Ep 242: Suha Araj on Storytelling, Identity & Representation

Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby

📄 Show Notes:In this episode, Damien Swaby sits down with filmmaker Suha Araj, who shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey from a career in advertising to becoming a powerful voice in film. Suha opens up about navigating major life transitions and how creative expression has always been a crucial part of her identity—even when it was sidelined by other life responsibilities.Growing up as a Palestinian in Ohio, Suha talks candidly about the lack of representation and the damaging stereotypes about Arabs and Palestinians in media. These experiences ignited her passion to reclaim narratives and amplify underrepresented voices through the lens of cinema.Listeners will gain insight into:

• How personal identity can inspire professional transformation
• The role of media in shaping cultural perception
• The challenges and triumphs of shifting from corporate to creative life
• Why storytelling is a powerful tool for social justice

📚 Educational Insight:Representation matters—not just in front of the camera, but behind it too. When people tell their own stories, it challenges stereotypes, deepens empathy, and broadens the understanding of cultures often misrepresented in mainstream media.
https://www.suhamaria.com