Much of the world cinema has either portrayed the Middle East as a ‘terror-producing’ region or a land of camel riders. This stereotype was highlighted by none other than Hollywood star Will Smith during his visit to Dubai recently.
“The Middle East isn’t represented accurately in world cinema,” Will Smith said during a press conference in Dubai on Sunday, adding that the Middle East can’t allow Fox News to be the sole arbiter of images from the region.
“No one can expect someone else to tell their story. Everyone wants to tell their own story,” Smith said. “It’s not the responsibility of the establishment, but holders of the truth to learn how to deliver it artistically in a way that’s globally viable.”
The award winning actor – who visited Dubai to promote the latest DC Comics blockbuster, Suicide Squad, explained how cinema plays a big part in forming an image and “the soul of a place to a global audience.”
“A big part of America and the impression of America from the 1940s that was sent out to the world was Hollywood. Hollywood was the picture of America,” Smith said, explaining how the Middle East’s “beauty and culture” inspires him to play a part in bringing stories from the region to the big screen.
“I’d love to be a part of figuring out how to help local filmmakers tell their stories,” he said, and revealed that he had spoken with Dubai Film and TV Commission about getting filmmakers of the region into the global stream.
