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Subjects
Films by Subject
Middle East
81 film(s) found
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This no-holds-barred documentary follows the illicit opium industry, from the cultivation of the opium plants, to the processing of heroin, to the cross border smuggling that occurs between Afghanistan and Iran. more »
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In the tradition of T.E. Lawrence of Arabia, Wilfred Thesiger lived among the Bedouins and explored the dessert. Archival footage and interviews with aging sheiks attest to his adventures and to his contributions in revealing this heretofore hidden world. (more) more »
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This is the colorful story of Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, the charismatic leader of Turkey after the first World War, who secularized the country to bring it into the modern world. more »
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Living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, Nadia spent eleven years masquerading as a boy in order to support her family. Years later, she reclaims her identity as a woman. more »
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Salam Pax is an Iraqi journalist attempting to keep the world informed about his beleaguered country. His cantankerous and non-partisan blogs are regularly broadcast on the BBC. These were filmed in Najaf, Baghdad, Karbala, and the south of Iraq. more »
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The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Peres has been the leading Israeli spokesman for a negotiated peace with the Palestinians. He exemplifies the challenge of unifying a divided Israel, split on the issue of peace and security. Rare archival film and exclusive interviews are used. more »
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This film shows that the Muslim world in not monolithic and each country has a different approach to the West and to enforcing the Quran. more »
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Examines the reasons for radical interpretations of the Quran in Algeria, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. more »
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Explores whether the gap between the West and moderate Muslims is widening. more »
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This thought provoking three-part series provides a deeper understanding of the diversity of Muslim viewpoints about Islam.
1. The Born Again Muslims. This film shows that the Muslim world in not monolithic and each country has a different approach to the West and to enforcing the Quran.
2. The Holy Warriors. Examines the reasons for radical interpretations of the Quran in Algeria, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
3. The New Cold War. Explores whether the gap between the West and moderate Muslims is widening. more »
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The Bedouin of the deserts of Arabia and the Middle East have developed a system of law and order which evolved from their harsh environment. The Bisha ceremony is the ultimate ordeal for testing the truthfullness of the speaker. more »
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Through internet interviews a young Algerian college student explores with other women the condition of women in the developed and less developed world. In the process she challenges some prevalent cliches about Muslim women. more »
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Permitted to film inside a Madrassa, a fundamentalist Islamic school in Pakistan, the film crew shows the harsh routine of its pupils and the dedication to Jihad that is instilled in the young boys. more »
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When Cairo’s population remained at twelve million people, the city was neat and tidy. Today, Cairo has mushroomed to an estimated twenty million inhabitants. To keep up with the waste of the growing populace, six giant garbage villages have evolved into towns within the city. As the issues—and the garbage piles—visibly mount, officials struggle to determine how to keep the city’s trash in check. more »
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In this disarmingly intimate and revealing film three generations of women in an Iranian family describe their struggles for survival within marriages founded on Iranian traditions. more »
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A small core of reservists in the Israeli army have refused to serve in Gaza and the West Bank, on moral grounds. more »
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Modern Palestinian women face dramatic choices concerning their role in a free Palestinian homeland. Many female activists, for ideological and symbolic reasons choose to wear the veil and don't regard it as a symbol of oppression. more »
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This beautifully photographed, revealing film about Egypt's women captures their separate and subordinate life under the Islamic code. Men and women speak about their traditions, expectations, and patterns of life. more »
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The traditional culture of the Turkmans of Iran will soon be lost to Western influences. more »
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This documentary takes us inside the workings of Sharia law in a Western society, especially as it affects women seeking divorce. more »
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This film exposes the persecution of Christians in Egypt as Moslem fundamentalism continues to grow. Inducements to convert from Coptic Christianity range from financial and social rewards to threats of violence. more »
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Two young soldiers, an Israeli and an Arab, encounter each other, fire their weapons; both are wounded. Using this as a starting point, the film explores the contrasting lives of the young men, giving a close-up, human view of the gulf separating them. more »
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This landmark film is the first film to show the revolutionary social experiment, the attempt to create sexual equality between men and women on the Israeli kibbutz. Through archival footage and interviews with several generations, the film follows the evolution of family life and work roles from pioneering days to the present. more »
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The film explores the recent history of Libya, isolated since Colonel Gaddafi seized power thirty-five years ago. For decades an enemy of the West, Libya is now desperately trying to rejoin the rest of the world. It is using its vast oil reserves -- to woo back former foes especially the United States. Gaddafi's Gamble asks: why now? more »
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This beautifully filmed documentary captures traditional life in rural Yemen with a close-up view of a culture which revolves around the search for water. But with the discovery of oil, the outside world is coming to Yemen. more »
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This intensely personal film traces the filmmaker’s search for identity within the culture of her Armenian parents and in the context of the larger multicultural society in which she lives. Weaving together archival footage and interviews with elderly survivors of the Genocide, it creates a deeply felt portrayal of a holocaust that the Turks deny. more »
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The film follows a 12 -year-old Turkish girl, who undertakes the spiritual and physical training to learn ritual whirling, as done by the Whirling Dervishes. more »
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This documentary follows two Reuters cameramen, Mazen Dana and Nael Shyoukhi, who live and work in the West Bank city of Hebron. The film shows that journalists taking the pictures are being attacked and even shot at by Israeli soldiers…either through gross negligence or intentionally. more »
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It has become apparent over the past few years that an increasingly destabilized Saudi Arabia is more willing to listen to Islamic fundamentalists and to bankroll the Al-Qaeda terrorist network in a holy war against the West. This film obtained rare access to the "closed kingdom," where we see a country full of frustrated young people sixty percent under the age of 25 who are increasingly alienated, both by some in the royal family and perceived American aggression against Muslim countries more »
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Iran, an Islamic republic, has the largest number of internet users in the Middle East. A large dissident population is finding new ways to communicate, risking arrest, prison, torture and even death as they try to organize resistance to the repressive religious government. more »
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This provocative documentary examines the political, social and economic causes of the schism between the Islamic world and the West. From middle class, privileged students to the very poor, their view is that the U.S follows a self-centered, racist policy, acting only in its own interest. more »
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The film captures the intensity of Islamic fundamentalists and the willingness of extremists to eliminate all opposition. Candid interviews with Arab leaders show the difficulties of having a Western style democracy in countries where there is so much illiteracy and poverty. more »
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This film is the record of these meetings of the Geneva Initiative that succeeded in bringing Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table in order to discussion a peaceful solution to their conflict. more »
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Largely forgotten by the rest of the world, Iran is home to the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel. After the revolution in 1979, a majority of the Jews fled, many to the United States, but 25,000 still remain. This provides insight into what life is like for them now in Iran. more »
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In 1991 Iraqi troops destroyed nearly 80% of Kuwait's oilfields. Now, with the international spotlight back on Saddam Hussein, stability in the region is once again threatened. This production takes both to the streets and corridors of power to examine how Kuwait has progressed in the last decade. more »
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The meddahatts are women musicians who perform for other women in Algeria. Many are widowed or divorced and have fallen on hard times. Only a woman filmmaker could have penetrated this closed environment and captured on film such a spontaneous portrait. more »
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First-hand accounts of the pioneering women who settled the Israeli kibbutz. more »
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In the dangerous, male-oriented world of Kandahar, home to drug smugglers and terrorists, a policewoman, Malalai Kakar is blazing the way for women. Unhindered by her heavy burka, this mother of six chases wife-beaters, murderers and thieves across Afghanistan. more »
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This documentary captures the color, romance and spiritual atmosphere of Marrakech's famous square, which once led visitors such as Edith Wharton and Winston Churchill to marvel at its magic. more »
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In today's Arab-Muslim culture, the most taboo subject for women is sex. In this film, eight enlightened Muslim women living in France speak out frankly about their sexual education and experiences in relation to Islamic tradition. more »
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This unique documentary interweaves the story of the filmmaker—who grew up in Persia, today known as Iran—with the history of the country from the 1930s onward to the Islamic Revolution. more »
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In Iran, where men dominate the fishing trade, a fisherwoman struggles to support herself and her 100-year-old mother. more »
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This film on the women of Oman shows us educated, independent women who dress in the traditional way, yet are moving into new areas for women. more »
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A beauty pageant in Nigeria was the flashpoint for a cultural, political, and religious war in this impoverished country with its crumbling infrastructure. more »
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The history of the oil industry in Iraq from the time the country was formed after World War I, through the exploitation of its oil by Western oil companies until the industry was nationalized in the 70's. more »
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Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s best-known modern novelist and winner of the Nobel prize in 2006, became a pariah in his country overnight for speaking out about the Turkish role in the Armenian genocide. He insists the nation should know the truth about its history, and that there must be freedom of speech. more »
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This film documents the tribal custom of honor killings which permits a family member to kill a woman who has sullied the family's moral standard. This film focuses on Palestinian villages where such killings are sanctioned and go unpunished. ( more »
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Two important women writers from the West Bank speak out for full participation of women in the Arab world. more »
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In the midst of the simmering animosity between the Israelis and Arabs, there are voices for peace rarely heard by the outside world. While extremists on both sides still prefer the hard line and the spilling of blood, these voices of peace are having an influence on Israel's future. more »
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This portrait of warlord Mamour Hasan and his villagers illuminates a way of life, a social organization and indeed a mentality that needs to be understood by westerners considering the future of Afghanistan. more »
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The tragic story of Pela Atroshi, a daughter of Kurdish immigrants living in Sweden, who was murdered by her family after she went out on a date. more »
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Two cameramen, one Israeli and one a Palestinian, cover the Arab/Israeli conflict and find that their presence affects the events they cover. Battles and rhetoric heat up when the camera rolls Though working from opposite sides, the men have become friends and recognize their moral dilemma in reporting the news. more »
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This eloquent film recounts the complicated history that led to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, a story of intrigue and deceit among rival empires. more »
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This film explores the lives of two Iranian prostitutes in an uncompromising but sympathetic manner. This cutting-edge film illustrates how prostitution functions in a country where it is banned and where adultery sometimes results in capital punishment. more »
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This documentary chronicles the infamous looting of the Baghdad Museum after the fall of Baghdad and reminds viewers of the seven-thousand-year-old history of the land with its rich buried culture waiting to be retrieved by archaeologists. more »
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What has become of the Sunni tribes a year after the end of Saddam's dictatorship? This film examines the attempts by Americans to understand Sunni mentality and gain control of what has actually become a civil war between Sunni and Shia muslims. American officers, former CIA agents and Shia and Sunni leaders discuss Saddam's legacy which threatens the stability and future of Iraq. more »
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This film offers insight into a country seething with change but ruthlessly contained by the Islamic theocracy. It is also a universal portrait of exile -- intense yearning for what can never be reclaimed. more »
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This eloquent film brings into sharp focus the conflict between freedom of expression and religious conservatism. It focuses on the protests that Satanic Verses provoked throughout Muslim communities all over the world. more »
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An overwhelming majority of the men responsible for hijacking planes on 9/11 were Saudis, yet historically the Saudis were our allies. What this film shows with indelible clarity is the deep rift within Saudi society between the extremely wealthy and corrupt royal family who are ostensibly our allies (and business partners) and the majority of people who live in poverty and resent the excesses of the monarchy. more »
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Providing rare insight into the obstacles to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, this film records seven Israeli professionals working in the field of human rights in the Israeli occupied territories. more »
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The Fergana Valley, a fertile plain rich in gas deposits in Central Asia is populated by more than a hundred million inhabitants in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kirgizstan. This film takes an in-depth look at the Islamic fundamentalist threat in this strategic region. more »
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Stealing the Fire follows an unbroken chain of events and personalities connecting Hitler's atomic bomb program and today's nuclear weapons black market. more »
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The film traces the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Sudan which has led to the civil war between the Muslim North and the Christian South. Included is a view of a Koranic school, where boys are chained and whipped for misdemeanors. more »
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Exposes the brutality of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, including their cruel treatment of women, the destruction of the ancient Buddhist statues, and the harsh suppression of political opposition more »
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Amidst the seething conflict between Israel and Palestine, a young Palestinian journalist and an older Israeli editor try to negotiate their own peace. Each of them had their own bitter memories. Muna had been expelled from the land of her birth. Chaim had lost a son in the Six Day War. No reconciliation results but out of this meeting comes a mutual compassion. more »
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This ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates, is now a flash point in disputes between Iran, Iraq and Turkey over water rights. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the inhabitants are impoverished and hounded by Saddam Hussein's military rule. more »
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A sparkling young Baghdadi woman, Kawkab, leads us around her city with a mischievous glint. Defying the stereotype of the Muslim woman, she is not afraid to speak her mind about anything, from sex, love and virginity to her pro-Saddam patriotism. more »
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This film details the battle over water from the Euphrates River among Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. more »
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The film captures the complexities of modern day Turkey. Geographically, it straddles Europe and the Middle East; culturally, it is caught between Western cosmopolitanism and traditional Muslim values. more »
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An investigation of child labor in Egypt, where youngsters work in carpet factories, workshops and on farms. more »
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Because of a genetic predisposition, the Bedouin village of El-Sayed in southern Israel has an extraordinary number of deaf people. But when one child is offered a cochlear implant by the Israeli government, the community is conflicted over its potential impact on their unique culture. more »
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A compelling account of the brutalities of 21st Century war, told through the eyes of independent journalists. The film documents the lives of reporters and photographers who subverted military media control to get access to the real Iraq War. more »
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When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the late 1970s, many Afghans fled, leaving behind homes, possessions and sometimes family members. Those who took refuge in the United States came to treasure the freedom and economic opportunities offered by their new country. more »
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What does the veil mean to Muslim women? Is it a symbol of repression or faith? Journalist Samira Ahmed travels from her home in Britain to the Middle East, Asia, Malaysia and Africa interviewing a wide variety of men and women -- spiritual leaders, educators, and activists to understand the roots of the Islamic view of women. more »
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A series of three videos that gives insight into the complex position of the educated Muslim woman. more »
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Toucan Faisal of Jordan is the first and only woman in the Jordanian parliament. A former television personality, she decided to go into government to rectify the abuses her investigative reports uncovered. more »
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Focuses on Aicha Belarbi, professor of sociology at the University of Rabat, who has written books about gender roles, child welfare, women and power, and the modern Muslim woman.. more »
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Focusing on war-torn areas of the world, this inspiring program profiles women living with the day-to-day tragedy of war. Part I begins in Israel and moves to Northern Ireland where we meet Nobel Peace Prize winner Meiread Corrigan who formed Peace People. Part II is dedicated to the women of El Salvador, working for the popular front movements for a more just society, and moves to the U.S. where women are fighting to reclaim their neighborhoods from crime. more »
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Part I begins in Israel, where the Palestinian uprising has escalated the conflict between Jews and Arabs. It shows women on both sides willing to bear arms but also involved in the peace-making process.
In Northern Ireland we meet Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan. She, along with Betty Williams, have formed Peace People, a ground-breaking movement for ending violence in that country. more »
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Today it has become a clandestine battlefield critical to Washington's success in its "war on terror". Yemen¹s government has found a middle path between Washington¹s demand to seek out and destroy Al Qaeda, and the views of many Yemenis who are sympathetic to its ideals. It is called the "Yemen Option". The government buys back weapons on the black market, no questions asked. more »
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This film explores the Yemeni culture and its dependency on Qat, which plays a central role in daily life, marriages, and tribal disputes. It focuses on the story of a powerful Qat trader and addict whose wedding is overshadowed by a bitter dispute over his Qat fields. more »
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