The Middle Geeks

Hard NOC Media
Hard NOC Media
  • 5.0 (21)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Monthly

Mae and Swara are two writers and geeks of West Asian (IE Middle Eastern) descent who discuss and review all things Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA, ie "MENA") representation each month, along with other entertainment topics. Come join us as we highlight positive depictions of SWANA people in popular media, review the latest popular releases, and just have a fun time nerding out. Follow us @TheMiddleGeeks, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 81: Interview with Comic Writer and Artist Ibrahim Moustafa

    Ibrahim Moustafa is an Egyptian-American and Eisner award nominated comic artist and writer, best-known for his original graphic novels COUNT, RETROACTIVE, CYN, JAEGER and his collaboration with writer Christopher Sebela on HIGH CRIMES, as well as his work on JAMES BOND. You'll also have seen his art in DC Comics, Marvel, Image Comics, Humanoids Inc., BOOM! Studios, Valiant Entertainment, Dynamite Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, and IDW Publishing. Recently, RETROACTIVE was selected for adaptation for a new Hulu series, with Iranian-American Bobak Esfarjani as head writer and Bruce Miller producing. We were so honored to have Ibrahim on the podcast to discuss his career, the challenges he continues to face despite his success, the continued exclusion of SWANA creatives in entertainment, and much more.   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Check out Ibrahim's YouTube channel Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  2. May 30

    Episode 80: Interview with Tarik Saleh on "Eagles of the Republic"

    What would you do to serve your country? Is engaging in propaganda patriotic or just embedding more lies to sell the populace? These are the questions acclaimed Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh explores in the final entry in his Cairo Trilogy, "Eagles of the Republic", where George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is a famous Egyptian actor recruited to appear as the country's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Mae interviewed Saleh on his creative process for the film, why he chose this subject matter, and much more.  Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  3. Apr 24

    Episode 79: 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy' Review with Ali Nasser

    What happened to Katie?!? That's the question at the forefront throughout Lee Cronin's The Mummy, a movie that should really be called Egyptian Exorcist or Evil Dead in Egypt. But even though this film features Egyptian and Arab actors in key supporting roles and takes place partially in Egypt, how well does it really do at representing the land and its people, and is it truly an improvement on the Orientalism baked into the Universal Mummy films? Joining us to discuss is our wonderful Egyptian-American friend and actor Ali Nasser. We discuss the film, why May Calamawy (per usual for whatever she's in) is the best part, and why it's increasingly clear that we have a narrative problem when it comes to western media depicting us, perhaps more than a representation problem.   Swara's review of Lee Cronin's The Mummy for But Why Tho? and his essay on The Mummy franchise's Orientalism Hanna's New Arab review of the film and IGN essay on the film   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Follow Mae on Bluesky @maeabdu.bsky.social Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  4. Mar 28

    Episode 78: Interview with 'Palestine 36' Director Annemarie Jacir

    Annemarie Jacir is a legend in Palestinian cinema. From acclaimed works like Salt of the Sea, Wajib, and more, her latest work, Palestine 36, is an epic tale of resistance that reverberates strongly today. Starring Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Massri, Saleh Bakri, Jeremy Irons, Robert Aramayo, Liam Cunningham, Karim Daoud Anaya, and others, it comes out in US theaters this weekend, and we were ecstatic to have Annemarie on the podcast to discuss the film, her career, the increasing consciousness of Palestine in the US, and much more.   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  5. Mar 20

    Episode 77: LIVE at Awesome Con 2026 in Washington D.C.!

    We're live once again at Awesome Con in Washington D.C.! Joined by our friends Zaina, Dary, and Ali, this year we're discussing SWANA representation in Fantasy and Sci-Fi, the barriers we continue to face, why this may be more of a narrative problem than a representation problem, and how the bad representation on screen is informed by and reflective of real world interests. Stay tuned for Q&A! Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudan Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on BlueSky @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  6. Jan 27

    Episode 76: SWANA Oscar Nominations and Awesome Con 2026 Announcement

    Happy(ish?) New Year! We're back with a discussion on the 2025 Oscar Nominations and the groundbreaking Palestinian, Iranian, and Moroccan films that were nominated. The Palestinian and Tunisian The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Iranian and French It Was Just an Accident, and the Moroccan and Spanish Sirat each received a nomination for Best International Feature, while writer-director of It Was Just an Accident Jafar Panahi received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Covering genocide, oppression, and so much more, so much of SWANA set filmmaking is tragic, but the filmmakers always make powerful art to memorialize and honor our various struggles. Congratulations to all the filmmakers. We also have an exciting update about our panel return to this year's Awesome Con, March 13-15, in DC!   Swara's review of The Voice of Hind Rajab for But Why Tho?   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudan Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family.   Follow us on BlueSky @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  7. 11/22/2025

    Episode 75: "Wicked: For Good" and Fighting for a Cause

    What will one sacrifice for a greater cause? How do we fight overwhelming systems of oppression? Does working within a corrupt system work, or do we need to tear it all down? Wicked: For Good explores these questions in great depth, with stunning performances from Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and more. We review the film, decipher what it has to say about the above questions, give our recommendations, and much more.   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudan Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine   Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family.   Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks, Follow us on BlueSky @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

  8. 09/23/2025

    Episode 74: 'Palestine 36' Review and the Echoes of the Past

    The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is a reverberating ethos through Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir's latest film, Palestine 36, which chronicles the last days of the British Mandate of Palestine and its lasting ramifications. Produced by Philistine Films, BBC Film, BFI, Doha Film Institute, Watermelon Pictures and more, and starring Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Massri, Saleh Bakri, Jeremy Irons, Robert Aramayo of The Rings of Power, Liam Cunningham of Game of Thrones, Karim Daoud Anaya, and others, the film details the violent colonization of Palestine that violently continues to today. Why does such colonization happen? What are the societal, capitalistic, and manipulative tactics employed? What does Palestine 36 have to teach us for today's many challenges? Join us in our discussion of this urgently timely film.   Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Follow Swara on Bluesky @spiderswarz.bsky.social Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

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About

Mae and Swara are two writers and geeks of West Asian (IE Middle Eastern) descent who discuss and review all things Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA, ie "MENA") representation each month, along with other entertainment topics. Come join us as we highlight positive depictions of SWANA people in popular media, review the latest popular releases, and just have a fun time nerding out. Follow us @TheMiddleGeeks, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz

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