Amazigh Cinema

Lucy R. McNair is a literary translator of French and Professor of English at LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York. Her translations include the classic Algerian coming-of-age novel, The Poor Man’s Son, by Amazigh writer Mouloud Feraoun, the memoir To Hell and Back by Samira Bellil, plus many critical studies, creative essays, and poems by North African writers. She co-curates the New York Forum of Amazigh Film. Yahya Laayouni is Associate Professor of Arabic Studies and French at the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. He is an Amazigh native of Morocco and co-organizer of the New York Forum of Amazigh Film. His work on Amazigh Indigenous and Franco-Maghrebi cinema has appeared in the Journal of Religion and Film, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Muslim Popular Culture, and Jaddaliya.

“Amazigh Cinema provides a comprehensive overview of how this vibrant cinematic tradition challenges stereotypes, preserves heritage, and engages with global audiences.” —Dr. Nabil Boudraa, Oregon State University “This work offers one of the first extensive studies of Amazigh film to be published in English. Exploring the rich traditions and culture of the Tamazight, or ‘free people,’ the editors and contributors bring to readers a fascinating and engaging filmography that reveals the complexities and tensions present in contemporary Morocco.” —Valérie K. Orlando, author of Screening Morocco: Contemporary Film in a Changing Society“Lucy R. McNair and Yahya Laayouni’s brilliant collection provides a broad introduction to Amazigh film, video, and media along with a series of incisive and well-researched chapters that open up numerous areas for further investigation.” —Brian T. Edwards, author of After the American Century: The Ends of U.S. Culture in the Middle East“An important contribution to Amazigh Studies and a fabulous introduction to emergent Amazigh filmmaking practices.” —Paul A. Silverstein, Professor of Anthropology, Reed College

• Acknowledgements Preface by Kevin Dwyer An Amazigh Folktale: “Zadraqa, the Ruling Bird”retold by Fadma TainsirtAncient Modes, Modern Means: An Introduction to Contemporary Amazigh Cinemaby Lucy R. McNair and Yahya LaayouniTheorizing Amazigh Cinema by Daniela MerollaWomen through the Male Gaze in Amazigh Film from Algeria by Fazia AïtelMoroccan Amazigh-Speaking Cinema: From Amateurism to Professionalism by Mohamed El BouayadiTowards a New Amazigh Activist Film in Tunisia by Soubeika BahriWidening the Scope: Conceptualizing the Indigenous Media in the Amazigh-YouTubeaby Brahim El GuabliTinghir-Jerusalem: Echoes from the Mellah as Road “Memory Film”by Sheila Petty and Brahim BenbouazzaThe Dynamics of the Gaze in Mohamed El Badaoui’s Solei-Man by Said Chemlal“Do I Have To Be a Woman?”: Renegotiating the Feminine in Narjiss Nejjar’s Dry Eyes by Keziah M. PooleGlobal Trajectories, Localized Stories: Amazigh Filmmaking through the Eyes of Selected Filmmakersby Habiba BoumlikThrough the Festival Lensby Lucy R. McNair and Yahya LaayouniContributors Bibliography Index