Jewish Voice for Peace-San Diego and Karama will co-sponsor a free public screening of the documentary film Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People at the La Jolla Public Library, 7555 Draper Ave on Sunday, September 20th at 1:30 PM. The film is produced by Media Education Foundation and is based upon Dr. Jack Shaheen's book of the same title, and features the author in interviews.
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People traces the negative portrayal of Arabs in Hollywood films from the dawn of the industry to the present day, documenting the persistence of a contrived and unflattering image over time. Through the analysis of hundreds of scenes, Shaheen demonstrates that Arabs are invariably demeaned as bandits and savages, a primitive race in our modern world. Born in the self-serving accounts of 19th century imperialists, the stereotype of the lazy, shiftless but rebellious Arab of silent films has only been updated to the rebellious terrorist of our time. Shaheen's scene by scene analysis demonstrates connections between the film images and US Middle East policy, as well as similarities with historical anti-Semitic caricatures. This pattern of the stereotyping of Arabs in film reveals the collusion between Hollywood and state policies that contributes to the current anti-Arab and anti-Muslim climate in the US today.
Our guest speakers, who will introduce the film and lead a Q&A afterward, are Nasser Barghouti, board member of US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and past president of the San Diego chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and Ed Sweed, longtime activist and co-founder of the non-profit educational media group, Alternate Focus.
What: Free screening of Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
Where: La Jolla Public Library, 7555 Draper Ave, La Jolla
When: September 20th at 1:30 PM
Light refreshments will be served.
Questions? Email jvpsdfilm@gmail.com.
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