Palestinian Theater, Film, and Performance

Traditionally, courses on Palestinians focus on political histories and narratives of two nationalisms vying for uncontested statehood in the Levant. Humanists, artists, and social scientists have explored the political, military, sociological, and religious roots of the modern Middle East from many worthy perspectives that can be found in landmark texts by prolific scholars. However, most of these scholars and the majority of university level courses on the subject of the Palestinians have not paid significant attention to their contributions in the arena of cultural production, particularly in theatre and film. This seminar explores cultural artifacts produced by, for, and on behalf of Palestinians. Throughout the quarter, students will be exposed to foundational texts in the area as well as a number of key films and theatrical plays. The selected works sometimes correspond to historical events, but not always. On occasion, the works function as witness accounts by presenting multiple viewpoints and rich artistically created contexts. The class offers students the opportunity to engage with Palestinians while simultaneously considering foundational relevant concepts in the areas of nationalism, race studies, and postcolonialism. We will aspire to ask useful questions that may help us better understand how and why Palestinians produce performance cultures.