Diasporic Belgian cinema: transnational and transcultural approaches to Molenbeek and Matonge in 'Black'

Steele, J (2018) 'Diasporic Belgian cinema: transnational and transcultural approaches to Molenbeek and Matonge in 'Black'.' In: Harvey, J, ed. Nationalism in contemporary western European cinema. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 97-124. ISBN 9783319736662

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73667-9_6

Abstract

Since the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris (13 November 2015) and Brussels (23 March 2016), the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek and the diasporic communities of Belgium—and in particular, Brussels—have been frequently analysed in European and Western media outlets. Two days before the tragic events in Paris, the (francophone) Belgian film Black (Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, 2015) was released to Belgian audiences. The film achieved critical valorisation after winning the Discovery prize at the Toronto international film festival, prior to its screening at film festivals in Belgium, namely the Ghent film festival (in Flanders) and the Festival International de Film Francophone (FIFF) in Namur (Wallonia) (Feuillère 2015). The contextual backdrop of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism has led to a synchronic interpretation of Black as a potentially radical and subversive film. This chapter argues that Black represents the futile hope of a multicultural understanding of Belgian nationalism, as it reinforces the separation between excluded groups.

Item Type: Book Chapter or Section
Divisions: Bath School of Art, Film and Media
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73667-9
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Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2017 13:04
Last Modified: 07 Jan 2022 19:19
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/10489
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