“Barbaric Space: Portrayal of Arab Lands in Hollywood Films,”

What is it about?

In The Gutenberg Galaxy, Marshall McLuhan coined the term 'global village' to indicate h()w the advancement in technology has brought the world closer by eradicating traditional boundaries (29!). Moreover, with the pervasiveness of the Internet, knowledge is no longer the domain of the educated few but has become available to all. In spite of the accessibility and easiness of obtaining information, certain stereotypes of the Arab world persist to this day, especially in the medium of film. This is not limited to representations of people but extends to include Arab lands as well. Given that the world has become a global village, such misrepresentations are not acceptable. In addition, countries like the US have maintained, especially since September 11, 2001, that they want to overcome misunderstandings between the Arab world and the West. Such representations willfully reinforce misconceptions. One image of the Arab city exists. In this chapter, I analyze the reason behind these false portrayals from a postcolonial and postmodern perspective, drawing on work by Albert Memmi, Edward Said, Frantz Fanon, and Jean Baudrillard, reflecting on films such as Disney's Aladdin (1992) by Ron Clements and John Musker, Body of Lies (2008) by Ridley Scott, Syriana (2005) by Stephen Gaghan, and The Siege (1998) by Edward Zwick, and comparing them with two Arab films, Captain Abu Raed (2007) by Amin Matalqa and City of Life (2009) by Ali F. Mostafa.

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Why is it important?

This chapter is published in Popular Culture in the Middle East and North Africa A Postcolonial Outlook which an important study on the Arab world.