Edward Said: On Orientalism (trailer)

In this 1998 film based on his paradigm-shifting book, Edward Said excavates and deconstructs deeply rooted Western perceptions of the Middle East as a mysterious land of exotics, villains, and terrorists, and argues that this caricatured cultural heritage continues to blind too many Europeans and Americans to the humanity of Arabs and Muslims, and the complexity and diversity of the region.

"That's the power of the discourse of Orientalism. If you're thinking about people and Islam, and about that part of the wold, those are the words you constantly have to use. To think past it, to go beyond it, not to use it, is virtually impossible, because there is no knowledge that isn't codified in this way about that part of the world." - Edward Said

Shop.mediaed.org License — For classroom or public use
DEFEND A LIBRARY OF IDEAS
Your $5/month helps preserve a treasure trove of transformative films — free from ads, algorithms, and corporate influence. Subscribe here.
More from Media Education Foundation Explore All
Media Literacy Explore All
New Member Submissions
Trending Videos Explore All
Trending Articles Explore All
Recent Documentaries Explore All
Video Deep Dives Explore All
What People Are Watching Now
Cities are the Ideal Scale to Focus Solution-Efforts
Support independent media that amplifies real voices and movements. 



Subscribe for $5/month to become a patron and watch over 50 patron-exclusive documentaries.

Share this:

Share