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Or maybe its head will be cut off and the body will be dismembered by ISIS and other terrorists, so it is better for the child not to be born in the first place. But the husband insists that she should give birth to the child and this has created a big challenge for the life of this couple.”
The play examines the issue that preoccupies the couple’s minds, which is if a child enters this world, with the current situation of war and bloodshed and other issues that prevail, will it be able to achieve its dreams?
According to Al-Asadi, the play raises the question in the minds of the audience: How far will this chaotic situation in the world go on, and what fate awaits the children?
“This work was performed on stage for the first time last year at the Baghdad International Theater Festival and won top ranks in almost all categories including acting, writing, directing, stage design and music. In fact, the best Iraqi actors perform in this play, and two Iraqi stars, namely, Haider Juma, in the role of the husband, and Rabab Ahmad, in the role of the wife, have performed exceptionally well in this play,” the Iraqi director told Iran Daily.
The second official performance of this play was held at the Fajr International Theater Festival, and in the future it is going to be performed in many festivals including in Germany and several African countries.
“From now on, we are on a long journey to perform this show in different places,” Al-Asadi said.
In response to the question of how much the idea of this play came from his own personal experience and concerns in Iraq, the director said that the issues examined in Amal are universal issues; they are not limited to a specific geographical location.
“The presence of ISIS in Iraq and the war in this country may have fostered the idea of the play in my mind, but the world today is facing issues such as economic problems, racism, etc., that do not belong to a specific location. Yet, the most important issue that worries the people of the world today is the issue of war and terrorism and the spread of drugs,” he added.
Referring to the role of art in creating closeness and friendship between nations, Al-Asadi said that in this section of the Fadjr festival, theater and art brought everyone together and made them more connected.
“Because of this friendship and unity, we can defeat terrorists and perpetrators of war and bloodshed,” he noted.
According to Al-Asadi, the performance of this play in Tehran may be the beginning of further cooperation between actors and artists in the field of theater in the two countries. Recently, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Ahmed Musa, the head of the Iraqi Cinema and Theater Foundation, and Kourosh Zarei, the secretary of the 41st Fadjr International Theater Festival, for the development of theatrical cooperation between the two countries, which will definitely be implemented in the future and joint performances and productions will certainly be on the agenda of Iran and Iraq.

Iranian animation, “Loupetou,” directed by Abbas Askari, has managed to reach record sales in Iranian cinema history, grossing over 14 billion rials ($3.57 million), 12 weeks after its release, according to the public relations office of the production studio.
“Loupetou” has managed to achieve this record at the box office across the country by attracting 580,000 viewers. Also, the sale of this animation in mobile screenings in cities which do not have cinemas has reached record sales of more than 1,200 billion rials.
Recently, mobile screenings of animations have begun in cities that have cinemas, except Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz and Sari.
The musical, exciting, and happy animated movie is the first product of Sooreh Animation Center, which was produced by young artists from Kerman Province in Farasou Studio, and was shown on movie screens by Bahman-e-Sabz Broadcasting Office.

Iranian tourism specialists are present at Fitur 2023 exhibition in Madrid, Spain, from five provinces, according to Ali Asghar Shalbafian, deputy minister of tourism.
Speaking on the sidelines of setting up Iran’s pavilion in the 43rd Fitur International Tourism Exhibition, which began on January 18 and ended on January 22, 2023, in Spain, Shalbafian said that Iran’s pavilion in this international event received a special welcome from visitors and enthusiasts who came from across the tourism industry.
“The design of Iran’s pavilion was very unique in this exhibition,” the deputy minister said.
He added that in the design of Iran’s pavilion, cultural symbols and beautiful architecture elements from all over the country were used, which helped attract more people interested in the ancient and rich culture and civilization of Iran and to see the achievements of Iranian representatives in this exhibition.
Shalbafian later pointed to the presence of representatives of Iran’s tourism industry in this exhibition, noting, “Despite the unfavorable conditions and atmosphere against Iran, travel service offices from the provinces of Tehran, North Khorasan, Kurdestan, Fars and Isfahan were present at Iran’s pavilion and introduced the capacities and attractions of tourism, culture, history, and ecotourism of Iran.”
The deputy minister of tourism expressed hope that this exhibition will bring favorable economic benefits for travel service offices, which are the cultural ambassadors of Iran, and would lead to an increase in the number of tourists.
The Madrid fair is the global meeting place for industry professionals and the premier trade show for destination markets in Latin America. It is also the largest event in Spain related to the tourism industry, with tens of thousands of participants from all over the world, related to innovation and the promotion of new tourist segments, technological leadership in the management of tourism, and knowledge transfer tools.

Tubi has announced its first unscripted cooking series, “Kitchen Commando,” hosted by U.S. Army Master Sergeant and White House chef André Rush. Produced by Gordon Ramsay, the new series enlists Chef André to help save struggling restaurants and reignite their passion for the service industry.
Over the 10-episode season, Chef Rush will visit restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area that are in need of his discipline, resourcefulness and talents to whip these restaurants back into shape. Chef Rush’s skills will be put to the test in the first episode, when he meets a defeated married couple whose crab-themed restaurant is now a toxic mess.
“Kitchen Commando” premieres on February 12, 2023, with a new episode rolling out every Sunday for ten weeks. “Kitchen Commando” is a Fox Alternative Entertainment and Studio Ramsay Global production.

Living quarters and sugarcane mills found on Martinique

THE MIAMI HERALD – An excavation conducted at the Estate of Château Gaillard on the Caribbean Island of Martinique has uncovered remnants of 18th-century sugarcane mills. Scientists from France’s National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) said the circular structures each measured about 50 feet in diameter. Wooden rollers wrapped in iron to crush the sugarcane would have been powered by oxen or mules and operated by enslaved people.

Child buried with dogs unearthed in Egypt

The remains of a child and 142 dogs have been found in a single burial near Cairo, Egypt, dated to sometime between the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. by researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences, local media reported. Most of the dogs were puppies. The archaeologists have found no signs of wounds on the dogs, who seem to have all died at the same time. Blue clay on the remains is thought to have come from reservoirs, perhaps because the dogs died in a flood. The child, who is thought to have been the dogs’ caretaker, probably died with them.

Column cleaning at Egypt’s great hypostyle hall completed

AHRAM ONLINE – The restoration of 37 columns at the Great Hypostyle Hall in the temple of Amun-Ra at the Karnak temple complex has been completed. Mostafa Waziri of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said that the columns were cleaned to remove sand, dust, and bird debris, and reveal the engravings and colors on the original surfaces.