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Sick of Hollywood’s Mideast stereotypes? Check out these 8 made-in-MENA movies

Published July 16th, 2015 - 01:21 GMT

Wisps of pink smoke rise from an unseen candle as mysterious snake-charming music evokes the sensual moves of a belly dancer. The smoke dissipates, making way for a vast landscape of rolling sand dunes where a lone camel plods through a dust storm, casting an eerie shadow.  

“I come from a land, from a faraway place, where the caravan camels roam. Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face — it’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”  (continue reading below)

Such begins the opening number of Disney’s Aladdin, an adventure story based on The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. 

For anyone who has spent time in the Middle East, those lyrics are laughable at best and racist at worst — and it doesn’t get much better anywhere you look in Hollywood. From crazed terrorist archetypes to repressed women and flying carpets, Hollywood just can’t seem to get the Middle East right.

Maybe it’s because the film industry is running out of convenient “bad guys” it can get away with. In the past, we’ve seen evil Nazis melt to death, conniving Soviets plot against the United States, and North Koreans attack the White House.

Nowadays, Hollywood’s convenient collective punching bag is Middle Easterners, whether they are Iranian street protesters, Arab airplane hijackers, or just crazy dudes with over-exaggerated, vaguely Arabic accents. Because of this, most Middle Eastern people we see in Western movies are scary, fanatic, antagonists with skewed perceptions of women’s rights.  

To balance things out a little, we’ve gathered together eight made-in-MENA movie suggestions that will shatter negative stereotypes made in Hollywood. And no — there are no flying carpets here.  

 
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If you’re tired of Aladdin: It might be one of our all time favorite Disney hits, but that doesn’t excuse Aladdin from its silly and often inaccurate portrayal of Islamic civilization, where people casually get their ears chopped off.

If you’re tired of Aladdin: It might be one of our all time favorite Disney hits, but that doesn’t excuse Aladdin from its silly and often inaccurate portrayal of Islamic civilization, where people casually get their ears chopped off.

argo

Then watch Waltz with Bashir: It’s animated, but far from a silly cartoon. Controversial for its sympathetic portrayal of an Israeli soldier and banned in Lebanon for just about everything else, this poetic movie about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon covers the horrors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

If you’re tired of Argo: While this period thriller was critically acclaimed for its depiction of the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis, it does little to redeem the abiding image of Iran as a dark, scary place. We hardly hear any Iranian voices, except those of angry black-clad street protesters waving their fists in the air and burning US flags.

If you’re tired of Argo: While this period thriller was critically acclaimed for its depiction of the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis, it does little to redeem the abiding image of Iran as a dark, scary place. We hardly hear any Iranian voices, except those of angry black-clad street protesters waving their fists in the air and burning US flags.

Then watch Nobody Knows About Persian Cats: Filmed in secret, this musical odyssey follows a pair of young indie songwriters in Tehran looking to form a band so they can perform abroad. They meet a spectrum of underground artists while on their quest, from metalheads to rappers to traditional Persian musicians. Take a dip into young, hip Iran!

Then watch Nobody Knows About Persian Cats: Filmed in secret, this musical odyssey follows a pair of young indie songwriters in Tehran looking to form a band so they can perform abroad. They meet a spectrum of underground artists while on their quest, from metalheads to rappers to traditional Persian musicians. Take a dip into young, hip Iran!

zero dark thirty

If you’re tired of Zero Dark Thirty: A narrative that pits an angelic red-head Jessica Chastain against the scary Muslim 'other' in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, this film justifies torture and features a terrorist-centric plotline. Really there’s nothing new here.

Then watch Paradise Now: This movie is for those who want a nuanced, albeit controversial look into the “terrorists” themselves from the perpetrator’s point of view. The film follows a pair of best friends from Nablus on a mission to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and tells a vital story about the people behind suicide attacks.

Then watch Paradise Now: This movie is for those who want a nuanced, albeit controversial look into the “terrorists” themselves from the perpetrator’s point of view. The film follows a pair of best friends from Nablus on a mission to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and tells a vital story about the people behind suicide attacks.

american sniper

If you’re tired of American Sniper: Arabs as a people are reduced to targets in the crosshairs of a sniper gun. Iraq is apparently a dusty wasteland of violence where a buff US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) shoots young children in the name of fulfilling duty.

lawrence of arabia

Then watch Voices of Iraq: This innovative documentary uses handheld video cameras dispersed around Iraq in 2003, after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Though the film falls victim to pro-USA invasion optimism, it’s a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of Iraqis from all walks of life, who tell their own stories.

the mumy

If you’re tired of The Mummy: Apparently, Egypt is all about computer-animated mummies and contrived magical ancient tombs that white people are somehow allowed to raid with the help of strangely patient Arab servants.

Then watch The Band’s Visit: Forget mummies and pharaohs. In this quietly hilarious flick, we follow a police orchestra from Alexandria, Egypt that visits Israel to perform at an Arab cultural center. When the group gets lost in the middle of nowhere, they spend the night in a dusty town bonding with locals.

Then watch The Band’s Visit: Forget mummies and pharaohs. In this quietly hilarious flick, we follow a police orchestra from Alexandria, Egypt that visits Israel to perform at an Arab cultural center. When the group gets lost in the middle of nowhere, they spend the night in a dusty town bonding with locals.

sex and the city 2

If you’re tired of Sex and the City 2: The Middle East is “so cutting edge in so many ways, and so backwards when it comes to sex,” Samantha says on a dinner date in Abu Dhabi. Maybe so, but this chick flick gets it all wrong, painting a comically misguided and reductionalist picture of sex-hating Arabs and laws against owning condoms.

Then watch May in the Summer: Still want a chick flick? In this film, a Christian woman (yes, Arab Christians exist!) returns home to Jordan to marry her Muslim fiance. There's healthy romance, a lesbian sister (openly gay people exist too!), moderate amounts of alcohol (also available!), and commentary on Christian-Muslim tensions in the Levant.

Then watch May in the Summer: Still want a chick flick? In this film, a Christian woman (yes, Arab Christians exist!) returns home to Jordan to marry her Muslim fiance. There's healthy romance, a lesbian sister (openly gay people exist too!), moderate amounts of alcohol (also available!), and commentary on Christian-Muslim tensions in the Levant.

Indiana jones

If you’re tired of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark: This movie is a beloved classic, but why is it the duty of some white dude to take ancient artifacts from a foreign country? (According to good old Indiana Jones: “It belongs in a museum!”) And why the same old orientalist images of sword-wielding Arabs haggling in chaotic bazaars?

the time that remains

Then watch The Time that Remains: Here’s a more nuanced, intimate, and beautifully filmed portrayal of 20th century Arab history. Follow a Palestinian family from the creation of Israel to the present, while the hardship of occupation weaves itself into sunny nostalgic images of family life in historically-Christian Nazareth.

the dictator

If you’re tired of Rules of Engagement: This mystery film about US Marines shooting dead 83 civilians in Yemen leaves the bigger mystery unsolved — Why is a movie based on story that takes place in Latin America set in Yemen? Some have named it “probably the most racist film ever made against Arabs by Hollywood.”

Then watch West Beyrouth: Let’s travel across a few borders to a different conflict zone — Lebanon in the 1970s. This semi-biographical film uses a child’s point of view to make a poignant statement about the sectarianism and loss of innocence wrought by armed conflict. It’s heartbreaking and sobering, but hilarious when it needs to be.

Then watch West Beyrouth: Let’s travel across a few borders to a different conflict zone — Lebanon in the 1970s. This semi-biographical film uses a child’s point of view to make a poignant statement about the sectarianism and loss of innocence wrought by armed conflict. It’s heartbreaking and sobering, but hilarious when it needs to be.

If you’re tired of Aladdin: It might be one of our all time favorite Disney hits, but that doesn’t excuse Aladdin from its silly and often inaccurate portrayal of Islamic civilization, where people casually get their ears chopped off.
argo
If you’re tired of Argo: While this period thriller was critically acclaimed for its depiction of the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis, it does little to redeem the abiding image of Iran as a dark, scary place. We hardly hear any Iranian voices, except those of angry black-clad street protesters waving their fists in the air and burning US flags.
Then watch Nobody Knows About Persian Cats: Filmed in secret, this musical odyssey follows a pair of young indie songwriters in Tehran looking to form a band so they can perform abroad. They meet a spectrum of underground artists while on their quest, from metalheads to rappers to traditional Persian musicians. Take a dip into young, hip Iran!
zero dark thirty
Then watch Paradise Now: This movie is for those who want a nuanced, albeit controversial look into the “terrorists” themselves from the perpetrator’s point of view. The film follows a pair of best friends from Nablus on a mission to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and tells a vital story about the people behind suicide attacks.
american sniper
lawrence of arabia
the mumy
Then watch The Band’s Visit: Forget mummies and pharaohs. In this quietly hilarious flick, we follow a police orchestra from Alexandria, Egypt that visits Israel to perform at an Arab cultural center. When the group gets lost in the middle of nowhere, they spend the night in a dusty town bonding with locals.
sex and the city 2
Then watch May in the Summer: Still want a chick flick? In this film, a Christian woman (yes, Arab Christians exist!) returns home to Jordan to marry her Muslim fiance. There's healthy romance, a lesbian sister (openly gay people exist too!), moderate amounts of alcohol (also available!), and commentary on Christian-Muslim tensions in the Levant.
Indiana jones
the time that remains
the dictator
Then watch West Beyrouth: Let’s travel across a few borders to a different conflict zone — Lebanon in the 1970s. This semi-biographical film uses a child’s point of view to make a poignant statement about the sectarianism and loss of innocence wrought by armed conflict. It’s heartbreaking and sobering, but hilarious when it needs to be.
If you’re tired of Aladdin: It might be one of our all time favorite Disney hits, but that doesn’t excuse Aladdin from its silly and often inaccurate portrayal of Islamic civilization, where people casually get their ears chopped off.
If you’re tired of Aladdin: It might be one of our all time favorite Disney hits, but that doesn’t excuse Aladdin from its silly and often inaccurate portrayal of Islamic civilization, where people casually get their ears chopped off.
argo
Then watch Waltz with Bashir: It’s animated, but far from a silly cartoon. Controversial for its sympathetic portrayal of an Israeli soldier and banned in Lebanon for just about everything else, this poetic movie about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon covers the horrors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
If you’re tired of Argo: While this period thriller was critically acclaimed for its depiction of the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis, it does little to redeem the abiding image of Iran as a dark, scary place. We hardly hear any Iranian voices, except those of angry black-clad street protesters waving their fists in the air and burning US flags.
If you’re tired of Argo: While this period thriller was critically acclaimed for its depiction of the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis, it does little to redeem the abiding image of Iran as a dark, scary place. We hardly hear any Iranian voices, except those of angry black-clad street protesters waving their fists in the air and burning US flags.
Then watch Nobody Knows About Persian Cats: Filmed in secret, this musical odyssey follows a pair of young indie songwriters in Tehran looking to form a band so they can perform abroad. They meet a spectrum of underground artists while on their quest, from metalheads to rappers to traditional Persian musicians. Take a dip into young, hip Iran!
Then watch Nobody Knows About Persian Cats: Filmed in secret, this musical odyssey follows a pair of young indie songwriters in Tehran looking to form a band so they can perform abroad. They meet a spectrum of underground artists while on their quest, from metalheads to rappers to traditional Persian musicians. Take a dip into young, hip Iran!
zero dark thirty
If you’re tired of Zero Dark Thirty: A narrative that pits an angelic red-head Jessica Chastain against the scary Muslim 'other' in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, this film justifies torture and features a terrorist-centric plotline. Really there’s nothing new here.
Then watch Paradise Now: This movie is for those who want a nuanced, albeit controversial look into the “terrorists” themselves from the perpetrator’s point of view. The film follows a pair of best friends from Nablus on a mission to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and tells a vital story about the people behind suicide attacks.
Then watch Paradise Now: This movie is for those who want a nuanced, albeit controversial look into the “terrorists” themselves from the perpetrator’s point of view. The film follows a pair of best friends from Nablus on a mission to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and tells a vital story about the people behind suicide attacks.
american sniper
If you’re tired of American Sniper: Arabs as a people are reduced to targets in the crosshairs of a sniper gun. Iraq is apparently a dusty wasteland of violence where a buff US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) shoots young children in the name of fulfilling duty.
lawrence of arabia
Then watch Voices of Iraq: This innovative documentary uses handheld video cameras dispersed around Iraq in 2003, after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Though the film falls victim to pro-USA invasion optimism, it’s a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of Iraqis from all walks of life, who tell their own stories.
the mumy
If you’re tired of The Mummy: Apparently, Egypt is all about computer-animated mummies and contrived magical ancient tombs that white people are somehow allowed to raid with the help of strangely patient Arab servants.
Then watch The Band’s Visit: Forget mummies and pharaohs. In this quietly hilarious flick, we follow a police orchestra from Alexandria, Egypt that visits Israel to perform at an Arab cultural center. When the group gets lost in the middle of nowhere, they spend the night in a dusty town bonding with locals.
Then watch The Band’s Visit: Forget mummies and pharaohs. In this quietly hilarious flick, we follow a police orchestra from Alexandria, Egypt that visits Israel to perform at an Arab cultural center. When the group gets lost in the middle of nowhere, they spend the night in a dusty town bonding with locals.
sex and the city 2
If you’re tired of Sex and the City 2: The Middle East is “so cutting edge in so many ways, and so backwards when it comes to sex,” Samantha says on a dinner date in Abu Dhabi. Maybe so, but this chick flick gets it all wrong, painting a comically misguided and reductionalist picture of sex-hating Arabs and laws against owning condoms.
Then watch May in the Summer: Still want a chick flick? In this film, a Christian woman (yes, Arab Christians exist!) returns home to Jordan to marry her Muslim fiance. There's healthy romance, a lesbian sister (openly gay people exist too!), moderate amounts of alcohol (also available!), and commentary on Christian-Muslim tensions in the Levant.
Then watch May in the Summer: Still want a chick flick? In this film, a Christian woman (yes, Arab Christians exist!) returns home to Jordan to marry her Muslim fiance. There's healthy romance, a lesbian sister (openly gay people exist too!), moderate amounts of alcohol (also available!), and commentary on Christian-Muslim tensions in the Levant.
Indiana jones
If you’re tired of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark: This movie is a beloved classic, but why is it the duty of some white dude to take ancient artifacts from a foreign country? (According to good old Indiana Jones: “It belongs in a museum!”) And why the same old orientalist images of sword-wielding Arabs haggling in chaotic bazaars?
the time that remains
Then watch The Time that Remains: Here’s a more nuanced, intimate, and beautifully filmed portrayal of 20th century Arab history. Follow a Palestinian family from the creation of Israel to the present, while the hardship of occupation weaves itself into sunny nostalgic images of family life in historically-Christian Nazareth.
the dictator
If you’re tired of Rules of Engagement: This mystery film about US Marines shooting dead 83 civilians in Yemen leaves the bigger mystery unsolved — Why is a movie based on story that takes place in Latin America set in Yemen? Some have named it “probably the most racist film ever made against Arabs by Hollywood.”
Then watch West Beyrouth: Let’s travel across a few borders to a different conflict zone — Lebanon in the 1970s. This semi-biographical film uses a child’s point of view to make a poignant statement about the sectarianism and loss of innocence wrought by armed conflict. It’s heartbreaking and sobering, but hilarious when it needs to be.
Then watch West Beyrouth: Let’s travel across a few borders to a different conflict zone — Lebanon in the 1970s. This semi-biographical film uses a child’s point of view to make a poignant statement about the sectarianism and loss of innocence wrought by armed conflict. It’s heartbreaking and sobering, but hilarious when it needs to be.

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