thanks. Toward an art house theme park? No

On Sunday, experts from sales and distribution companies joined forces to shed light on the future of independent cinema in the region. We grabbed the occasion to explore the future possibilities of cinema beyond Hollywood and Bollywood only to realize that perhaps we should all be kinder to them.

Variety Arabia, Financial Times Middle East, CNN and Fox too have headquarters in Abu Dhabi/Dubai; even Ugly Betty speaks Arabic these days.

Seen from here the civilization clash we have been worrying so much about seems over; well, perhaps with the exception of the Iranian Golem. Multiculturalism is flourishing in the region: the shared commitment toward independent cinema is the next cultural imperialism uhm…pardon, imperative. In the meantime people in the business are asking themselves how to break the stranglehold of Bo/Hollywood on the regional market. The main issue being the total absence of a local audience willing to swallow subtitled intellectual ruminations. Rupert Murdoch and his provincial epigone, Silvio Berlusconi, have spoiled us all; if no bosomy women are in the package, we won’t buy it. The Middle East seems to be no exception. When asking the owner of a DVD rental outlet in Abu Dhabi which films do customers ask for, we were reassuringly answered: “American ones”.

Producers and distributors are faced with a puzzling challenge, how to persuade Arabic audiences that Rambo and a puny geek are equally attractive. How to convince them romantic values can compete against erotic capital? Tough quest, no doubt. Could it be though that the questions being posed are misconceived?

We would like to briefly digress from the conference reportage in order to humbly plead Hollywood’s cause. Why should Arabic audiences be corrupted by the self-referential conceits of a Godard when Hollywood’s offering is so rich and the Bollywood’s one so mellifluous?

The detested Californian suburb has in fact created some of the most enlightening pieces of filmmaking ever produced. Rambo himself, the stereotype of testosterone-fuelled blockbusters has been a staunch supporter of Arab independence going as far as endorsing the jihad. The third instalment of the renowned franchise is in fact set in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, when the US was merrily training mujahideen providing them with Stinger missiles (the same ones that are now fired against Marines). In one of the most moving sequences of the film the mujahideen (played by underpaid Israeli extras) explain the just necessity of a holy war against the invaders, thus earning Rambo’s devoted support. “Our children die of diseases, mines and poisonous gas and the women are raped and killed; yet nobody sees anything or reads anything in the papers” says one freedom fighter to Rambo. “We are holy warriors and to us death for our land is an honour!” Even the emotionless facial features of Sylvester Stallone cannot resist such injustices and crack under the weight of compassion as he promises the mujahideen to help them in their struggle. Needless to say, no art house movie has ever pushed its radical agenda that far. Supporting the Taliban these days is more likely to be awarded with a lengthy holiday in Guantanamo than with an Oscar…

This is only to say that it is unfair to underestimate the capacity that Hollywood blockbusters have in exposing the hidden stances lurking alongside the McDonald’s culture we all admire. Why instead of longing for boring arty movies don’t we reconsider the truly subversive potential of Hollywood? After all, if Rambo embraced the jihad, maybe one day Ugly Betty would join the Hezbollah.

By Celluloid Liberation Front