Arabs in Post- 9/11 Hollywood Films: A Move towards a More Realistic Depiction?

This essay looks at the way a number of post-9/11 Hollywood films attempts to offer an image more reflective of the real Arabs. Contrary to a wide range of Hollywood films that have perpetuated a racially prejudiced image of Arabs, I argue that post-9/11 films, such as Babel (2006), represent Arabs as simple human beings with commonplace problems and identifiable worries. In my paper, I address these questions: how did the events of 9/11 help to change Hollywood’s portrayal of Arabs in contemporary Hollywood cinema? How do these contemporary films attempt to break free from the classical stereotypes about Arabs? And to what extent have they been successful