Amazigh Cinema: An Introduction to North African Indigenous Film

The first English-language analysis of Amazigh film

Amazigh Cinema: An Introduction to North African Indigenous Film examines the emergence and history of Amazigh visual media and actively contributes to decolonizing the study of Amazigh artistic expression. An exploration of film from across the Amazigh homelands produced by and about Imazighen (Indigenous peoples of North Africa historically referred to as "Berbers"), the book underscores the importance of cinema in shaping the contemporary Amazigh identity against a backdrop of historical oppression. The chapters in this volume trace connections between oral performance, amateur video, and feature films produced for global audiences. These works expose a tension between the pull of nostalgia and push for change as filmmakers use their cameras to re-establish a sense of presence in a shifting landscape. Resisting the commodification of traditional Amazigh expression for the viewer, these filmmakers use new tools to craft narratives of Amazigh life and create a space for all audiences to witness Indigenous lives and their strategies--and celebration--of survival.