Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Walter Armbrust

Walter Armbrust is a visiting professor at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University.

MER Article

Transgressing Patriarchy

There is a general perception in Egypt today, shared by fans and many critics, that “old” Egyptian films depicted sex more tastefully than recent films. The following passage by critic Hisham Lashin is typical: Until approximately the middle of the 1960s, the Egyptian cinema treated the subject of

Walter Armbrust • 10 min read

MER Article

Nasrallah, On Boys, Girls and the Veil

Yousry Nasrallah’s new documentary film, On Boys, Girls and the Veil, touches on a paradoxical aspect of Egyptian filmmaking. Despite the ubiquitous hijab -- the neo-Islamic “veil” -- in Egyptian life, covered women are quite rare in the cinema. The reason for this is that both filmmakers and Islami

Walter Armbrust • 6 min read