The Cinema of Muhammad Malas: Visions of a Syrian Auteur (Palgrave Studies in Arab Cinema)

This book provides an in-depth and intimate study of the cinema of Muhammad Malas. One of the well-known auteurs of Arab and Syrian cinema, Malas’s distinctive cinematic project has always confronted the social and political issues of his time. From feature films __Dreams of the City__, __The Night__, __Bab al Maqam (Passion)__, and __Ladder to Damascus__ to documentaries such as __The Dream__ and __Aleppo: Maqamat of Pleasure__, Malas’s films challenge and explore Arab culture and history. Archival images run through the chapters of this book which combines insightful interviews with excerpts from Malas’s literary works and critical explorations of his cinematic style and thematic concerns. The book concludes with Malas’s own words, sharing the treatment of his film project __Cinema al-Dunya__. Front Matter ....Pages i-xviii The Cinema of Memory (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 1-18 From Quneitra to Moscow and Back (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 19-28 Early Years and Memories (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 29-33 Collaborations and Documentary (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 35-47 Poignancy and Memoir in Documentary (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 49-83 Excerpts from The Dream: A Diary of a Film (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 85-93 Behind the Scenes and Films in the Making (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 95-103 Reflections on Memory, Intertextuality, and Banned Films (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 105-116 Bab al-Maqam: From Beginnings to Caricatures of Banality (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 117-132 Ladder to Damascus: On Patriarchy and Resistance (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 133-152 Filmmaking in the New Millennium (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 153-158 On Cinema al-Dunya by Muhammad Malas (Samirah Alkassim, Nezar Andary)....Pages 159-168 Back Matter ....Pages 169-177 This book provides an in-depth and intimate study of the cinema of Muhammad Malas. One of the well-known auteurs of Arab and Syrian cinema, Malas’s distinctive cinematic project has always confronted the social and political issues of his time. From feature films Dreams of the City , The Night , Bab al Maqam (Passion) , and Ladder to Damascus to documentaries such as The Dream and Aleppo: Maqamat of Pleasure , Malas’s films challenge and explore Arab culture and history. Archival images run through the chapters of this book which combines insightful interviews with excerpts from Malas’s literary works and critical explorations of his cinematic style and thematic concerns. The book concludes with Malas’s own words, sharing the treatment of his film project Cinema al-Dunya . Annotation This book provides an in-depth and intimate study of the cinema of Muhammad Malas. One of the well-known auteurs of Arab and Syrian cinema, Malas's distinctive cinematic project has always confronted the social and political issues of his time. From feature films Dreams of the City, The Night, Bab al Maqam (Passion), and Ladder to Damascus to documentaries such as The Dream and Aleppo: Maqamat of Pleasure, Malas's films challenge and explore Arab culture and history. Archival images run through the chapters of this book which combines insightful interviews with excerpts from Malas's literary works and critical explorations of his cinematic style and thematic concerns. The book concludes with Malas's own words, sharing the treatment of his film project Cinema al-Dunya