Building on a growing body of literature, this Handbook provides an up-to-date and authoritative survey of Arab cinema.
The collection includes contributions from academics and filmmakers from across the Arab region, Europe, and North America, and fills a gap in media studies by examining the entire Arab region, rather than focusing on one country or theme. The Handbook also sheds light on the heterogeneity of Arab filmmaking not only within the Arab region, but also globally, within diasporic communities. It is split into six parts:
- Part 1 provides an overview of each sub-region in the Arab world, including a chapter on Arab animation films.
- Parts 2, 3, and 4 address topical themes, encompassing the representation of gender, religion, and identity politics in Arab cinema.
- Part 5 discusses the theme of diaspora and Part 6 concludes the volume with reflective essays penned by selected diasporic filmmakers.
This book is an essential reference for Arab media and cinema scholars, students, and professional filmmakers. With case studies from across the Arab region, it's also a valuable resource for anyone interested in film and media, global cinema, and the Middle East generally.
Introduction
Noha Mellor
Part 1 – Overview
1. In the shadow of critique: Major themes of Maghrebi cinema
Ratiba Hadj-Moussa
2. The story of Iraqi cinema: A dream shattered by political and economic tribulations
Irada Aljubori
3. Filmmaking and film cultures on the Arabian Peninsula
Dale Hudson
4. Development of the cinema industry in Egypt
Hala El Zahed
5. Reimagining Sudan: Sufism, revolt, and national identity(ies)in film
Maha Bashri
6. Cinema in the Levant
7. Jordanian cinema: A burgeoning scene
Ebtihal Mahadeen
8. Arab animation cinema: From sand to screen
Tariq Alrimawi
9. The value chain of the film sector
Noha Mellor
Part 2 – Gender representation
10. Gender representation in Algerian cinema
Saida Kheira Benammar
11. Cassettes, cameras, and computers: The gendering of media in Arab narrative cinema
Anne Ciecko
12. Fictive witnessing: Leila Kilani’s On the Edge and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Beauty and the Dogs
Suzanne Gauch
13. Confused, rebellious, and depressed – Liberated women in Egyptian cinema
Noha Atef
14. Marco: A Levantine queer encounter in London
Feras Alkabani
15. Against “Double Erasure”: Women’s filmmaking in the aftermath of the uprisings in Yemen, Libya, and Saudi Arabia
Katty Alhayek and Eva Oseen
16. The Gulf female gaze: Women filmmakers and the creative representation of sociopolitical issues in the GCC states
Suzi Mirgani and Maysaa Almumin
Part 3 – Religion
17. “Fly, Horses of God, and the gates of paradise will open for you” – Radicalization and terrorism in Moroccan cinema
Aziz Douai
18. Religion, authority and morality codes in Arab cinema
Marlé Hammond
19. From terrorist to pious believer: Depictions of Islam in Arab cinema
Ehab Galal
20. Can cinema slow the flow of blood?
Laura U. Marks
Part 4 – Politics of Identity
21. Political ideology and the shaping of modern Arab cinema
Andrew Hammond
22. The problem of Palestine’s place in a globalized Palestinian cinema
Abeer Al-Najjar and Harris Breslow
23. From the square to the screen: New subjectivity in post-Arab Spring Egyptian cinema
Eid Mohamed, Talaat Mohamed and Sara Al-Naimi
24. Filmmaking shadows – The pitfall of Morocco as Hollywood of Africa
Waleed F. Mahdi
25. Moroccan Amazigh cinema
Sheila Petty
26. Moving the image: Film in the Arabian Gulf
Ildiko Kaposi
Part 5 – Migration and Diaspora
27. Harragas: Algerian films about clandestine migration
Fatima Nabila Moussaoui
28. Oppositional filmmaking in the diaspora
Irit Neidhardt
29. English intrusions in and contributions to polyglot Emirati cinema
Doris Hambuch
30. Sudan’s “diaspora” dilemma – Filmmaking amid the collapse of homeland
Bentley Brown
Part 6 – Diasporic voices
31. Egyptian cinema: Dreaming of a fugitive culture
Omar Kholeif
32. Outsider tales
Jihan El Tahri
33. Voices in exile
Maysoon Pachachi
34. Home and back home
Nadia Shihab
35. Film as a liminal space
Usama Alshaibi
36. From stills to moving images: Stories of dreams, fantasies and hope
Lara Baladi
37. Exploring cultural identity, representation, and creative boundaries
Mostafa Nagy
Biography
Noha Mellor is Professor of Media at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. She is also Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University and Adjunct Professor at Stockholm University. She has authored or edited multiple books on Arab media, including Arab Digital Journalism (2022, Routledge) and Routledge Handbook on Arab Media (2021).
"From the Maghreb to the Levant, and from political identity to gender and religion, this important volume provides a rich and nuanced overview of Arab cinema and its myriad roles in shaping, and reflecting, contemporary Arab societies. A must read."
Sahar Khamis, Associate Professor of Communication, University of Maryland, College Park, United States
"Routledge Handbook on Arab Cinema edited by Noha Mellor is a comprehensive guide to the history and development of Arab cinema. The book covers a wide range of topics, including gender representation, film cultures, and the value chain of the film sector. The contributors to the book are experts in their respective fields, and their insights provide a nuanced understanding of Arab cinema. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Arab cinema and its cultural significance."
Philip J. Auter, Hubert Bourgeois Endowed Professor in Communication, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States
