In this interview, Samir Abdallah retraces the many trajectories in the life of his father, the Egyptian painter Hamed Abdalla, between Egypt, Europe and the Arab world, as well as his work, which has been the subject of renewed interest since the 2000s. In the background, we can also trace the political tensions and conflicts that have marked relations between the Arab world and Europe, and which have undoubtedly influenced the reception and recognition of the painters of Arab modernism, to which Hamed Abdalla belongs. This exchange was also an opportunity to highlight Samir Abdallah’s political heritage. His documentaries bear witness to his father’s commitment to the Palestinian question.