Scene from Whiskey Tango Foxtrot , 2016
45 x 35 in (h x w)
Film camera

This scene from the 2016 film, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, displays a white female reporter ahead of a woman in hijab driving a car. At first, this scene seems to advocate for women's rights in the Middle East; in fact, it is a prime example of Hollywood’s enduring attempt to maintain a colonial narrative. During the scene, the confident woman attempts to drive the car out of the area, only to end up accidentally reversing into a pile of rubbish. This problematic depiction champions a white, middle-class American woman that sees Western women as free and other women, in this case Muslim women, as oppressed and primitive. This Orientalist storyline is not only unoriginal, but it is also dangerous as it continues to be used to justify the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places throughout Asia.

Exhibited by:

Ali Bukhari

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