Routledge Handbook on Arab Cinema

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

• Introduction Part 1 – Overview 1. In the shadow of critique: Major themes of Maghrebi cinema 2. The story of Iraqi cinema: A dream shattered by political and economic tribulations 3. Filmmaking and film cultures on the Arabian Peninsula 4. Development of the cinema industry in Egypt 5. Reimagining Sudan: Sufism, revolt, and national identity(ies)in film 6. Cinema in the Levant 7. Jordanian cinema: A burgeoning scene 8. Arab animation cinema: From sand to screen 9. The value chain of the film sector Part 2 – Gender representation 10. Gender representation in Algerian cinema 11. Cassettes, cameras, and computers: The gendering of media in Arab narrative cinema 12. Fictive witnessing: Leila Kilani’s On the Edge and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Beauty and the Dogs 13. Confused, rebellious, and depressed – Liberated women in Egyptian cinema 14. Marco: A Levantine queer encounter in London 15. Against “Double Erasure”: Women’s filmmaking in the aftermath of the uprisings in Yemen, Libya, and Saudi Arabia 16. The Gulf female gaze: Women filmmakers and the creative representation of sociopolitical issues in the GCC states Part 3 – Religion 17. “Fly, Horses of God, and the gates of paradise will open for you” – Radicalization and terrorism in Moroccan cinema 18. Religion, authority and morality codes in Arab cinema 19. From terrorist to pious believer: Depictions of Islam in Arab cinema 20. Can cinema slow the flow of blood? Part 4 – Politics of Identity 21. Political ideology and the shaping of modern Arab cinema 22. The problem of Palestine’s place in a globalized Palestinian cinema 23. From the square to the screen: New subjectivity in post-Arab Spring Egyptian cinema 24. Filmmaking shadows – The pitfall of Morocco as Hollywood of Africa 25. Moroccan Amazigh cinema 26. Moving the image: Film in the Arabian Gulf Part 5 – Migration and Diaspora 27. Harragas: Algerian films about clandestine migration 28. Oppositional filmmaking in the diaspora 29. English intrusions in and contributions to polyglot Emirati cinema 30. Sudan’s “diaspora” dilemma – Filmmaking amid the collapse of homeland Part 6 – Diasporic voices 31. Egyptian cinema: Dreaming of a fugitive culture 32. Outsider tales 33. Voices in exile 34. Home and back home 35. Film as a liminal space 36. From stills to moving images: Stories of dreams, fantasies and hope 37. Exploring cultural identity, representation, and creative boundaries