Main content

Valentino's Ghost (New Edition)

Valentino's Ghost takes viewers on a chronological journey through more than a century of images of Muslims, Arabs and Islam in the U.S. media, from the early 20th-century fantasies of romantic sheiks to today's damaging stereotypes as evil fanatics. Through interviews with Robert Fisk, Niall Ferguson, and John Mearsheimer amongst others, the film shows the way in which the changing image of Arabs and Muslims has mirrored America's political agenda in the Middle East.

Valentino's Ghost aims to sharpen viewers' media literacy and increase their skills in questioning media representations, especially those of minority groups and people with whom our government is in conflict. The film ends with a report of a few Hollywood films that have provided complex images and avoided ethnic stereotyping.

Related Films

Multiracial Identity

Explores the social, political and religious impact of the multiracial…

Between Two Worlds

A personal essay revealing the passionate debates over identity and generational…

Human Terrain

Examines and questions the US military's new counterinsurgency initiative,…