Review: Spring 2017 Middle East Film Series
Commanding attention this spring semester was a Middle East documentary series, a semesterlong event showcasing four films and Q&As that explore distinct issues appearing in the modern Middle Eastern context. The event was sponsored by the International Student Union and Hayat, the History Department, International Affairs Program, MDOCS, Zankel Chair of Management and Liberal Arts in the Department of Management and Business, Environmental Studies and Sciences Program and the the Scribner Library. Nurcan Atalan-Helicke, assistant professor of environmental studies and sciences, researched the films and proposed the program and led discussion at the first screening. Murat Yildiz (history) was the discussant at the second film, Pushi Prasad (management and business) the third, and MDOCS/VLF Mellon Fellow Nicky Tavares, the final event.
The four films highlighted include Home Away from Home, a documentary about Syrian refugees in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan; Ten, an Iranian "docufiction" that tells the story of a young, divorced mother who comes in close contact with women of different social situations from her taxicab; The Settlers, a critically acclaimed documentary dealing specifically with the heated Israel-Palestine conflict from the point of view of Israeli settlers; and, finally, Yallah, a documentary film following underground musicians from Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Israel and their connection to the Arab Spring, 2009 to 2013.
Atlan-Helicke notes, "This is the third year with a series of documentary screenings
focused on the Middle East. I’m happy that we can continue these collaborations. The
feedback we received from the Skidmore and Saratoga Springs communities shows that
visual tools provide us more opportunities to understand the diversity of the region.
These instances also help us evaluate contemporary challenges of the Middle East,
and have broader discussions about its people, culture, environment and development
issues." Student responses to the films follow.
Jill Moossman '18 attended the first two screenings and reports:
"By tackling issues that feel elusive, complicated and even unfamiliar to the American public, the films broadened my knowledge of the region, crafting a more realistic and immersive image of the Middle East.
"Abbas Kiarostami’s docu-fiction Ten (2003) was banned in Iran for its explicit portrayal of Iranian women and boldness in tackling controversial social topics, topics such as divorce, a woman shaving her head, dress codes, prostitution and hope for a life beyond being a slave to the family. The film was superb at weaving through each instance of social injustice from the perspective of an ostracized Iranian woman whose struggles felt familiar to a young American woman across the world. Destroying stereotypes, Kiarostami’s film explores a side to the Middle East that most outsiders are foreign and defies immediate expectations upon thinking about the Middle East. Muryat Yildiz, assistant professor of history, who is teaching a course on gender in the Middle East this semester, led the discussion.
"Similarly, Simon Dotan’s documentary The Settlers explores the landscape of one of the most-debated political and social issues of the decade, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over land. In a telling story of religion versus politics, Dotan explores what it truly means for Israelis to rebel and defy the government in favor of Judaism and the belief that the Holy Land is a sacred gift. In an intimate look inside the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the conflict becomes palpable.
"Both films were exceptional at destroying preconceptions that Americans may hold when thinking about the Middle East by dealing with issues many are ignorant of or do not comprehend. The fact that there is a contingent of filmmakers who are taking this leap to bring new, progressive voices to show the arts and other scenes of the Middle East helps make this particular film series so moving.
"At Skidmore, and even across the United States, the stories revealed in documentary work is something that is generally celebrated; Having a voice is not only admired but necessary. Yet Americans often think of the Middle East as a place devoid of such traditions and liberties. This series reminds or teachs us that there are creators halfway across the world who are working to use their voices and skills to showcase and defy convention through documentary storytelling."
Isabella Bennett ’18 (environmental studies and sciences) on Ten:
"The docufiction Ten is a very intimate depiction of one family’s struggle as well as a glimpse into the lives of an Iranian prostitute, an elderly devout Muslim woman and a family member or friend of the main character.
"This film explores social roles and a cultural shift toward more liberal divorce rules, to an extent determined unfit for Iranian audiences by Iranian authorities. The most interesting part of the entire movie, in my opinion, is that the main actress, Mania Akbari, has said that about 80% of the topics discussed in the film are actual facts from her real life. This level of truth makes the film very moving and more powerful.
"Overall, the film is important for American and western audiences for its humanity and overall reliability, which goes far beyond religious affiliations and daily responsibilities and centers on humanity’s shared desire for connection with loved ones, safety and ability to prosper within your environment."
Karen Nolan ’19 (environmental studies and sciences) on Yallah Underground:
“People use art as a vehicle for enacting change. Most of their music is making some sort of public statement about what is wrong with the government and what needs to change. One artist comments that the Arab world is in a state of change, although it will take several generations to see the results. As a musician I liked hearing music from different parts of the world, and I agree that music and art have the ability to unite people and create a movement for change.
"I think it is important to use artists and musicians to spread a message and encourage people to share their opinions because the arts have a way of bringing people together, even if the subject matter isn’t controversial. But since the arts have this capability, they can be used to spread a message and work for change."
Dorothy Parsons ’18 (international affairs) on Yallah Underground:
“The feeling of being trapped between traditional ways of thinking and the counterculture that so many of the musicians described seems to be an additional factor that contributes to this dissatisfaction but is rarely mentioned in academic articles on the youth in the Arab Spring. The youth have been portrayed as more liberal, less religious and more supportive of secular politics, which relates to many of the musicians portraying a liberal viewpoint without Islam.”
