Jane Sloan Media Librarian jsloan@rci.rutgers.edu June 2005

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Media Collections:
Africa, North

This guide is a browsing aid to selected titles in the video/DVD collections at Rutgers Libraries. The most up-to-date, accurate, and complete information regarding the libraries' holdings is available only through IRIS, our online catalog.

Africa dreaming four short films on love from Namibia, Mozambique, Senegal, Tunisia

Sophia's homecoming / directed by Richard Pakleppa ; produced by Bridget Pickering -- Sabriya / written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako ; produced by Dora Bouchoucha Fourati -- So be it / written, directed and produced by Joseph Gai Ramaka -- The gaze of the stars / directed by João Ribeiro ; produced by Pedro PimentaSophia's homecoming: (Namibia) "...a woman who has worked as a domestic for 12 years in the city comes home to her husband, children, and sister and to a terrible discovery. She realizes that the ruptures caused by apartheid can never be repaired."--Container. Gaze of the stars: (Mozambique) "...a story about machismo...so powerful that it drives away whatever it loves by trying to control it."--Container. So be it: (Senegal) "...based on a play by Wole Soyinka, [and] follows the destruction of a well intentioned foregin doctor confronting primal fear, rage and powerlessness in a remote Senegalese village and in himself."--Container. Sabriyah: (Tunisia) "...shows how a modern, free-spirited woman disrupts the exquisitely patterned mosaic of male Maghrebi society as represented by two Tunisian chess fanatics."--Container.

1 videocassette (104 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5285

The Africans. Program 3, New gods

The roles of Christian missionaries, Western secularism, Muslim sects, Egyptian pharoahs, and native religions are discussed in visits to Senegal, Zaire, and Egypt.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1986

MEDIA 2-1166

The Africans. Program 7, A Garden of Eden in decay

More than 70 million Africans suffer from malnutrition while their countries export food to Europe. Economic and agricultural failures and successes are examined in Algeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1986

MEDIA 2-1170

Ahlam Hind wa Kamilah Dreams of Hind and Camilia

Two young women struggle to survive between the harsh working conditions in Cairo slums and their abusive or worthless husbands and boyfriends.

1 videocassette (110 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-3356

Al-Nasir Salad al-Din Saladin

Saladin unites the Arab nation, liberates Jerusalem from its European captors, and defeats the venal and treacherous Crusaders. The love interest subplot finally sees the union of a female Crusader and Saladin's Christian Arab lieutenant.

1 videocassette [145 min.] : 199

MEDIA 2-5408

The Ancient Egyptian

Uses photographs of Egyptian sculpture, artifacts, wall paintings of tombs and temples, and animated sequences in outlining the history of Egypt from 2700 B.C. to the Roman conquest, and to portray the temperament, religion and daily activities of the Pharaohs and citizens of ancient Egypt. Describes the geological changes in northern Africa during prehistoric times. Includes views of the building of the Aswan Dam on the Nile.

1 videocassette (26 min.) : 1984?

MEDIA 2-3043

Arab diaries: Episode 2: Youth

Looks at the dilemmas of four young women striving for their independence and empowerment in Algeria, Egypt, and Lebanon.

1 videocassette (26 min.) 2000

MEDIA 2-6729

Arab diaries: Episode 3: Love & marriage

Tells the stories of people confronting obstacles to their personal relationships and happiness in Algeria and Lebanon.

1 videocassette (ca. 26 min.) 2000

MEDIA 2-6728

Arab diaries: Episode 5: Home

Focuses on one extraordinary young Moroccan woman's first-person story, in which she confronts her family and their servants about the relationships between them over the years.

1 videocassette (26 min.) 2000

MEDIA 2-6727

Asfar al-sath Halfaouine : child of the terraces

In this coming of age film Noura, an inquisitive thirteen-year-old Arab boy, begins to experience his own sexual desires when he visits the local Turkish bathhouse with his mother. But just as Noura is awakened to the pleasures of the opposite sex, he risks being wrestled from their tender, affectionate companionship and thrust into the callous and rigid company of men.

1 videocassette (98 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5547

Bab al-Sama' Maftuh A door on the sky

A young woman struggling between her Moroccan heritage and adopted French culture, returns from Paris to Fez to visit her dying father. At his funeral, she is overcome by the voice of Karina chanting the Koran. A powerful friendship develops between the two women as they decide to turn the father's palace into a shelter for Muslim women.

1 videocassette (107 min.) : 1995?

MEDIA 2-5664

Bab el-Hadid Cairo Station

A smoldering tale of life among the poor who live in Cairo's railroad station.

1 videocassette (74 min.) : 199

MEDIA 2-5665

Bab el-oued city

Bab El-Oued is a working class district of Algiers. A young worker commits an act which puts the entire district in turmoil.

1 videocassette (93 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-5599

Battle of Algiers

Dramatization of the conflict between Algerian nationalists and French colonialists that culminated in Algeria's independence in 1962.

1 videocassette (125 min.) : 1988

DANA. MEDIA 326 2-706

Bent familia

Aida and Amina, two young Tunisian women now in their thirties, are reunited. It is an occasion for them to question their lives and relationships. The presence of Fatiha, an Algerian refugee in Tunisia creates a quest for the three women to overcome their respective societal limitations.

1 videocassette (105 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5604

Beyond borders-- Arab feminists talk about their lives -- East and West

In the Arab world, women are fighting a two-front war against repressive internal constraints and intrusive Western interference. In this program, a feminist delegation composed of author Nawal Saadawi and other renowned activists from the Middle East and North Africa gather at the UN, on college campuses, and in church basements to speak out about deterioration of women's rights in the Arab states in an effort to heighten awareness of the Arab feminist struggle for equality--and the effects of U.S. foreign policy on their efforts.

1 videocassette (50 min.) : 2000

MEDIA 2-5712

Carthage

Explores the history of Carthage, its Phoenician origins, its economy and religious practices. Describes the decline of the ancient Greek world, the growth of Rome, and the conflict between the Roman republic and Carthage, including the rise of Hannibal and his strategies.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-3613

Cheval de boue

A film showing people and horses exhausting themselves while producing bricks in a factory in Egypt. Emphasizes the marginal existence of the people.

1 videocassette (ca. 15 min.) 1969

MEDIA D-76

Chronicle of the smoldering years

Epic look, beginning just before World War II, at Algeria's struggle for independence from France. Seen through the struggles of one family.

1 videocassette (175 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5600

Days of democracy

This film depicts the endeavors of women in Egypt to make a comeback to political life through the parliamentary elections held at the closing years of the 20th century.

1 videocassette (70 min.) : 1996

MEDIA 2-3784

Death in the morning

Host James Burke traces the connection between standardization of precious metals used in coins, the great commercial center and library in Alexander Egypt, built by Alexander the Great, development of the compass, and creation of the atomic bomb.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1978

MEDIA 2-2491

Death on the Nile the struggle for peace and the assassination of Anwar Sadat

The story of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who turned his back on history and wishes of the nation he led to begin the struggle for peace in the Middle East, and lost his life in the process, cut down by assassin's bullets.

MEDIA 2-1540

Le destin Destiny

When a disciple of 12th-century philosopher Averroes is burned at the stake for heresy, his young son Joseph journeys to Andalusia to study with his father's mentor. There he joins Averroes' disciples uniting against an evil sheik intent upon destroying the philosopher's work.

1 videocassette (135 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-5541

Egypt's golden empire

Pt. 1. The warrior pharaohs / directed by James Hawes -- pt. 2. Pharaohs of the sun / directed by James Hawes -- pt. 3. The last great pharaoh / directors, Richard Bradley, Clara Byrne, James HawesExamines the rise and fall of Egypt's New Kingdom, 1560 BCE to 1080 BCE.

3 videocassettes (180 min.) : 2002

MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA 2-4168a cassette 1 2-4169a cassette 2 2-4170a cassette 3

Egypt the habit of civilization

Looks at the Pharaonic Egypt, the longest lasting of the ancient civilizations-- it created state institutions on which nations are still built.

1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1992

MEDIA 2-5900

Fi baytina rajul A man in our house

Set prior to the 1952 revolution, a member of an underground resistance group seeks refuge from the political police with a civil servant and his family.

1 videodisc 2003

MEDIA 10-325

Four women of Egypt

How do we get along with eachother when our views collide? These four Egyptian women have the same goals--human diginity and social justice--but each adopts an approach radically different from the others. Muslim, Christian, Jewish or non-religious, their visions of society range from wanting a secular or socialist state to an Islamic one. But these friends refuse to demonize one another or treat each other with disdain. Deeply committed, these women argue openly, without ever breaking the bond that unites them.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-3830

Freedom now, 1947

In 1947, 160 years of British rule came to an end as India became the world's largest democracy, inspiring the fight for freedom on another continent. This film talks with the people who witnessed and participated in the struggle for independence in India and Africa. While Mohandas Gandhi showed the world how the masses could successfully defy their imperial masters, his example spurred others on: European empires in Africa and Asia began to crumble, and in short order, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, and dozens more would win their freedom.

1 videocassette (56 min) : 1998

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-3850 2-5627

Gallipoli

Two young men who meet as rivals in a cross-country running race become friends and join the Australian army during World War I. They journey through Egypt together and face German-allied Turkish forces at the ill-fated battle of Gallipoli.

1 videocassette (111 min.) 1982

MEDIA 2-2337

The gods of our fathers

Explores the evolution of patriarchy as one effective way of organizing mass societies, from evidence in ancient Egyptian villages along the Nile. As the world changes, it needs to find alternatives to patriarchy.

1 videocassette (51 min.) 1994

MEDIA 2-6442

The great Egyptians

King of the pyramids -- The real Cleopatra -- The mystery of TutenkhamenLooks at three famous names in the history of ancient Egypt.

3 videocassettes (50 min. each) : 1997

DANA. DANA. DANA 997 cassette 1 997 cassette 2 997 cassette 3

The greatness of Africa

Overview of Ancient African civilization from the world's oldest monarchy in Qustul to the civilization of Egypt.

1 videocassette (ca. 23 min.) : 1998

DANA 1832

Hopes on the horizon

Chronicles the rise of pro-democracy movements in six African countries during the 1990s:Benin: a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy -- Nigeria: a human rights movement challenges the military -- Rwanda: Historians build a platform for dialogue -- Morocco: Women's rights activists reform the traditional religious family code -- Mozambique: Agricultural cooperatives advocate economic reform and land rights -- South Africa: A township unites to promote quality education1 videocassette (115 min) : 2001

MEDIA 2-5374

In het huis van mijn vader In my father's house

Moroccan filmmaker Fatima Jebli Ouazzani investigates the status accorded women in Islamic marriage customs and the continuing importance of virginity.

1 videocassette (67 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5677

Information withheld ; Shifters

Information witheld dramatizes the nature of signs and symbols in an ascending order of complexity, from traffic signals and hieroglyphs to Michelangelo's painting of The Madonna and child with St. Joseph. Shifters dismantles the narrative mode and distinguishes six recurrent themes, including Egypt, Napoleon, the scholars, the abuse of a cat and a melodrama. The subtext of this videotape concerns the oppositions of imperial power and the working class suggested through architecture emblematic of them.

1 videocassette (56 min.) :sd., col. ; 1993?

DANA 418

Intimate stranger

After the death of Joseph Cassuto, his grandson Alan Berliner created this film about his life.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-5957

Iskandariyah lih? Alexandrie pourquoi?

Amid poverty, death and suffering caused by World War II, 18-year-old Yehia dreams of studying filmmaking in America. After falling in love and discovering the lies of European occupation, he reevaluated his identity and allegiances.

1 videocassette (125 min.) : 199

MEDIA 2-5407

The Last crusade

As many nations both West and East, from Algeria to Malaysia, face an Islamic revival, this program looks at the revolutionary and reforming spirit of Muslims. Locations visited include Jerusalem, Cairo, Kadvna and Teheran.

1 videocassette (50 min.) : 1993

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-1503 2-2256

Latcho drom Bonne route

Aspects of contemporary Gypsy life are depicted in sequences retracing the Gypsies' historical wanderings from Rajasthan, India, through Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and Spain. Music and dance, performed by Gypsies of each locale, are a prominent feature of the film.

1 videocassette (103 min.) : 1991

MUSIC 320

Mémoire : des souvenirs = remembering memory

Hélène Cixous is one of the world's most intriguing modern theorists, critics, and authors. Inspired by Cixous' autobiographical writings, this intimate program explores her literary universe by tracing her genealogy, beginning with her family's immigration to colonial Algeria and ending with her own immigration to France as a teenager.

1 videocassette (54 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-5113

The miller's tale bread is life

Iron deficiency anemia is the most widespread nutritional disorder in the world, affecting more than two billion people. This program looks at the efforts to introduce fortified flour in Yemen and Egypt, two of the most affected countries.

1 videocassette (28 min.) : 2001

MEDIA 2-5918

Le Moineau 199

Drama dealing with social and political problems, set in Egypt just before and during the 1967 war.

1 videocassette (100 min.) :

MEDIA 2-5409

Muammar Qaddafi Libya's radical ruler

The story of Muammar Qaddafi, a profile in controversy, ranging from his rise to power in oil rich Libya and his alleged sponsorship of terrorist incidents across the globe, to America's military revenge--the bombing of Libya.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-1541

Mummies tales from the Egyptian Crypts

v. 1. The great pyraminds -- v. 2. The sphinx -- v. 3. Hieroglyphs -- v. 4 King TutEgyptologists and the latest computer technology bring the wonders of ancient Egypt to life.

4 videocassettes (50 min. each) : 1996

DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA 1057 cassette 1 1057 cassette 2 1057 cassette 3 1057 cassette 4

Muslims

Misconceptions and lack of understanding dominate America's perception of Islam, the world's second largest and fastest growing religion. Muslims takes an in-depth look at what it means to be a Muslim in the 21st century. Filmed in Egypt, Mayaysia, Iran, Turkey, Nigeria and the United States, Muslims explores the influence of culture and politics on religion, and provides a deeper understanding of the political forces at work among Muslims around the world. The film emphasizes Islam's kinship with Christianity and Judaism and looks at diverse interpretations of Islam among the Muslim people.

1 videocassette (118 min.) : 2003

DANA 1891

The Nile

In this breathtaking travelogue, The Nile, the Cousteaus embark on a daring ten-month expedition along the entire course of the world's largest river, capturing on film the nile's astonishing natural beauties, menacing dangers and primative cultures and animal sanctuaries. Treasure troves of natural wonders are unearthed by the expedition as it moves from Uganda to Khartoum to Egypt, before concluding at the man-made wonders of the Nile, the Jonglei Canal and the Aswan High Dam. Emphasises some of the negative results of the building of dams and irrigation channels.

1 videocassette (116 min.) : 1986

MEDIA 2-1392

The "nouba" of the women of Mount Chenoua

Story of an Algerian woman engineer who returns to Algeria after a long Western exile.

1 videocassette (115 min.) : 1995?

MEDIA 2-5399

The Old Testament in art

Programme 1. The creation -- programme 2. The patriarchs -- programme 3. Israel in Egypt -- programme 4. The promised land -- programme 5. The lord's anointed -- programme 6. Exile and returnDelves into the spectrum of ideas presented in the Old Testament: myth and history, poetry and allegory. Employs illustrations from a wide range of artists to clarify the biblical narrative and broaden its metaphoric range.

1 videocassette (ca. 75 min.) : 1995

DANA 1714

Outremer Overseas

For three beautiful sisters, the lush and privileged life of French colonial Algeria creates an oasis in the center of a harsh desert when revolution and dramatic social change erupts around them.

1 videocassette (96 min.) : 1992

MEDIA 2-2667

Paul Bowles the complete outsider

Filmed in Tangier, Morocco where Bowles has lived for the last forty years. He speaks about his writing and music, his marriage to Jane Bowles, his ties to Moroccan culture, his use of drugs, and his writer and musician friends, including W.H. Auden, Tennessee Williams and Gertrude Stein. Includes interviews with Allen Ginsberg and Ned Rorem.

1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1993

DANA 1234

Pyramid

Explores the geography, history, archaeology, mythology and religions of the ancient Egyptians through a combination of live footage and animation.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1988

DANA. DANA 659 659

Ramses favorite of the gods

This comprehensive program appraises the life of the pharaoh whose name literally means "Ra begot him" and re-creates his world during the age of the New Kingdom, providing penetrating insights into the culture, religion, and daily life of Egyptians at all levels of society.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-5961

The Rise of nationalism ; The Legacy

Program 7 charts the major struggles for African independence in Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, and the Belgian Congo. Program 8 looks at Africa in the aftermath of colonial rule, as the continent seeks ways to come to terms with its diverse inheritance.

1 videocassette (114) : 1984

MEDIA 2-384

Risky business

This program explores the Muslim commercial empire in Egypt, the reemergence of trade in northwestern Europe with the waning of the Dark Ages, and the rise of banking and sophisticated accounting methods among the Italian states.

1 videocassette (50 min.) : 2001

MEDIA 2-5782

Sahara before the desert

Although its very name is now synonymous with "desert," 10,000 year-old cave paintings in southern Algeria depict a green and fruitful Sahara. The descendants of the people depicted here can be found among the nomadic tribesmen of the Niger region. But when and how did the Sahara become desert? In examining these questions, the program shows the steps being taken by the Saharan countries to keep the desert from growing.

1 videocassette (43 min.) : 1990

MEDIA 2-1829

Sallah

A satirical comedy showing the problems experienced by an immigrant family from North Africa as they adjust to life in Israel.

1 videocassette (100 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-3047

Samt al-qusur The silences of the palace = Les silences du palais

Set in Tunisia in the 1950's in the last years of the Bey monarchy. Alia, the young servant-girl is misused by her masters and wooed by the rebel, while growing up in the palace.

1 videocassette (127 min.) : 1996

MEDIA 2-3344

The search for deliverance

Spans the years 1492-1789 when the Jews resettle in the lands of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and the Hasidic movement is born.

1 videocassette (59 min.) : 1984

MEDIA 191

The Seven wonders of the ancient world

Examines the location and the people responsible for the construction and original function of each of the seven wonders: The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos (lighthouse) at Alexandria, Egypt.

1 videocassette (59 min.) : 1990

DANA 1128

Some women of Marrakech

Explores the lives of women in Moroccan society. Looks at their interests, their isolation, the part religion plays in their lives, and the effects of change on their experiences.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1976

MEDIA 2-2474

The story of civilisation

Profiles ancient Greece and Egypt, exploring both society and culture as well as the myths and legends surrounding these civilizations.

1 videorecording (50 min.) : 2001

DANA 1661

The Ten commandments

The epic story of Moses, the prophet who led his people, the Israelites, out of bondage in the land of Egypt to the Promised Land.

2 videocassettes (219 min.) : 1990

DANA. DANA 1134 cassette 1 1134 cassette 2

This old pyramid

This program reveals the ancient secret of how the pyramids were built by actually building one. A noted Egyptologist, Mark Lehner, and a professional stonemason, Roger Hopkins ("This old house"), join forces in the shadow of the great pyramid of Giza to put clever and sometimes bizarre pyramid construction theories to the test.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1992

DANA. MEDIA 385 2-2515

Time Life's Lost civilizations

Egypt, quest for immortality -- Maya, the blood of kings -- Mesopotamia, return to Eden -- Aegean, legacy of Atlantis -- Greece, a moment of excellence -- China, dynasties of power -- Rome, the ultimate empire -- Africa, a history denied -- Inca, secrets of the ancestors -- Tibet, the end of timeCombines evocative recreations with three-dimensional computer animation and documentary footage from 26 countries to describe the history and social life and customs of vanished civilizations.

10 videocassettes (48 min. ea.) : 1995

DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA 1026 cassette 1 1026 cassette 2 1026 cassette 3 1026 cassette 4 1026 cassette 5 1026 cassette 6 1026 cassette 7 1026 cassette 8 1026 cassette 9 1026 cassette 10

The Trigger effect

In Upper Egypt, host James Burke explains how plowing, building, writing, taxation, and astronomy began and how they became interdependent. Man's present dependence on complex technological networks is illustrated with a reconstruction of the New York City power blackout of 1965. The program ends in Kuwait, the nation which has moved from the technology of ancient Egypt to that of the modern world in a single generation.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1978

MEDIA 2-2490

Umm Kulthum a voice like Egypt

Documentary about singer Umm Kulthum, born a peasant at the turn of the century, who became a powerful symbol of the aspirations of her country. Based on the book: "The voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic song, and Egyptian society in the twentieth century" by Virginia Danielson.

1 videocassette (68 min.) : 1996

MEDIA 2-3342

A Veiled revolution

The film explores the different facets of the new veiling recently growing up among modern Egyptian women. Through interviews with women in different walks of life, the film raises questions about the meaning of the veil, a complex symbol for Arabic women, and the importance of dress.

1 videocassette (27 min.) : 1982

MEDIA 2-2894

Wartime combat

Desert victory, 1943 (62 min.) / directed by Roy Boulting -- Cameramen at war, 1943 (15 min.) / complied by Len LyeDesert victory offers a dramatic account of the Allied victory over Field Marshall Rommel's forces in North Africa. This tale of wpic struggle begins after Rommel's victory in Tobruk as he pushes into Egypt. Cameramen at war lauds the achievements of documentary photographers throughout the war. For a few moments, these anonymous men appear in front of the lens as we ponder the risks they took and the methods they used to capture vivid images of war.

1 videocassette (77 min.) : 1992

MEDIA 2-1991

Woman's place

Discusses Egyptian temples as houses of the gods, and examines the relationships between the men and women as expressed in the love poetry of the time.

1 videocassette (23 min.) : 1985

DANA 696