Focusing on official street signs in Qatar written using non-standard Arabic spellings, the documentary film Mal Lawwal explores the complex interplay of language, dialect, script, and issues of identity and migration.
The documentary shows how supposedly "incorrect" spellings on street signs serve as visual icons that mark the public space as Qatari. They showcase Qatari identity and heritage as distinct from other Arabic-speaking societies. The desire to mark the public space as uniquely Qatari must be understood against the demographic composition of Qatar.
The speakers, all from Qatar University, are Dr. Rizwan Ahmad, Associate Professor of Linguistics and the owner of “Mal Lawwal”, Dr. Shaikha Al-Kuwari, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, and Afra Al-Khulaifi, Teaching Assistant of Linguistics.
Date and Timings:
Language: Arabic
Target Audience: Public
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Source and image credit: Qatar National Library
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