaped Levantine society for more than 50 years. With a post-nationalist perspective, we want to shed light on the regional lines that have characterized the small nations of the Levant.

Read more & buy tickets

Short film program

Swords Take Me
In one of his poems, poet Mohsen al Ha’eri, speaking in the voice of Imam Hussein (the son of Imam Ali and, after his father, the second of the twelve Shi’a Imams) prior to his martyrdom in the battle of Karbala, says: “If the religion of Mohamed shall not prevail but through my killing/ Then O swords take me”. This video attempts to look at the mythological and metaphysical aspects of Lebanon’s July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
2012, 30 minutes, arabic speech with english subtitles.
Director: Marwan Hamdan.

Step by Step
Step by Step is a reflection of the foundations of Syrian society under Assad rule. Ten years before filmmaker Ossama Mohammed received international recognition with Stars in Broad Daylight (1988) and 36 years before his award winning film Silvered Water – Syria Self Portrait 2014), he captured the dire state of Syria in this short documentary.Through the film’s experimental style, a harsh reality emerges closer to the surface. The apparently harmonious countryside turns out to be choking and violent. The effects of this are clearly demonstrated as a soldier talks about his childhood, in between the impressions of village life. Freedom and innocence have made way for a disturbing, fanatical loyalty to the state. Is this a reflection of the foundations of Syrian society under Assad’s rule?
1979, 24 minutes, arabic speech with english subtitles.
Director: Ossama Mohammad.

Detail 4
Inauguration of the Meir Kahana bible school in Tapu’ah, one of the most extreme Jewish settelements in the occupied territories.
2004, 5 minutes, hebrew speech with english subtitles.
Director: Avi Mograbi.

Interview with Ghassan Kanafani
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine spokesman Ghassan Kanafani interviewed by Richard Carleton, Beirut 1970.
1970, 7 minutes,
Director: Unknown.
About the directors
Marwan Hamdan is a Lebanese filmmaker and artist whose works explore Beirut’s political and social modern history, with a particular focus on religion, mythology, belief and systems of power. Filmography: “News from Rmeileh (2018), “Offside” (2015), “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” (2014), “Separation Anxiety” (2013), “O Swords Take Me” (2012).
Ossama Mohammad is a Syrian filmmaker, screenwriter and lecturer. His fiction and documentary films “Silvered Water” (2014), “Sunduq al Dunya” (2002) and “Nujoom Al Nahar” (1988) have all been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. His films have been banned in Syria, but have received critical acclaim and several awards internationally. In 2015, he received the Prince Claus Award. Ossama currently lives in exile in Paris.
Avi Mograbi is an Israeli filmmaker and video artist, born in 1956 in Tel Aviv, where he lives and works to this day. Mograbi is one of Israel’s most acclaimed filmmakers, and is best known for his unwavering commitment to social, cultural and political justice in the Middle East, as well as his experimental and innovative cinematic language. Mograbi’s documentaries have been programmed by festivals around the world, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Rome, New York, FID Marseille, Vision du Reel and San Francisco, among others.
The final filmmaker is unknown, but here is a little about the journalist who interviews in “Ghassan Kanafani”: Richard George Carleton (July 11, 1943 – May 7, 2006) was an Australian television journalist, who eventually produced films abroad, such as in Indonesia (he was the only journalist allowed to visit the newly “integrated” East Timor) and in the Middle East.

Masahat Festival 2025 Opening party at BABA BAR
2025-09-17 09:30 - 23:30 | Baba bar, Storgata 13, Oslo, 0155, Norway
Opening Night: Concert & Gathering

📍 Concert: Cosmopolite | Afterparty: Baba Bar📅 17 September 2025🕖 Concert: 19:00 | Opening Night Gathering: 21:30🌿 Free and open for all

Masahat Festival 2025 begins with a powerful opening concert by Emel at Cosmopolite on 17 September at 19:00.
After the concert, we invite you to continue the celebration at Baba Bar from 21:30. The opening night gathering is informal — no stage, no program — just a space to meet, mingle, and share the excitement of the week ahead.
This evening marks the start of a festival dedicated to art, thought, and exchange. Join us as we step into a week filled with concerts, performances, talks, and community.
Welcome!

Masahat 2025 åpningskonsert: Emel
2025-09-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Cosmopolite, Vogts gate 64, Oslo, Oslo, 0477, Norway
I anledning sitt 10-årsjubileum er Masahat stolte av å samarbeide med Cosmopolite for å presentere to ekstraordinære kvinnelige stemmer fra Nord-Afrika.
Festivalen åpner med Emel, en av Tunisias mest ikoniske artister, etterfulgt av en fredagskonsert med den sjelfulle marokkanske sangeren Oum.

18:00 Dørene åpner
19:00 Konsertstart

Siden gjennombruddet i 2011 med låten “Kelmti Horra” (“Mitt ord er fritt”) – en hymne for den arabiske våren – har Emel Mathlouthi vært en fryktløs stemme for frihet og kunstnerisk nytenkning.

Hennes fjerde album, “MRA” (som betyr kvinne på arabisk), er et dristig manifest for kvinnelig frigjøring. Derfor er alle som har bidratt til albumet – produsenter, musikere og gjesteartister – kvinner. Resultatet er en sjangeroverskridende miks der afrikansk trap, batucada, arabisk reggaeton, hiphop og drum’n’bass smelter sammen med sterke melodier og styrkende budskap.

Emel har etablert seg som en avantgarde kunstner på den internasjonale scenen, kjent for sin gripende stemme og sjangerbrytende musikk.

Et av hennes mest minneverdige øyeblikk var da hun opptrådte på Nobels fredspriskonsert i 2015. Hun har samarbeidet med Valgeir Sigurdsson (Björk, Sigur Rós), Tricky, Barbara Pravi, Bachar Mar-Khalifé, Vitalic, og senest Acid Arab på låten “Lose My Mind”.

Kjøp en kombinasjonsbillett til både Emels konsert (onsdag 17. sept) og Oums konsert (fredag 19. sept) til rabattert pris

Ordinær pris – enkelbillett: 350/300,-
Ordinær pris – kombobillett: 600/550,-

“Med sitt helkvinnelige album […] endrer Emel spillet.” — VOGUE

“Med sitt sensuelle uttrykk, flerspråklige tekster, pulserende elektronika og stilfulle kostymer, fremstår Emel som en arabisk slektning av Björk.” — The Times (WOMAD festival)

“Emels sjelfulle musikk traff akkurat det uttrykket jeg ønsket å formidle.” — Shirin Neshat via The New York Times

“WOMAD-anmeldelse: Den Björk-lignende glamouren til den tunisiske-amerikanske Emel […] . En av helgens mest kraftfulle øyeblikk da hennes utrolige multi-oktav-stemme fylte rommet.” — The Guardian

Marthe Valle opens Masahat Festival 2025
2025-09-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Cosmopolite, Vogts gate 64, Oslo, Oslo, 0477, Norway
We at Masahat are proud to present Marthe Valle as the opening artist of the festival at Cosmopolite on 17 September, ahead of the evening’s main concert with Emel.
Marthe is a singer and songwriter with an impressive career. Since her debut in 2004, she has released seven albums, won the Spellemann Award, and toured extensively across Norway. She is widely recognized for her powerful stage presence and music that resonates deeply with both heart and mind.
Beyond her work as a musician, Marthe is also a trained nurse with a strong social commitment. She works in psychiatry and addiction care in Bergen and has served as a health worker during the refugee crisis in Greece and in Palestine. She has also collaborated with organizations such as Norwegian People’s Aid and Kirkens Bymisjon. Her artistic practice and everyday work are driven by a passion for community and improving the lives of others.
Like Masahat, Marthe places humanity and justice at the center. With her unique blend of musicality, experience, and engagement, she will open the festival with words and music that unite, uplift, and inspire.
📅 17 September 2025📍 Cosmopolite, Oslo

Collaborating with Gazan Artists today
2025-09-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Kunstnernes Hus, Wergelandsveien 17, Oslo, 0167, Norway
Kunstnernes Hus — September 18, 10:00–12:00

The genocide in Gaza has devastated every aspect of Palestinian life. No one in Gaza is safe, and no one who has witnessed this crime will ever forget it. In the gap between those who witness and those who endure the violence directly, urgent questions arise: How do we speak about Gaza? How do we act in solidarity with its people?

In Norway, Palestinian artists have been especially attentive to these questions—reflecting on how our artistic and cultural expressions often fall short of conveying the Gazan experience of genocide. The panel we have invited consists entirely of artists who have redirected their practice and resources to stand with colleagues and friends in Gaza. Their goal is clear: to ensure that Gazan artists break through the siege and mass killing, and speak in their own voices despite ongoing attempts to silence them.

This conversation asks: What does it mean to collaborate with artists in Gaza today? What does it mean to make art during a genocide? And how does the extermination of Palestinians compel us to rethink our artistic tools, languages, and practices?

Panelists

Motaz Al Habbash
A Palestinian artist, producer, and curator residing in Norway. He primarily works with video and runs the mentoring program Here and There and the art and culture platform It is hard to be Arab. His current film project The Donkey of October 7th—in collaboration with Mustafa Nabieh—focuses on the situation of donkeys in Gaza. His work includes the installation Stolen Well (Qattan Foundation, Ramallah, 2024) and the seven-hour live program with Gazan artists Gaza (a)live (2016).

Carmel Alabbasi
A Palestinian visual artist whose practice spans video, sound, writing, sculpture, and installation. With a background in journalism and social anthropology, and an MFA from KHIO (Oslo), Carmel’s work explores absence and disappearance, confronting colonial and patriarchal erasures of people, spaces, and identities.

Dahaleez Collective
A research art collective founded in Gaza in 2021 by artists and researchers Khaled Jarada, Rahaf Batniji, Salman Nawati, Majdal Nateel, Carmel Al-Abbasi, Mahmoud Abu Wardeh, and Mahmoud Al-Shaer. Originating with the project Geography of Divine Magic at Beit Al-Ghussein Cultural and Heritage House, the collective examines Palestinians’ temporal and spatial realities under siege. Dahaleez develops collaborative and analytical tools to envision liberation and reconstruction of Palestine.

Ayman Azraq
A filmmaker, photographer, and mixed-media artist. His short film The Passport has screened at the National Museum of Cinema (Turin), Cologne International VideoArt Festival, and elsewhere. His work includes Oslo Syndrome (Autumn Exhibition, Oslo; Dubai International Film Festival; London Palestinian Film Festival), the collaborative installation WALL-1, and the documentary Into My Lungs (Kunstnernes Hus, 2022). His mixed-media installation The Lost Tapes of a People’s Tribunal 1982 was exhibited at Fotogalleriet (2023/24). In 2023, he launched the Artist to Artist Project, a digital residency supporting Gazan artists, culminating in the exhibition For You at Tenthaus and Podium. He has also exhibited at Nitja Center for Contemporary Art and Rogaland Kunstsenter.

Drew Snyder (Moderator)
An art historian and curator based in Oslo. He is Senior Curator at Public Art Norway – KORO, where his work includes major public art projects at the Government Quarter and Museum of the Viking Age. He is also engaged in discursive initiatives such as investigations of public art in the context of Truth and Reconciliation in Norway and Sápmi, and the Oslo-based Artist to Artist residency program facilitating dialogue with Gazan artists. Snyder holds a PhD in art history, theory, and criticism from the University of California, San Diego.
Photo credit: Svein Erik Tøien

Radical Pedagogy: Lessons from Palestine
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Litteraturhuset, Wergelandsveien 29, Oslo, Oslo, 0167, Norway
We are proud to welcome Munir Fasheh as one of this year’s keynote guests.
Munir is a mathematician who chose to leave academia to explore new ways of understanding and practicing learning. Together with others, he founded an organization that rethinks education as a tool for liberation.
He summarizes his life with two words: occupation and return. Munir was among the first group of refugees in the modern Middle East, when in 1948—as a Palestinian—he and his family lost both their house and their land. Even the mathematics in his home was “occupied,” replaced by the logic of schools and universities, influenced by Western philosophers such as Bertrand Russell.
For Munir, knowledge became a form of “return”—not yet to land and home, but to himself. In the Arabic language, he discovered liberating perspectives, such as muthanna, the dual form that breaks down the binary between “I” and “You.” Another key concept for him is mujaawarah—“to be a neighbor”—a way of learning through stories, relationships, and community rather than through abstract theories.
In his keynote at Masahat Festival 2025, Munir will share his experiences as a teacher and thinker. He will inspire us to dismantle structures of knowledge that confine us and show how stories, words, and new ways of relating can open up paths toward liberation.
📅 18 September 2025 · 18:00📍 Litteraturhuset, Oslo💫 Free entrance – open to all

Community Dinner with Thurayya Alkury and Henrik Henriksen
2025-09-18 19:30 - 23:00 | Kunstnernes Hus, Wergelandsveien 17, Oslo, 0167, Norway
📍 Venue: Kunstnernes Hus📅 Date & Time: Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 19:30🎟️ Ticket price includes:

A five-course dinner

Live performance by Ghenwa Noiré — cross-disciplinary performer, illustrator, and workshop facilitator. In music, Ghenwa explores improvisation with their electro-bouzouqi setup and vocals.

A cultural program

🍷 Drinks complementing the menu will be available for purchase at the bar.⚠️ Some dishes contain milk and gluten; alternatives can be provided as a double portion.

Masahat’s beloved community dinner will be hosted this year at Kunstnernes Hus, featuring a five-course menu crafted by Palestinian chef and artist Thurayya Alkury (Hummus Sapiens, Ostara) in collaboration with chef and food writer Henrik Henriksen (MUNCH Museum Restaurants, Ben Reddik).
Gjestebud for gjestfriheten (Feast for Hospitality) brings together culinary traditions from the Arab world and Norway, inviting us to reflect on what hospitality means today—what it is to host, and to be hosted—in a world where borders, histories, and identities remain deeply entangled.
The dishes and the stories you will encounter are made to inspire hope, resilience, and belief in our shared capacity to carry one another through difficult times. The menu draws inspiration from the writings of Munir Fasheh, Masahat’s keynote guest, particularly his reflections on turab (soil) as a metaphor for connection and belonging.
Some dishes will be served on ceramic platters designed by Halvor Skiftun Digernes and food writer Andreas Liebe Delsett, originally created for a commemorative meal honoring a persecuted Afghan writer in Bodø. The evening will also feature a performance by Ghenwa Noiré.
As Masahat celebrates its 10-year anniversary, this edition of Gjestebud for gjestfriheten closes a decade with a gesture of care and continuity: a taste of Arab hospitality and Norwegian traditions, interwoven with flavors from diaspora cultures—shared in the company of artists, activists, and community builders who create spaces of solidarity in our city.

About the chefs
Playful and experimental in the kitchen, Thurayya Alkury never follows a written recipe but instead listens to what she calls the “whispers of the ancestors.” As a Palestinian in the diaspora, now based in Oslo, she often serves Levantine food at festivals and community gatherings. Her greatest joy comes from storytelling, creating spaces of healing and togetherness, and inviting people into unconventional sensory and embodied experiences.
Henrik Johannes Henriksen
Henrik is a chef, restaurateur, and writer with a background in film and the cultural field. He has been behind restaurants such as Taco Republika, Ben Reddik, and Mangelsgården, and is now responsible for all dining experiences at MUNCH. With over ten years of experience as a food writer, he has explored ingredients, traditions, and food culture with a particular eye for how human history is reflected in gastronomy.
Henrik views food as more than taste and technique—it is a language that tells us who we are, where we come from, and how we are connected. Through his work, he links historical perspectives with contemporary needs, developing concepts that carry meaning both culturally and culinarily. With his unique combination of creativity, expertise, and entrepreneurship, he has established himself as a strong voice in Norwegian gastronomy.

This event is presented in collaboration with Rawabet — a collective initiative led by Ettijahat – Independent Culture and implemented in partnership with GEZMATAZ, VOCE, coculture, Masahat, and Transversal Project.

Rawabet is supported by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the Creative Europe programme. The views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The Long Shadow of Alois Brunner
2025-09-19 17:00 - 18:20 | Nordic Black Theater, Hollendergata 8, Oslo, 0190, Norway
The Long Shadow of Alois Brunner interrogates the true story of one of the most wanted Nazi criminals to escape sentencing. Instrumental to the deportation of over 100,000 people to concentration camps and ghettos, Alois Brunner evaded numerous arrest attempts – fleeing to Damascus where he was instrumental in building Syria’s intelligence services. Arriving in 21st century Berlin as a refugee, Syrian playwright Mudar Alhaggi discovers Brunner’s story and begins to research obsessively before disappearing…
In this gripping play, we meet two actors piecing together the fragments of Alhaggi’s research as personal experience, world history, truth and fiction all collide. Weaving together Syrian and German history, The Long Shadow of Alois Brunner explores exile, accountability and political memory – and the complex thread that ties the past to the present. It raises searing questions about refuge, justice and hope.

Press
“…tense mystery of missing writer and Nazi fugitive… slippery, intriguing and full of nuance…” The Guardian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“A striking piece of theatre that will stay for me for a long time, probably forever” Theatre Reviews North ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Creative Team

Text: Mudar Alhaggi
Direction: Omar Elerian
Actors: Wael Kadour and Mohammad Al Rashi
Design: Jonas Vogt
Sound & Music: Vincent Commaret
Research and dramaturgical advice: Eric Altorfer
Producer International: Eckhard Thiemann

Credits
This presentation is part of Masahat festival 2025, in partnership with Nordic Black Theater and is supported by Perform Europe as part of the Collective Ma’louba tour project. The Perform Europe supported tour is a partnership between Collective Ma’louba and El Hamra Théatre Tunisia; Qendra Multimedia – Pristina, Kosovo; Mittelfest – Cividale de Friuli, Italy; 36Monkeys – Sofia, Bulgaria, Masahat – Oslo, Norway.
Practical Information
Length: 80min
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Age: 14+
Content warning: The play contains references to trauma, torture, war and mental health.
About Perform Europe
Perform Europe, supported by the European Union, is a funding scheme for the European performing arts sector. It facilitates international networking and supports inclusive, diverse, and eco-friendly touring projects across the 40 Creative Europe countries. Perform Europe emphasises practices rooted in sustainability and inclusivity, aiming to transform the performing arts sector and ensure a balanced distribution across the continent.

Perform Europe is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by a consortium of six organisations: IETM – International network for contemporary performing arts, European Festivals Association (EFA), Circostrada, European Dance Development Network, Pearle * – Live Performance Europe and IDEA Consult.

Photo by: Tom Dachs

And Here I Am ft. Ahmed Tobasi
2025-09-19 19:00 - 20:15 | Nordic Black Theater, Hollendergata 8, Oslo, 0190, Norway
A bittersweet, dark, political comedy based on one man’s true story and his odyssey in search of identity.
And Here I Am is a powerful coming-of-age story based on the life—and performed by—Palestinian artist Ahmed Tobasi.
We follow his extraordinary journey:from the battle-scarred alleys of Jenin Refugee Camp,to the confines of an Israeli prison.From armed resistance to the transformative force of theatre.From exile in Norway back to his homeland—where the struggle is far from over.
Blending fact with imagination, and tragedy with sharp wit, award-winning writer Hassan Abdulrazzak crafts a raw and deeply human narrative of defiance, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of freedom.
As the Israeli army once again invades Jenin, And Here I Am is no longer just a memory from the past—it is a story burning with urgency, truth, and relevance today.

🗓️ Date: 19 September
⏰ Time: 19.00 – 20.15
📍 Location: Nordic Black Theatre

Practical info:

Duration: 75 min

Language: Arabic with English subtitles

Content warning: smoke, loud sound, and themes related to war, torture, and imprisonment

And Here I Am is written by Hassan Abdulrazzak, based on the life of and performed by Ahmed Tobasi. The production is directed by Zoe Lafferty, with set design by Sarah Beaton, lighting design by Andy Purve and Jess Bernberg, and sound design by Max Pappenheim. Lanre Malaolu is the movement director, while Samra Bulbol serves as technical director. The Arabic translation is by Eyas Younis, and vocal coaching by Amiee Leonard. The play was originally produced by Developing Artists, and is currently produced by Artists On The Frontline.

Photo by: Lilibélua O Lilinterna

This event is presented in collaboration with Rawabet — a collective initiative led by Ettijahat – Independent Culture and implemented in partnership with GEZMATAZ, VOCE, coculture, Masahat, and Transversal Project.
Rawabet is supported by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the Creative Europe programme. The views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Masahat 2025: Oum Quartet
2025-09-19 21:00 - 23:00 | Cosmopolite, Vogts gate 64, Oslo, Oslo, 0477, Norway
I anledning vårt 10-årsjubileum er Masahat stolte av å samarbeide med Cosmopolite for å presentere to ekstraordinære kvinnelige stemmer fra Nord-Afrika!
Festivalen åpner med Emel den 17. september, en av Tunisias mest ikoniske artister, etterfulgt av en fredagskonsert med den sjelfulle marokkanske sangeren Oum.

20:00 Dørene åpner
21:00 Konsertstart

Bli med på en magisk aften når den anerkjente artisten Oum inntar Cosmopolite den 19. september! Etter en strålende konsert på Cosmopolite i 2020, vender hun nå tilbake med sin unike blanding av marokkansk soul, jazz og afrikanske rytmer – en musikalsk reise som binder oss sammen gjennom felles følelser, kjærlighet og kultur.

Med sitt nyeste album «Dakchi» markerer Oum et tiår med skapende reiser og konserter, og gjenoppdager de beste sporene fra «Soul Of Morocco», «Zarabi» og «Daba», samtidig som hun overrasker med tre splitter nye låter.
Velkommen til en kveld med ekte marokkansk magi og fellesskap!

Line up:

Oum – singer
Yacir Rami – oud
Camille Passeri – trumpet
Amar Chaoui – percussions

Kjøp en kombinasjonsbillett til både Emels konsert (onsdag 17. sept) og Oums konsert (fredag 19. sept) til rabattert pris

Earlybird – enkelbillett: 300/250,- (begrensent antall!)
Earlybird – kombobillett: 550/500,- (begrensent antall!)
Ordinær pris – enkelbillett: 350/300,-
Ordinær pris – kombobillett: 600/550,-

Grønlands Maidan: Home Not for Sale.
2025-09-20 12:00 - 16:00 | Grønland
Street Party Against the Gentrification of Grønland

Practical Information
📍 Meeting point: Botsparken → ending at Olafiagangen🕛 Time: 12:00–16:00🌿 Open to all — free public event

A festival day of ritual, people’s march, stories of solidarity and resistance, textile workshops, games, and music in the streets of Grønland.
Grønland is Oslo’s cultural crossroads—a neighborhood where diverse communities and newcomers from Norway and across the world have lived, worked, and thrived for generations. Today, greedy developers and their political enablers threaten to erase this history, displace communities, and sell our streets to the highest bidder.
We say no.
Join us at Olafiagangen for a day of celebration and solidarity—because the soul of a neighborhood lives in its people.

The march starts 12:00 at Botsparken. It ends 12:30 at Olafiagangen with speeches from Reduser Husleia, Leieboerforeningen and Nordic Black Theatre.
We march to protect Grønland from the growing pressure of real estate speculation: higher rents, unstable leases, and gentrification that risks pushing away families, businesses, and organizations that have long been the heart of this neighborhood.
Artist Waldane Walker will guide us through a powerful MAS (masquerade), leading a ritual procession to cleanse the neighborhood from greedy developers and city planners who seek to displace us by building homes only for those who can afford them.
✨ March with us, raise your voice in the chants, and help protect the soul of Grønland from gentrification.💚 Come show your love for the neighborhood.

Program
📍 Start: Botsparken → End: Olafiagangen🕛 Time: 12:00–16:00

Botsparken → Olafiagangen
12:00–12:30 | Our Home, Our Neighbourhood: People’s March for GrønlandA march against gentrification, led by artist Waldane Walker a MAS (masquerade), leading a ritual procession to cleanse the neighborhood from greedy developers.

Olafiagangen
12:30–12:45 | SpeechesWith contributions from Reduser Husleia, Leieboerforeningen, and Nordic Black Theatre.
12:30–16:00 | The Solidarity Patchwork – Threads of ResistanceWith Latin-Amerika Gruppen (LAG Norge). Add your own stitched story to a collective quilt of global solidarity.
12:30–16:00 | Veggietales (work in progress)By Aleksander Varadian. A visual artwork on gentrification using fruits and vegetables from Grønland’s markets.
12:30–16:00 | No Silence in the Arts for GazaBy Stefanie Reinhart. An exhibition of 700+ small artworks in Palestinian colors — expressions of grief, hope, and resistance.👉 The full exhibition can be viewed at Mama’s Café / Frivillighetens hus until October 11.
13:10–13:25 | FlashmobWith Nordic Black Theatre.
13:30–15:30 | Third SpaceBy Dahleez Collective. An audio-narrative interweaving memories, absence, and presence from Gaza. Guests: Bisan Nateel, Asem Nabih, Fidaa Al-Hasanat – Majdal Nateel.
14:00–16:00 | Kurak WorkshopWith Peri Orunbaeva. Learn the Kyrgyz textile tradition of Kurak. Drop-in workshop, limited spots.@
14:00–16:00 | StedsvevenBy Tenthaus (Helen Eriksen, Samira Jamouchi, Ebba Moi). A participatory textile project exploring Grønland–Tøyen’s identity.

Dattera til Hagen
13:30–15:00 | Reading Circle: The War Against HospitalitiesWith Rene Gabri and Ayreen Anastas. A discussion on colonialism as a war against hospitality, with texts, zines, and dialogue.

Nordic Black Theatre
14:00–15:00 | Concert: Ramy EssamIn collaboration with Kawakibi Foundation.

In collaboration withNordic Black Theater · Oslo Museum · Tenthaus · Dattera til Hagen · Safemuse · Kawakibi Foundation · Leieboerforeningen · Atelier Kunstnerforbundet

Om Kamp, Om Kjærlighet
2025-09-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Dattera til Hagen, Grønland 10, Oslo, Oslo, 0188, Norway
We are proud to welcome Sumayo Jirde Cali (formerly Sumaya Jirde Ali) as the keynote speaker for Masahat Festival 2025.
With her keynote Om kamp, om kjærlighet (On Struggle, On Love), Sumayo invites us into a powerful reflection on hospitality — as personal experience, political responsibility, and collective practice.
Through the lens of her many lived identities — as a poet, playwright, literary critic, anthropologist, Somali, Black, Muslim woman — she asks:

What does it mean to treat hospitality as a radical act?Can it become a foundation for more just, inclusive, and sustainable communities?

Sumayo Jirde Cali has made her mark on Norwegian literature with work that confronts racism, power, and silence. She writes to make visible what is often erased — and to create space for those pushed to the margins.
Critic Oda Faremo Lindholm (VG) describes her voice as “painful and beautiful about what is brutally ugly.”
In Morgenbladet, Tonje Vold hears echoes of Angela Davis and bell hooks — Black feminist thinkers who urged women to love and save themselves first.
Join us for an evening of poetry, conversation, and collective reflection. This keynote will speak to anyone questioning belonging, identity, and the possibilities of community.
Date: Saturday, 20 September 2025Time: 17:00–18:30Location: Dattera til Hagen, OsloAdmission: Free and open to all
Sumayo Jirde Cali (b. 1997) is a Norwegian-Somali poet, writer, and cultural critic. She debuted with Kvinner som hater menn in 2017, followed by Melanin hvitere enn blekemiddel, Ikkje ver redd sånne som meg, and Når jeg ser havet, slokner lyset.
She is the recipient of several awards including:– The Oslo Prize for “Voice of the Year”– The Zola Prize– The Amalie Skram Prize– The Freedom of Expression Prize from the Norwegian Authors’ Union– Årets Bodøværing (Citizen of the Year in Bodø)
📸 Photo: Lina Hindrum

The Frida Marida Show x Dragon Blood by Only Slime
2025-09-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Det Norske Teatret, Kristian IV’s gt.8, Oslo, 0164, Norway
Practical Information
📍 Venue: Det Norske Teatret📅 Date: September 20, 2025
🕔 Program:

16:30 → Dragon Blood by Only Slime

19:00 → The Frida Marida Show (duration: 1.5 hours)

🌍 Language: English🎟️ One ticket gives you access to both performances.
This performance is for Adults only

A Night of Fantasy, Music & Radical Hospitality

Masahat, in collaboration with Ultima, Det Norske Teatret, Karmaklubb and Only Slime, proudly presents The Frida Marida Show.
With support from Masahat and as part of the RAWABET project, Frida transforms a car steering wheel into a drum, tracing her personal journey — from a young man in Lebanon dreaming of music, to a woman, singer, and songwriter in Oslo. Life’s unexpected turns echo in rhythm and sound.
The evening opens with Dragon Blood by Only Slime, unfolding inside an immersive dinner-style installation: chandeliers, tables instead of rows, and performers moving among the audience. Everyone becomes part of the artwork. Guests are encouraged to wear imaginative, fantasy-inspired costumes.
At 19:00, Frida takes the stage with five musicians, two dancers, and a set of out-of-the-box concepts. She embraces Masahat’s 2025 theme of hospitality by singing in eight languages — inviting audiences into a shared cultural space across borders.
The night culminates with the launch of Frida Marida’s groundbreaking music video Fri Da Nipple — where six electronic boob-triggers become live instruments. Sound, body, and technology merge in a drag performance that redefines both music and art.

This event is presented in collaboration with Rawabet — a collective initiative led by Ettijahat – Independent Culture and implemented in partnership with GEZMATAZ, VOCE, coculture, Masahat, and Transversal Project.
Rawabet is supported by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the Creative Europe programme. The views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Palestinsk natt – Hiba Salameh
2025-09-20 21:30 - 22:30 | Riksscenen, Trondheimsveien 2T, Oslo, Norway
Hiba Salameh is a music producer, filmmaker, and DJ from Haifa, known for her electrifying sets and fearless approach to sound. She has toured the world, from Ramallah to Berlin, weaving together the rich heritage of Arabic music with rhythms and textures from the southern hemisphere. Her work has earned her international recognition, including being named by Mixmag as “one of the Palestinian DJs you need to know.”
For Hiba, music, film, art, and activism are inseparable. She uses creativity as a tool to tell stories of Palestinian culture, identity, and history—challenging borders and genres alike to create unique, sensual experiences where traditions rooted in the past meet their contemporary reflections.
Her journey began with the piano and organ in childhood, a passion she carried into adulthood. At 18, after an accident left her hospitalised for a year and without full use of her left arm, she turned to electronic music as her new means of expression. This shift opened up a world of possibilities. Traveling widely, she collected music from across the Arab world as well as Mexico, Spain, Brazil, and Berlin, shaping a sound that transcends geography.
“I think we’re a depressed generation—not just here, but all over the world,” Hiba says. “So I want to bring joy when I play music, especially to oppressed, unheard people.”
Refusing to be pigeon-holed, Hiba has taken her time to define her own sound: a vibrant mix of genres that have marked her life. She is often expected to play only Arabic music, a limitation she resists. For her, each performance is not only about music—it’s about the context. “I get a lot of offers to play, but it’s important I understand their agenda, their political view, and the people who will be there before I say yes,” she explains.
As much as Hiba’s music is for everyone, her activism is rooted in visibility. “My activism is for Palestinians to see me as a female artist on stage and feel empowered.”
On 20 September, she will close Palestinian Night at Riksscenen—delivering a boundless, pulsating set after DAM.

Palestinsk natt – DAM
2025-09-20 21:30 - 23:30 | Riksscenen, Trondheimsveien 2T, Oslo, Norway
Masahat and Riksscenen invite you to Palestinian Night – an evening of engagement, resistance, and cultural solidarity.

Headlining the night: DAM – the first Palestinian hip hop collective, and among the very first to rap in Arabic. Formed in the late 1990s by Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar, and Mahmood Jrere, DAM began shaping a language of resistance through hip hop. In 2015, Maysa Daw officially joined the group, and together they released their first single, Who You Are.

Rooted in Lyd, their music gave voice to Palestinian experiences at a time when few others were doing so. Their breakthrough came with Min Irhabi? (Who’s the terrorist?), downloaded over one million times in 2001, making them a cultural and musical reference point for a generation navigating violence, displacement, and questions of identity.

“The most entertaining, original and socially-engaged music to come out of the Middle East.”
– Martin Vennard, BBC World Service

Their latest album, Ben Haana Wa Maana, marks a new phase – more introspective, direct, and personal. A body of work that moves between protest and reflection, between grief and a radical insistence on self-worth. “You can dance to the drums of revolution,” they say.
But sometimes, you can also pause. Listen. And carry the weight of what remains unsaid.

Closing the night is Hiba Salameh – a music producer, filmmaker, and DJ from Haifa, named by Mixmag as “one of the Palestinian DJs you need to know.” Touring globally with her eclectic, genre-defying sets, she fuses the rich heritage of Arabic music with electronic sounds and rhythms from around the world – creating immersive, sensual experiences that connect past and present.

Lesesirkel: språk og solidaritet
2025-09-21 12:00 - 14:30 | Dattera til Hagen, Grønland 10, Oslo, Oslo, 0188, Norway
Reading Circle – Solidarity and Language
📍 Location: Dattera til Hagen📅 Date: Sunday, September 21, 2025🕛 Time: 12:00–14:30🥗 Format: Reading circle + discussion over a warm brunch💸 Admission: Free and open to everyone

On the closing day of Masahat Festival, we gather in an intimate space to reflect, read, and share. Continuing our tradition from previous years, we invite you to join us for a reading circle and conversation over brunch—a moment to slow down, connect, and close the festival together.
This year we are honored to host the renowned Syrian author Samar Yazbek, in dialogue with Rana Issa, for a conversation on language and solidarity in brutal times.
Yazbek’s literary voice has received international acclaim and numerous prizes. With two short story collections, seven novels, and four works of nonfiction—translated into more than twenty languages—her writing has become central to the global understanding of Syria, war, and exile.
In her forthcoming book Memory of Loss, Yazbek gathers testimonies from survivors of the genocide in Gaza. Initially hesitant to approach those who had lost everything—unsure if speaking of their grief could matter—she was struck by the persistence of Gazans to tell their stories. Despite despair, they insisted on being heard. Their generosity with words and time left Yazbek with the feeling of being an eternal guest, hoping that in return she can offer a timeless recognition of their courage and dignity.
Through these haunting narratives, Yazbek raises questions that will guide our circle:

How can we narrate horrors that seem beyond words? When does silence better reflect helplessness?

In a world where human suffering is reduced to consumable fragments, can storytelling resist erasure—not to explain or justify, but to insist on recognition of unspeakable pain?

How can writing preserve truth, memorialize injustice, and extend solidarity to people subjected to brutality in Gaza, Sudan, and beyond?

Join us at Dattera til Hagen to close Masahat Festival with reflection, nourishment, and community. Together, we ask how language itself can become an act of solidarity.

Masahat Screens & Sudanese Evening
2025-09-21 15:30 - 17:30 | Vega Scene, Hausmanns gate 30, Oslo, 0182, Norway
📍 Location: VEGA Scene, Oslo📅 Date: Sunday, September 21, 2025🕔 Time: 15:30–17:30 (films + discussion) → followed by Sudanese Evening (food + music)🎟️ Tickets: includes access to Masahat Screens + Sudanese evening

We close this year’s Masahat Festival at VEGA Scene, in collaboration with Oslo Documentary Cinema, with an inspiring program that moves from film and dialogue to an evening of food, music, and celebration of Sudanese culture.

Part One: Masahat Screens
Program

– In Fields of Words (2022, 70 mins) | Lebanon | dir. Rania Stephan
– The Other Side of Beauty (2024, 11 mins) | Morocco, Sudan | dir. Sami Saif Sirelkhatim
– Gaza Artists (2024, 16 mins) – | Palestine | dir. Mustafa al-Nabih

Following the screenings, there will be a discussion with Syrian author Samar Yazbek.
About the films
In Fields of Words (2022, 70 mins) | Lebanon | dir. Rania Stephan
A filmic dialogue between Syrian writer-in-exile Samar Yazbek and Lebanese filmmaker Rania Stephan, asking what role cinema and literature can play in the face of war, death, and violence. Shot between 2013 and 2019, the film documents the course of the Syrian revolution and civil war while exploring the question: “Can literature and cinema capture this tragedy?” Combining image, sound, and Yazbek’s words, Stephan creates a poetic and political testimony of our time. Winner of the Best Film Award at the 2022 Villa Medici Film Festival.

The Other Side of Beauty (2024, 11 mins) | Morocco, Sudan | dir. Sami Saif SirelkhatimThe story of a Sudanese photographer who finds beauty in his homeland’s stars and landscapes, while also facing the violence of war and genocide in Darfur. His images reveal truth to the world, but at great personal cost—through imprisonment, torture, and repression.
Gaza Artists (2024, 16 mins) – | Palestine | dir. Mustafa al-Nabih
A short documentary produced by Arji foundation, written and directed by Mustafa Al-Nabih. It offers a window into the lives of Palestinian artists in the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing displacement and the difficult conditions they endure. The film takes us on a journey with three artists from different generations, all of whom were displaced from Gaza and now live in the city of Rafah in the south of the Strip. We follow their daily lives, struggles, and the impact of continuous displacement on their creativity and personal lives, through genuine human moments, aside from the usual images of destruction. It seeks to reveal the human side of those who continue to live, dream, and create despite all that has been lost. This film is a cry to the world: Gaza is being annihilated, but we love life, and we resist with love and art. Every moment here bears the imprint of war; every smile is a victory.

Part Two: Sudanese Evening: Food, Music & Stories
After films and discussion, the festival continues with a Sudanese Evening at VEGA.
✨ Tasting menu of iconic Sudanese dishes by chef Mohammed Mustafa.✨ Solo concert by young Sudanese-Norwegian talent Yasir Moa, a songwriter and storyteller blending classical tunes with rhythmic, danceable sounds.
This evening is curated in collaboration with Khalid Albaih and Naoures Rouissi.

Sudansk aften: Mat, musikk og historier
2025-09-21 17:30 - 18:30 | Vega Scene, Hausmanns gate 30, Oslo, 0182, Norway
Sudanese Evening: Food, Music & Stories
📍 Location: VEGA Scene, Oslo Documentary Cinema📅 Date: Sunday, September 21, 2025🕔 Time: 17:30–18:30
🎟️ Tickets: includes access to Masahat Screens + Sudanese evening

After a day of films and discussions, we invite you to close Masahat Festival with a Sudanese Evening at VEGA. The program begins with a tasting menu of iconic Sudanese dishes curated by chef Mohammed Mustafa, followed by a solo concert with young Sudanese-Norwegian talent Yasir Moa. This special evening is curated in collaboration with Khalid Albaih and Naoures Rouissi.
Join us at VEGA to end the festival with the tastes and sounds of Sudan—an evening of community, culture, and celebration.

Folkemordet i Gaza og Big Tech
2025-10-19 15:30 - 17:00 | Cinemateket, Dronningens gate 16, Oslo, Oslo, 0105, Norway
Fritt Ord, Masahat og Oslo Dokumentarkino inviterer til foredrag og samtale med Nadim Nashif om Big Techs medvirkning til folkemordet i Gaza.
Søndag 19. oktober 2025 kl. 15.30 på Cinemateket, Oslo
I foredraget vil Nadim Nashif ta opp sensur av palestinske stemmer, spredning av skadelige narrativer på sosiale medier, militarisering av kunstig intelligens, nedstenging av innsamlingsaksjoner for Gaza og en systematisk utestengning av palestinere fra finansielle tjenester, blant annet PayPal.
Panelet vil diskutere kampen om det digitale narrativet og framheve den helt avgjørende rollen palestinske medier og journalister spiller, på tross av målrettede drap og undertrykkelse. Med Nadim Nashif, Maja Van Der Velden (professor, Teknologi og bærekraftige fremtider, UiO) og Kyrre Lien (utenriksjournalist og tidligere Midtøsten-korrespondent i VG). Journalist Ingerid Salvesen er moderator.

Alaa Abu Diab / Live in Oslo
2026-02-09 18:00 - 19:30 | Sentralen, Øvre Slottsgate 3, Oslo, 0157, Norway
“Virtual Reality” is Alaa Abu Diab’s newest special: a comedic, brutally honest dive into the world we think we’re living in, versus the world that’s happening while we’re too busy refreshing our notifications.
With his signature storytelling and political humour, Alaa drags us, lovingly, between two realities: the one we laugh at, and the one we avoid
In this special, Alaa exposes the glitches in our daily lives, the lies we tell ourselves, and the ridiculous ways we escape reality, one screen at a time.
It’s sharp. It’s real. It’s painfully funny.
And it leaves you wondering: Are we actually living, or just buffering?
Please note: This show will be fully presented in Arabic.

Date: Monday, February 9th, 2026
Doors time: 5:30 PM
Show time: 6:00 PM

General admission, first come first serve, Seating will be assigned upon arrival.
For Premium, we add reserved seating first rows, the best view of the stage!

Mini Masahat presenterer: Dukketeater - Hva skjuler seg bak røyken fra fjellet?
2026-02-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Det Norske Teatret, Kristian IV’s gt.8, Oslo, 0164, Norway
I en liten landsby som lever i skyggen av et mystisk fjell, stiger en tett røyksky opp hver morgen. Ingen vet hvor den kommer fra. Rykter og frykt preger livet til innbyggerne, og alle unngår å nærme seg fjellet – eller til og med å snakke om det. Helt til Hassan, en klok og sta gutt, bestemmer seg for å bryte fryktens sirkel og finne sannheten på egen hånd.
Reisen hans gjennom skogen, de overraskende møtene og de humoristiske, men også spenningsfylte øyeblikkene, reiser viktige spørsmål: Hva er frykt? Hvorfor tror vi på historier vi aldri selv har sett? Og hva skjer med «monsteret» når vi tør å se det rett i øynene?

Dette er en visuell og fantasifull dukketeaterforestilling for barn fra 5 år og for hele familien.
Forestillingen fremføres utelukkende på arabisk og kombinerer levende skuespill, dukker, visuelle elementer og lyddesign for å skape en engasjerende opplevelse.

Manus: Motaz DoghieRegi og medvirkende: Mustafa Al DarwishFigurer: Reem Al-MaghoutVisuelt konsept og plakat: Ibrahim Tahhan
Dukketeatret er arrangert i samarbeid med Det Norske Teatret som en del av “Palestinaprogrammet”, som foregår i forbindelse med oppsetningen av «Gjenferdet inn».
Takk til Sparebankstiftelsen DNB for støtten til dette arrangementet.

My Father and Qaddafi, film + talk with Hajer Sharief
2026-03-06 20:00 - 22:00 | Vega Scene, Hausmanns gate 30, Oslo, 0182, Norway
My Father and Qaddafi بابا والقذافي
USA, Libya I 2025 I 88 minutes I Language: English, Arabic, French I Subtitles: English I Age limit: 15 I Director: Jihan
We are glad to partner with HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival on the screening of My Father and Qaddafi followed by a conversation with with Hajer Sharief on Friday 6th of March kl. 20.00 at VEGA Scene. Zeina Bali, Managind Director of Masahat will lead the talk.
About the film:
A daughter’s search for her missing father, Mansur Kikhia, former foreign minister and UN ambassador in Qaddafi’s Libya.
The filmmaker, Jihan, was only 6 years when her father suddenly disappeared from a human rights conference in Cairo in 1993. Her mother, a strong character in the film, buys a video camera for the family after the father’s disappearance.
Through home videos and other archival material, the director reflects back on who her father was, and travels to find answers among her father’s relatives and friends, who remind us of the backdrop of his disappearance; the brutal regime of Qaddafi and Libya’s history as a colony.
A brilliant and captivating documentary about a daughter’s personal longing for her father as much as the histories and politics of the collective struggles of the Libyan people longing for their freedom.

Dr Daffodil Goes Occidental!
2026-03-20 19:30 - 20:30 | Det Norske Teatret, Kristian IV’s gt.8, Oslo, 0164, Norway
Dr Daffodil Goes Occidental! is an innovative comedy performance that challenges stereotypes and prejudices about Arabs and the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa). Through satire and role reversal, the show plays with “the Western gaze” and questions who holds the power to define expertise.
Flipping the “Western Gaze”
The show takes the form of a satirical lecture in which Dr Daffodil presents her theories on WENA (Western Europe and North America). The Nordics—and Norway in particular—serve as a point of departure for witty observations on Western culture, mentality, and self-image.
Mona Abdel-Fadil (she/her) is an Egyptian-Norwegian genre-bending comedy performer and academic with an undeniable stage presence. A skilled improviser and writer of fiction and satire with sharp comedic timing, she’s committed to decolonizing comedy by challenging whose stories get told and whose perspectives become the punchline. Mona’s scripted performances blend her academic expertise with accessible humor, inviting audiences to laugh at the absurdity of ethnocentrism while questioning the power structures that sustain it. For instance, she has adapted excerpts of her satirical piece A Superiour Guide to Performing the Academic Self, (Johns Hopkins Press 2020) for the stage as Diversity 101 for Superiour Academics. Mona was a recipient of the 2025 Transversal Performing Artist Grant and a Rawabat artist in residency. Dr. Daffodil Goes Occidental! is Mona’s first full-length solo show scripted for stage performance.
Language: English

This is event is presented in collaboration with Det Norske Teatret as part of their Palestinaprogrammet that is accompanying the staging of “Gjenferdet inn”.
