Sunday, February 9, 2014

LY112 Culture Portfolio #1- Arabic Cinema

Most films with “Middle Eastern” or “Arabian” themes that we think of today are actually Western-made films, which can be hit or miss, and can run the risk of projecting sterotypes onto the Middle Eastern world. The most infamous perhaps, “Sex in the City”, wasn’t allowed to be filmed in Abu Dhabi, and had to rely on US and Morrocan locations. Even a film with an immensely better reputation, “Lawrence of Arabia”, which won 7 Academy Awards, is British. In order to truly get a sense for the Arabian cinematic scene, one must go directly to the source, and rely on what Middle Eastern people say represents them best.

Luckily for Westerners, there is a plethora of film festivals in the Middle East that have been getting more attention, most of them focusing on local film endeavors and some even highlighting Middle Eastern women’s cinematic work. One of the biggest festivals is the Dubai Film Festival, which dedicates categories to best actor, actress, director, etc. for Arab films. These winners come from films from Morocco, Egypt, UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, as well as a few Western countries like France and Belgium. Other festivals include the Marrakech International Film Festival, held in Morocco, the Doha Film Festival, held in Qatar, and the Damascus International Film Festival.

Other sources for reliable depictions of the Middle East include foreign festivals that honor Arabian filmmakers. A British festival called Bird’s Eye View dedicated an entire year’s festival to Arab women and their part in Arabic cinema. It featured films from female Arabic directors from countries including Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, etc. This festival has awards for feature length films, documentaries, short films, and film scores.

If you’re looking for suggestions about an Arab film to watch, look no further than these festivals’ “Best Arab Film” categories. These films have been created by Arabic filmmakers, and have been praised by both Arabic and international communities. Bird’s Eye View suggests “Wadjda”, whereas the Dubai Film Festival ranks “Al-Mummia” as it’s top pick.


http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2013/apr/03/birds-eye-view-female-arabian-film-makers

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