Image: Alexandria… Why? (1978) — detail
June 1 – Sept. 24, 2017
Lower Level Gallery
In the golden age of Arab cinema, a film poster was often as important as the film itself. This exhibition of vintage film memorabilia from the Arab World challenges western stereotypes while revealing the influence of early Hollywood on Arab cinema. The posters in Safar present images of exoticization, sexuality and danger in the context of popular poster designs and illustration styles of the era.
The exhibition is comprised of contributions from renowned film memorabilia collector Abboudi Bou Jaoudeh. Based in Beirut, Jaoudeh began collecting posters in the 1970s, salvaging hard-to-find print media for films from the Arab World dating back to the 1930s – eventually forming what is now the world’s largest known collection of Arab cinema posters.
This exhibition was presented in conjunction with AANM’s 12th annual Arab Film Festival.
Safar: A Journey Through Popular Arab Cinema was first exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London, in 2014 as part of The Arab British Centre’s biennial Safar Film Festival.
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