In this Book
- Afghanistan in the Cinema
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of Illinois Press
summary
In this timely critical introduction to the representation of Afghanistan in film, Mark Graham examines the often surprising combination of propaganda and poetry in films made in Hollywood and the East. Through the lenses of postcolonial theory and historical reassessment, Graham analyzes what these films say about Afghanistan, Islam, and the West and argues that they are integral tools for forming discourse on Afghanistan, a means for understanding and avoiding past mistakes, and symbols of the country's shaky but promising future. Thoughtfully addressing many of the misperceptions about Afghanistan perpetuated in the West, Afghanistan in the Cinema incorporates incisive analysis of the market factors, funding sources, and political agendas that have shaped the films.
The book considers a range of films, beginning with the 1970s epics The Man Who Would Become King and The Horsemen and following the shifts in representation of the Muslim world during the Russian War in films such as The Beast and Rambo III. Graham then moves on to Taliban-era films such as Kandahar, Osama, and Ellipsis, the first Afghan film directed by a woman. Lastly, the book discusses imperialist nostalgia in films such as Charlie Wilson's War and destabilizing visions represented in contemporary works such as The Kite Runner.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- Introduction: Haunted Eyes
- pp. 1-8
- Part 1: Imperialist Nostalgia
- Part 2: The Burqa Films
- 4. Land without Images: Kandahar
- pp. 59-84
- 5. Afghan Gothic: Osama
- pp. 85-110
- Part 3: Border Crossings
- 6. The West Unveiled: In This World
- pp. 113-129
- 7. The Poetry of Silence: Ellipsis
- pp. 130-145
- 8. A Way to Feel Good Again: The Kite Runner
- pp. 146-164
- Conclusion: Ending Charlie Wilson's War
- pp. 165-168
- Bibliography
- pp. 181-192
Additional Information
ISBN
9780252091391
Related ISBN(s)
9780252035272, 9780252077128
MARC Record
OCLC
709664749
Pages
208
Launched on MUSE
2013-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2010