Crisis Cinema in the Middle East: Creativity and Constraint in Iran and the Arab World

Shohini Chaudhuri examines films made in the Arab world and Iran since 2009, highlighting the challenges and creative strategies of filmmakers. She identifies nine strategies for producing work under conditions of crisis, showing that creativity is shaped by constraints. Her book opens up new lines of inquiry into cinematic creativity in sites of conflict and crisis in the Middle East and beyond.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The Arab world and Iran have faced numerous catastrophic events in recent years, including brutal state crackdowns on revolutions. Despite these challenges, filmmakers have continued to tell their stories through creative acts that showcase their imagination, courage, and resilience. In her book, Shohini Chaudhuri explores a wide range of films made during the tumultuous period since 2009, including internationally acclaimed festival favorites like For Sama (2019), Capernaum (2018), and Taxi Tehran (2015), as well as lesser-known films from the region. While freedom of expression is often associated with state censorship, Chaudhuri reveals the various obstacles that filmmakers face and their innovative strategies for overcoming them. Through original interviews with filmmakers such as Waad al-Kateab, Yasmin Fedda, Larissa Sansour, Mani Haghighi, and Ossama Mohammed, she identifies nine creative strategies for producing work under conditions of crisis. Chaudhuri argues that creativity is deeply influenced by constraints, whether they are externally imposed by existing materials, funding, and socio-political conditions, or self-imposed through genre choices or acceptance of rules and responsibilities. She demonstrates that the range of creative strategies emanating from the region is much wider than allegory and is becoming increasingly direct. By opening up new lines of inquiry into cinematic creativity in sites of conflict and crisis in the Middle East and beyond, Chaudhuri contributes to the understanding of how filmmakers navigate challenging circumstances to create meaningful and impactful works of art.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350190511