Hollywood: What Muslims?

Save one, all of the foreign-language films nominated for the Oscar last month dealt in some way with relationships between the West and Islam, reports Larry Rohter of the New York Times. He asks: "But why isn’t the United States also part of that same emerging global cinematic conversation? Why isn’t Hollywood also making movies that grapple with the issues that are provoking filmmakers elsewhere? And when Arab and Muslim characters do appear on screen, why are they presented in such simplistic and stereotyped ways?"

Physical/cultural distance from the Middle East, lack of box-office potential and artistic laziness (it's easier to stereotype Muslims as fanatical or threatening) are key reasons for the paucity of films about the troubled intersections of East and West, observers say. That's a shame. For good or ill, Hollywood contributes mightily to popular perception. A more nuanced portrayal of Islam might help us better navigate the choppy waters of the recent Arabian awakening, especially since our societal fates are unavoidable intertwined.