"The 20-year evolution of modern independent Middle Eastern cinema has been exciting, unpredictable, and in some cases, awe-inspiring. A few masterpieces have been made, such as Ala Eddine Slim’s Tlamess; Shahram Mokri's Fish & Cat; and Annemarie Jacir’s Wajib.
Documentary filmmaking has experienced a major leap in form (see for example the likes of Suhaib Gasmelbari's Talking About Trees; and Raed Andoni's Ghost-hunting). And film-makers have gained the confidence and experience that previous generations lacked.
But foreign money and international exposure have come at a price: the subject matter of films has become repetitive; simplistic liberal politics have become mandatory; and formal experimentation has become a gimmick rather than genuine artistic expression.
People tell stories partially to redress historical silences, but if the stories and the resulting images are so ubiquitous, then what’s the point? And if the message and sentiments of such films simply reflect the tastes of their predominantly bourgeois, liberal arthouse target audiences, then what’s the point?
The results, time and again, are self-satisfied, predictable works tailor-made for festival crowds, which are designed to merely confirm beliefs rather than challenge them."
How I fell in and out of love with Middle East Cinema
People tell stories partially to redress historical silences, but if the stories and the resulting images are so ubiquitous, then what’s the point? And if the message and sentiments of such films simply reflect the tastes of their predominantly bourgeois, liberal arthouse target audiences, then what’s the point?
The results, time and again, are self-satisfied, predictable works tailor-made for festival crowds, which are designed to merely confirm beliefs rather than challenge them."
How I fell in and out of love with Middle East Cinema