Rahul Aijaz What first drew you to Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid's poem “A Train Crosses the Desert,” and what convinced you that it should become part of your film? Given that the poem is built on metaphor rather than a conventional narrative, what were the greatest challenges in translating its poetic language into cinematic storytelling? How closely does the film follow the poem, where did you allow yourself creative freedom, and what does the train—its central symbol—represent i

A Reading of the “Kawalies” Program Episode with Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid In an episode rich in intellectual and aesthetic significance, the television program “Kawalies” on Nile Cultural Channel hosted Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Secretary-General of the Congress of African Journalists and Vice President of the Pan-African Writers’ Association for North Africa, to discuss African cinema as a screen of freedom, a tool for reclaiming narrative, and an open arena for the tension betw

Margarita AI and Ashraf Aboul-Yazid in Istanbul The World Organization of Writers (WOW) is making waves in the global literary community...