Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila (2015)

Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila (2015) poster

A video that uses the history of a magazine – Cairo’s Al-Hilal ‘50s and ‘60s collection – as the starting point for an inquiry into Jamila Bouhired, the Algerian freedom fighter. An actress designated to play her role is showing the magazine’s covers to the camera. From the different representations of Jamila in cinema to her assimilation and promotion through the magazine, the performance attempts to look at the history of socialist projects in Egypt, anti-colonial wars in Algeria, and the way they have promoted and marginalized feminist projects. The clear gender division used to marginalize women from the public sphere was overcome for a short moment during the Algerian war of independence (Jamila becoming its icon). Different voices and film and print material are used to explore this history. What does it mean to play the role of the freedom fighter? What does it mean to become an icon?

Director: Marwa Arsanios
Runtime: 25 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Cinematography: Karam Ghossein
Country: Lebanon
Language: العربية
Original Language: ar
More Films by Director: Marwa Arsanios

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila about?
A video that uses the history of a magazine – Cairo’s Al-Hilal ‘50s and ‘60s collection – as the starting point for an inquiry into Jamila Bouhired, the Algerian freedom fighter. An actress designated to play her role is showing the magazine’s covers to the camera. From the different representations of Jamila in cinema to her assimilation and promotion through the magazine, the performance attempts to look at the history of socialist projects in Egypt, anti-colonial wars in Algeria, and the way they have promoted and marginalized feminist projects. The clear gender division used to marginalize women from the public sphere was overcome for a short moment during the Algerian war of independence (Jamila becoming its icon). Different voices and film and print material are used to explore this history. What does it mean to play the role of the freedom fighter? What does it mean to become an icon?
Who directed Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila?
Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila was directed by Marwa Arsanios.
Who stars in Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila?
Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila stars Marwa Arsanios.
How long is Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila?
Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila has a runtime of 25m (25 minutes).
Where was Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila produced?
Have you ever killed a bear - or Becoming Jamila was produced in Lebanon.