Read on Twitter
Ah yes, a film about Middle East culture, shot in the Middle East, without a single Middle Eastern actor in sight. Can’t wait. https://twitter.com/dunemovie/status/1303729548563902464
Not sure if the talented @HannaFlint has a newer piece on this...but here is this one in the meantime: https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/why-arab-and-islamic-representation-matters-in-the-new-dune
You know why this really gets to me? Because we still haven’t progressed one inch from this Ridley Scott statement 6 years ago: https://www.newsweek.com/ridley-scott-refused-cast-mohammad-so-and-so-new-film-287689
We have great talent, just like every other culture and community has talented actors. They’re only “Mohammed so-and-so” to you because you refuse to give them a chance. Every Chris was a Chris so-and-so before a director and a studio decided to cast them in a starring role.
The only reason I’m still in this industry is so that I can change this. I will cast MENA actors left and right and they will be skaters and hair stylists and musicians and balloon salesmen and chefs and maybe I’ll throw the occasional boring doctor or engineer in as well
This is a MENA joke...in case any doctors or engineers feel offended now
Here is another breakdown on where and how Herbert borrowed from Islamic and Arabic culture: https://baheyeldin.com/literature/arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune.html
What nobody realizes is that he not only appropriated Arabs and Muslims for Dune, he borrowed heavily from this British woman who was the worst orientalist author...to the point where he lifted entire lines from her book. I’m blanking on her or her book’s name but it’ll come back
She wrote this horrible book in the 50’s about four white British women who left “the civilized world” for barbaric Arabia. That’s what she was famous for. What is her name????
Lesley Blanch!
So and here I found the article on how Herbert borrowed from Blanch. This is twofer orientalism https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-secret-history-of-dune/
There are a lot of ignorant racists replying already. I’d appreciate you not cc’ing me when you reply to them so they stay invisible to me. I’m all for allies fighting the good fight and I much appreciate it, but you know...there’s only so much anti-Arabism one can take
