Miya Miya Film Club is an independent community-led film and arts initiative dedicated to celebrating and elevating the voices of the South West Asian and North African (SWANA) region. At a time when nuanced representations of SWANA cultures are urgently needed, Miya Miya offers a space where film and art become tools for cultural preservation, connection, and resistance. The name "Miya Miya" translates to "100/100" in Arabic, symbolising excellence and positivity. Each event is a vibrant gathering that brings together storytelling, traditional food and music, and intergenerational dialogue—offering audiences both within and beyond the SWANA diaspora a chance to experience the region’s richness on its own terms.

Across two nights this August, we will be bringing you four films as part of a retrospective of the singular eternal voice of Fairuz.

On Friday 29th (Night 2):

بنت الحارس (Daughter of the Guardian, Lebanon, 1967) directed by Henry Barakat. Film starts at 7pm.

لقد أحببنا بعضنا البعض كثيرًا (We Loved Each Other So Much, Netherlands, 2003) directed by Jack Janssen. Film starts at 9:15pm.

Both films will be shown in Arabic with English subtitles.

This Fairuz retrospective is brought to you in collaboration with Madlehn Souad. Madlehn is a Lebanese/Swiss multidisciplinary artist based in the Inner West of Sydney, on Wangal land. Working primarily through the language of metalsmithing, Madlehn’s practice is rooted in ancestral knowledge and conceptual inquiry. Her work draws on the tactile traditions of handcraft while engaging with contemporary questions around identity, diaspora, and the politics of adornment.

Madlehn’s jewellery functions as more than ornament—it is a carrier of story, a vessel for memory, and a quiet gesture of resistance. Using reclaimed metals and traditional techniques, she creates pieces that feel simultaneously ancient and futuristic, soft yet strong. Each object is made to be worn, held, and loved—activating the intimate relationship between body and material, history and home. Her collaboration with Miya Miya Film Club on this Fairuz retrospective offers a deeply personal frame through which to encounter the films, inviting you to consider not only what you see on screen, but what we carry with us long after.

Madlehn has made a very limited number of rings to commemorate this collaboration which can be purchased with your ticket (sizing to be sorted after purchase).

Included in your ticket is a manoush from Saj House, drinks from Gaza Cola and Salaam Cola, and maamoul and cinnamon tea and ahweh from Smeed to keep you going through both films.

Miya Miya prides itself on being a hub of safety, inclusivity, and community. Our events are a safe and inclusive space for all peoples, including our SWANA, First Nations, Black, POC, Jewish, and LGBTQIASB+ friends, and we have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind.

No one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the @miyamiyafilmclub instagram page for ticketing enquiries.

Miya Miya Film Club meets on unceded Gadigal and Wangal land of the Eora Nation. Miya Miya Film Club acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters, and community. Miya Miya Film Club pays its respects to the people, the cultures, and the Elders past and present and emerging. Always was, always will be. Miya Miya Film Club also acknowledges the people of Palestine and their rights for self-determination. We acknowledge the devastation and mass atrocities continuing in Gaza and hope that through greater awareness and collective action, we can work towards a world free from genocide, violence, and injustice. Always was, always will be.