Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
The Shadow of the West
TITLE DETAILS

The Shadow of the West

1983-11-21 · 53 min · Not rated

Documentary

Edward Said, Professor of English & Comparative Literature at Columbia University, was one of the most prominent literary critics of the late 20th century and a leading spokesperson for the Palestinian cause in the US. In this episode, Said examines Western attitudes to the Arabs and finds their origins in the Crusades, Hollywood and European empire building. He sees the Palestinian fate as the result of years of Western interference. One of the ten episodes of The Arabs: A Living History.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Geoff Dunlop
Production companies
Kufic Films B.V, Video Arts Television
Countries
United Kingdom
Status
Released

Top Cast

Edward SaidEdward SaidNarrator (voice)
Ibrahim Abu-LughodSelf

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

Louis Theroux: The Settlers
★ 8.4
Louis Theroux: The Settlers2025Documentary

Fourteen years after his first visit, Louis Theroux meets some of the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied West Bank.

Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists
★ 6.6
Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists2011Documentary

Louis Theroux spends time with a small and very committed subculture of ultra-nationalist Jewish settlers. He discovers a group of people who consider it their religious and political obligation to populate some of the most sensitive areas of the West Bank, especially those with a spiritual significance dating back to the Bible. Throughout his journey, Louis gets close to the people most involved with driving the extreme end of the Jewish settler movement - finding them warm, friendly, humorous, and deeply troubling.

Capitalism: A Love Story
★ 7.1
Capitalism: A Love Story2009Documentary

Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).

Looking for Richard
★ 6.8
Looking for Richard1996Documentary

Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."

Fuck
★ 6.4
Fuck2006Documentary

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

Louis Theroux: Louis and the Nazis
★ 7.2
Louis Theroux: Louis and the Nazis2003Documentary

Louis Theroux travels to California to meet the man dubbed "the most dangerous racist in America"; Tom Metzger. Louis meets him, his family and his publicity manager as well as following him to skinhead rallies and on a visit to Mexico.

Seduced and Abandoned
★ 6.2
Seduced and Abandoned2013Documentary

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

Get Me Roger Stone
★ 7.1
Get Me Roger Stone2017Documentary

From his days of testifying at the Watergate hearings to advising recent presidential candidate Donald Trump, Roger Stone has long offended people on both sides of the political fence as a force in conservative America. Outspoken author, pundit, ahead of his time election strategist, this is his story.

South of the Border
★ 6.1
South of the Border2009Documentary

A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.

Fahrenheit 9/11
★ 7.1
Fahrenheit 9/112004Documentary

Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Come See Me in the Good Light
★ 7.0
Come See Me in the Good Light2025Documentary

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
★ 6.5
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora2010Documentary

The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

Night Will Fall
★ 7.6
Night Will Fall2014Documentary

When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".

The Shock Doctrine
★ 7.1
The Shock Doctrine2009Documentary

An investigation of "disaster capitalism", based on Naomi Klein's proposition that neo-liberal capitalism feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.

One of Us
★ 6.9
One of Us2017Documentary

Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.

American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince
★ 6.7
American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince1978Documentary

Martin Scorsese spends an evening with larger-than-life raconteur Steven Prince—a former drug addict, road manager for Neil Diamond, and actor—as he recounts stories from his colorful life.

28 Up
★ 7.5
28 Up1985Documentary

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

To Kill a Tiger
★ 7.6
To Kill a Tiger2023Documentary

Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.

The Curse of the Dragon
★ 7.2
The Curse of the Dragon1993Documentary

A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
★ 7.0
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin2003Documentary

Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.

Similar titles

Bil'in My Love
★ 10.0
Bil'in My Love2006Documentary

The Israeli filmmaker Shai Corneli Polak records the building of the 'security wall' through Palestinian territory at the village of Bil'in. The villagers protest mostly peacefully, while the Israeli army doesn't react peacefully. By now the Israeli High Court has ruled that the building of the wall was illegal.

Poster unavailable
★ 9.0
South Africa: The White Laager1977Documentary

Explores the history of the Afrikaners and Afrikaner nationalism, and the development of apartheid and its relevance to South Africa's political situation today.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Forever ShatteredDocumentary

This new documentary will look at how Hamas has used rape and sexual terror as weapons of war, inflicting physical, emotional and psychological trauma on women, children and men. The terrorist group’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7 resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. During and after the attack, countless cases of sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, were reported and documented at the Supernova Music Festival, as well as the kibbutzims and villages. The documentary will delve into these events though research and investigation, while following the victims’ journeys to recovery.

Racismo: Uma Descolonização Em Curso
Not rated
Racismo: Uma Descolonização Em Curso2025Documentary

BETWEEN
Not rated
BETWEENDocumentary

Initially embarking on an unplanned personal filmmaking project, Ilias Boukhemoucha finds himself drawn to the overlooked corners and marginalized communities within Canadian cities.

Intercepted
★ 8.0
Intercepted2025Documentary

A journey through Ukraine that reveals the banality of evil behind the Russian invasion with the shocking juxtaposition of two realities: the Ukrainians who have been suffering and resisting the war violence, and the Russian military, and civilians, who have been perpetrating it.

And There Was Israel
★ 9.7
And There Was Israel2018Documentary

The film returns to the origins of the creation of the State of Israel (from 1896 to 1948) and highlights the responsibility of the Western World.

Revelation - The Bride, The Beast & Babylon
★ 7.0
Revelation - The Bride, The Beast & Babylon2013Documentary

Going to the very heart of the Bible's most challenging Book, this one hour documentary decodes the visions of Revelation 12 and 17 for everyone to understand. Journeying from the birth of Christ through the Christian era, this amazing video pulls aside the veil of hidden history to reveal the rise of Babylon, the persecution of the bride of Christ, and the real-world identity of the beast. Educational and inspiring, Revelation delivers the keys to understanding the epic conflict between Christ and Satan and what it means for your life today.

Closeness to the Land
Not rated
Closeness to the Land2022Documentary

In 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning, Gazala purchased land in western Ohio, on which sits a disused school building. This site allowed her to explore her complex relationship with “the land.” As the daughter of displaced indigenous Palestinians, she attempts to form a proxy bond with the earth, on ground that was stolen from the displaced indigenous Shawnee people. Closeness to the Land is video footage of hand-painted text signs that translate the word الأرض (ard) into six English words, displayed performatively in multiple locations to capture the now-invisible nature of indigenous culture in Ohio. These signs were installed on the old schoolhouse in early 2021.

Wild Plants of Palestine
Not rated
Wild Plants of Palestine2018Documentary

The film follows journeys of observational tours solicited by the Palestinian Museum and conducted by two professors from Birzeit University to collect photos of and information on the Palestinian Flora. The title is adapted from a collection of 123 images (circa 1900 to 1920) of wild flowers in Palestine found in the Matson Collection in the Library of Congress. Despite the tendency to trace the wild plants, the text in general aims at questioning the territorial extension of what is meant by the term “Palestinian”, while standing on insignificant topographical features of the (postcolonial) landscape in West Bank. Furthermore, it addresses photography as a practice and a tool of distributing and restricting information at once.

Breaking Bread
★ 10.0
Breaking Bread2022Documentary

In Breaking Bread, exotic cuisine and a side of politics are on the menu. Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel - the first Muslim Arab to win Israel's MasterChef - is on a quest to make a social change through food. And so, she founded the A-sham Arabic Food Festival in Haifa. There, pairs of Arab and Jewish chefs collaborate on mouthwatering dishes like kishek (a Syrian yogurt soup), and qatayef (a dessert typically served during Ramadan), as we savor the taste of hope and discover the food of their region free from political and religious boundaries.

Epicly Palestine'd: The Birth of Skateboarding in the West Bank
★ 9.0
Epicly Palestine'd: The Birth of Skateboarding in the West Bank2015Documentary

The story of how a small group of teenagers created a skate scene from scratch in a place where you can't even buy a skateboard, whilst facing the challenges of living under military occupation.

Life Support
★ 7.0
Life Support2026Documentary

Since October 2023, Gaza has been sealed from the world-except for one group. International doctors breach the blockade, what they find is not just a humanitarian crisis, but a calculated dismantling of life itself.

London Recruits
Not rated
London Recruits2024Documentary

The story of the Londoners recruited to be freedom fighters during the South African apartheid during the 1960s.

KWAIDAN
Not rated
KWAIDAN2022Documentary

Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
★ 6.5
Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony2002Documentary

The struggle to eradicate apartheid in South Africa has been chronicled over time, but no one has addressed the vital role music plays in this challenge. This documentary by Lee Hirsch recounts a fascinating and little-known part of South Africa's political history through archival footage, interviews and, of course, several mesmerizing musical performances.

The Lab
★ 5.6
The Lab2013Documentary

Since 9/11, the Israeli arms industries are doing bigger business than ever before. Large Israeli companies develop and test the vessels of future warfare, which is then sold worldwide by private Israeli agents, who manipulate a network of Israeli politicians and army commanders, while Israeli theoreticians explain to various foreign countries how to defeat civil and para-military resistance. All based on the extensive Israeli experience.The film reveals The Lab, which has transformed the Israeli military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank from a burden to a marketable, highly profitable, national asset.

Mahdi Amel in Gaza: On the Colonial Mode of Production
Not rated
Mahdi Amel in Gaza: On the Colonial Mode of Production2024Documentary

Assassinated Lebanese intellectual Mahdi Amel — often dubbed “the Arab Gramsci” — famously said: “He who resists is never defeated.” What use is his thought to us today, and what is our responsibility as image makers to Gaza?

To See If I'm Smiling
★ 7.7
To See If I'm Smiling2007Documentary

Israel is the only country in the world where 18-year-old girls are drafted for compulsory military service. The frank testimonials of six female Israeli soldiers stationed in Gaza and the West Bank sees the young women revisit their tours of duty in the occupied territories, and share shocking moments of negligence, flippancy, immaturity and power-tripping.

One Dollar a Day
Not rated
One Dollar a Day2016Documentary

Poetry is everywhere, even in the refugee camps where absolute misery reigns. In front of old plastic advertising posters on which are drawn in giant format the big icons of luxury and consumerism that make up their shelters, refugee children stand like kings. Symbols of life at the heart of war, fragility, and death, these children are shown by Jocelyne Saab as precious notes of hope in the heart of a dehumanized world. One Dollar a Day was filmed in the Syrian refugee camps of the Bekaa plain, Lebanon in 2015, with text by Etel Adnan.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.