Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity. New Revised Edition

by Viola Shafik

Since it was first published in 1998, Viola Shafik’s Arab History and Cultural Identity has become an indispensable work for scholars of film and the contemporary Middle East. Combining detailed narrative history—economic, ideological, and aesthetic—with thought-provoking analysis, Arab Cinema provides a comprehensive overview of cinema in the Arab world, tracing the industry’s development from colonial times to the present. It analyzes the ambiguous relationship with commercial western cinema, and the effect of Egyptian market dominance in the region. Tracing the influence on the medium of local and regional art forms and modes of thought, both classical and popular, Shafik shows how indigenous and external factors combine in a dynamic process of “cultural repackaging.”

Now updated to reflect cultural shifts in the last ten years of cinema, this revised edition contains a new afterword highlighting the latest developments in popular film and in cinéma d’auteur (art house movies), with a special focus on Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. While exploring problematic issues such as European co-production for Arab art films, including their relation to cultural identity and their reception in the region and abroad, this new edition introduces readers to some of the most compelling cinematic works of the last decade.

Genres: Film, History, Cultural, Art

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

German film scholar and filmmaker, she has directed documentaries including IRAQI ARTISTS IN GERMANY and THE LEMON TREE. She is also the author of the books "Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity" and "Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation".
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http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de/...

Reviews

[Annebeau Hofkens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Begin van al mijn miserie komende maanden

[حسين الضو]

This is a great book if you want to have an overarching look of cinema in the Arab world since its foundation. It touches upon the colonial influence and manipulation over production and representation.

The book discusses how cinema faded in certain regions while flourished in others, subjects of cinema during different times and aesthetic styles.

The good thing about Viola Shafik is that she isn't into celebrating certain names or movies, she interrogates them in terms of style and representation taking in consideration all factors such as censorship, the political and social status quo and production limitations.

It is also a great book if you are looking to make a list of classic Arab movies that you probably never heard of (the good thing is most of those films are in YouTube).

There are three editions of this book; 1998 (the one I read ), 2007 and finally 2017. I wanted to read the last edition because it involves the new player, as she calls them, which are the gulf states but I couldn't find it.

Anyway, this is a good read..

[Dr Zorlak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arid and referential. This book is a series of encapsulated, miniature reviews of movies that serve the author for her discussion on different topics, from cinematic language to cultural identity. As fun to read as a dictionary (which I used to read when I was a child as if they were comics, so that's saying nothing). It did leave me with the desire to watch a selection of Egyptian, Moroccan, and Tunisian movies I listed as I read.

[Nijla Mumin · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have this book and have read sections of it... now just gotta work on finishing it

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, great history of pan Arab history and what shaped it(culture, language, conflict, Western influence).