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Hollywood’s Arab still Stereotyped, says The Narcicyst
ABU DHABI: Iraqi-Canadian musician and actor Yassin Alsalman, popularly known as The Narcicyst, feels there is need for more concentration by Hollywood writers to present Arab characters properly as Hollywood filmmakers are still gripped by the stereotype image of Arabs.
“There definitely needs to be more concentration by Hollywood writers. But I also feel that more films from Arabs may break this stereotype, because there is no cultural representation (from the Arab world),” he said.
Alsalman made the observation during a conversation with the audience at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on Saturday.
The musician, who has performed with the likes of Public Enemy, Talib Kweli and Kanye West, focuses on the experiences of Arabs in North America, and with album titles such as Stuck Between Iraq and A Hard Place and Fear of an Arab Planet, he has made a name for himself in the world of Arab hip-hop.
“I was ahead of time. The news media was showing us as unapproachable and the stereotype image created by the Hollywood films, while I was there making my kind of music, making them uncomfortable by starting conversation about the stereotype image of Arabs in the West. Media started using our music saying terming it peaceful,” he added.
Alsalman said that he believes in culture and music as the medium to strengthen international brotherhood. But there are people who believe otherwise. He said he was not treated just as an artiste, but was always considered as an ‘Arab artiste.’
Talking about the music videos, which created a furore, he said that he was playing the paranoia of an Arab going through the US airport. He said that his kind of music was evolved because he was very angry as what happened to him was just because he was an Arab.
“In life, I have turned down a lot of things, like money, because they wanted me to sacrifice my belief. I have to see my family and I can’t be contradictory in my life. Money comes and goes. You should never sacrifice your integrity,” he added.
He was born and brought up in Dubai till the age of five when he left for Canada where he stayed till 13. Then he returned to the UAE and spent the next five years in Abu Dhabi. At the age of 18, he left the UAE again for higher education.
“It was the international culture of the UAE that helped me cope up in Canada, although I found it too open even at that age,” said Alsalman.
He returned to Dubai again to star in City of Life, directed by Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa, playing the character of Khalfan, full of rage. He said that the rage people saw in the character of Khalfan was actually his rage and feeling against the American soldiers for bringing torment to Iraqi women and children.
He teamed up with Ali Mostafa once again, to make the short musical film, Rise.
He wrote the script and approached Mostafa to direct the film. This short musical film will premiere in the Emirates Film Competition’s Short Narrative category and will be screened at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on Monday.
Imran Mojib
The Gulf Today