Msheireb Museums, the French Institute of Qatar and the French Embassy in Qatar Celebrate Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish on Poetry Day

Doha, Qatar – 28 September 2026 – Msheireb Museums, the French Institute of Qatar and the French Embassy in Qatar jointly organised Poetry Day, an evening bringing together literature, cinema and cultural dialogue to celebrate the work and legacy of the late renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.

The event, which took place on 27 September 2026 at Bin Jelmood House, was organised at the initiative of the Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute) and the Centre Pompidou.

The programme explored themes central to Darwish’s work through a contemporary cinematic lens by featuring a screening of “An Orange from Jaffa”, a 27-minute short film by Palestinian director Mohammed Al-Mughanni. The film explores issues of identity, displacement, borders, and belonging, offering a contemporary perspective that resonates with the key themes that shaped Darwish’s poetry and wider body of work.

“Poetry has the ability to preserve memory and create connections across cultures and generations,” said Abdulla Al Naama, the General Manager of Msheireb Museums. “Through Poetry Day, we are pleased to create a space where Mahmoud Darwish’s work can be revisited alongside contemporary creative expression, encouraging dialogue around identity, belonging and the ways stories are remembered and shared. This reflects Msheireb Museums’ commitment to bringing together diverse cultural perspectives and creating meaningful opportunities for audiences to engage with literature and the arts.”

The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring artist and academics specialising in the Arabic language, literature and cinema. The discussion explored the inspirations found in the short-film “An Orange from Jaffa” from Darwish’s legacy.

The conversation also discussed how poetry and cinema can bring themes of exile, displacement, homeland and belonging into focus. By connecting Darwish’s work with contemporary filmmaking, the event highlighted the enduring relevance of these themes and the power of the arts to encourage dialogue and cultural exchange.

“The French Embassy is proud to celebrate the work of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish on the occasion of Poetry Day, a worldwide event, an initiative of Centre Pompidou and the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). Darwish, the poet of exile, found refuge in Paris, where his work left a lasting legacy among French artists and beyond,” said H.E. Ambassador Arnaud Pescheux.

“Mahmoud Darwish’s work is a testament that poetry can be both deeply rooted in a particular history and profoundly universal in its reach,” said Firat Oruc, Professor of Culture and Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar. “By bringing his legacy into conversation with contemporary audiences, Poetry Day creates an important space for cultural dialogue and for reflection on questions of identity, belonging, memory, and our shared humanity.”

Through this event, Msheireb Museums, the French Institute of Qatar and the French Embassy in Qatar continue to provide a platform for cultural dialogue, bringing together heritage and contemporary creative expression and inviting audiences to engage with ideas that go beyond time and place.

Further information about Poetry Day is available on the Centre Pompidou website:

https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/programme/rencontres/mahmoud-darwich-poetry-day

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