Mapping Orientalists Discourses: An Analysis Frame Proposal

More than mere (and useful) tools to observe, describe and analyze the ‘world-out-there’, movies and documentaries are especially cultural products. As such, they “establish a discourse of identity politics as the frame of reference for world politics” and “highlight the relationship between knowledge and power” (Campbell, 2013). From this perspective, movies and documentaries can be de-constructed to unveil the power relations they establish. Building on social movements theory, cultural studies and discourse analysis, this article develops an empirical frame of Orientalism. In doing so, this research contributes to the debate on media and power narratives and presents an useful tool to use either in the classroom or by spectators themselves.