Press & interviews

Portrait & interview

Roles, representation and a Hollywood debut

Elisa Pfleger on Mohamed Chahrour’s Hollywood debut, bringing ideas to the set and his ambition to play layered characters.

Interview

Working alongside Tom Hanks

Mohamed Chahrour talks to Berliner Morgenpost about appearing in The Phoenician Scheme and working alongside Tom Hanks.

Interview

Working with Wes Anderson

A conversation with Antonia Everding about auditions, detailed preparation and working on an international film set.

Interview

A surname in the classroom

In conversation with Rosa Fava, Mohamed recalls being stereotyped by teachers and police. He discusses how poverty, racism and assumptions about family names shape young people’s experiences of authority.

Profile

Building bridges through stories

Emily Kossak introduces Mohamed as a podcast host, author and composer, and places his work alongside the migration story of his Lebanese extended family.

Registration required by the publisher.

Interview

Questioning the label of “clan crime”

An interview about the way offences are grouped under the label of “clan crime”, and the blanket suspicion directed at Arab extended families.

Interview

Family ties and the deportation debate

Mohamed responds to proposals to make deportations easier in cases linked to criminal clans. He discusses individual responsibility, the presumption of innocence and the effect of political rhetoric on belonging.

Podcast · Interview

Music, acting and starting again

An extended conversation with Frank Joung about his creative path, the book Dakhil and learning from setbacks.

Interview

What family means to me

An interview with Mohamed Chahrour about what the word “clan” means to him, focusing on family ties and the assumptions attached to them.

Couch Talk · Video

Beyond the family name

Mohamed and Marcus Staiger join Maryam Kirchmann to discuss discrimination in housing, work and education. Their conversation explores how teachers and youth workers can respond to stereotypes without reinforcing them.

Profile & conversation

Writing Dakhil from the inside

Maria Häußler meets Mohamed and Marcus Staiger to discuss their research and collaboration on Dakhil. The feature connects family histories of flight with questions of identity, exclusion and public portrayals of Arab families.

Interview

Family, belonging and Clanland

A conversation with Mohamed Chahrour and Marcus Staiger about growing up in an Arab extended family and the perspective they bring to their podcast Clanland.

Subscription may be required.

Interview

Growing up with other people’s assumptions

In an extended interview with Susanne Memarnia, Mohamed talks about everyday prejudice, family solidarity and the creation of Clanland. He also traces his path through martial arts, acting and music.

Interview

The assumptions behind a surname

Mohamed discusses the experiences behind Clanland, including a police encounter he perceived as discriminatory. He challenges the expectation that a whole family should answer for the actions of individual members.

Subscription may be required.