[FoME] Untold Stories: European Funding of Middle Eastern Films

[Christoph Dietz]

Irit Neidhardt: Untold stories
In: Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, vol. 7, Nr.2
(2010), p. 31-50

Download:
http://www.westminster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/79967/WPCC-Vol7-No2-Irit_Neidhardt.pdf

 
Abstract:
Since the mid 1990s the European Union (EU) and its member states, most
prominently France and Germany, have encouraged cinematic co-productions
between Europe and the Middle East. A large number of films were
completed within various EU support and cooperation programmes, ranging
from special interest documentaries to Oscar-nominated movies like
Paradise Now (2005) or Ajami (2010). As Arab Middle Eastern countries do
not have a cinemafunding system of their own, the film-makers depend on
cooperation with Europe. While the European partners pride themselves on
the success of supported films, the Middle Eastern side is increasingly
denouncing a ‘new colonialism’. The displeasure derives from the
assertion that the subjects of supported films are limited to Western
stereotypes of the Middle East, as well as the fact that a core
condition of nearly all financial support is the employment of European
crews. Within this scope, how can stories be told, and which ones remain
untold?
 
Zur Ergänzung:
Die vom World Cinema Fund der Berlinale 2004-2009 geförderten Filme:
www.berlinale.de/media/pdf_word/world_cinema_fund/WCF_Booklet_2010.pdf.
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Christoph Dietz
CAMECO
Postfach 10 21 04 
D-52021 Aachen, Germany
Tel.: 0049 - 241 - 70 13 12 14
Fax: 0049 - 241 - 70 13 12 33
christoph.dietz at cameco.org 
http://www.cameco.org