Guides: Middle East & North Africa Studies (MENA): AudioVisual Resources

AudioVisual Resources

The Value of AudioVisual Resources

Audiovisual resources complement textual research, similar to data and statistics. Audiovisual resources include moving images (films, newsreels, television programs, educational, and industrial and advertising material), commercial sound recordings, radio broadcasts, and voice recordings, as well as supporting documents, screenplays, manuscripts, photographs, posters, and press kits. Use these resources to gain a better understanding of MENA cultures, and add them to your research and findings.

Open Access Collections

Abdul Hamid II Collection (Library of Congress)
This monumental collection portrays the Ottoman Empire during the reign of one of its last sultans, Abdul-Hamid II. The 1,819 photographs in 51 large-format albums date from about 1880 to 1893. They highlight the modernization of numerous aspects of the Ottoman Empire, featuring images of educational facilities and students; well-equipped army and navy personnel and facilities; technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades; factories; mines; harbors; hospitals; and government buildings. Most of the places depicted are within the boundaries of modern-day Turkey, but buildings and sites in Iraq, Lebanon, Greece and other countries are also included.
AGSL Digital Photo Archive - Asia and Middle East (UWMilwaukee)
AGSL Digital Photo Archive – Asia and Middle East presents over 28,000 images from the holdings of the American Geographical Society (AGS) Library. The selection focuses on the countries of Asia and the Middle East. The images come from the collections acquired over many decades by the AGS Library including an extensive photographic print collection. The digital collection is under continuing development.
Archnet
Archnet is a globally-accessible, intellectual resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation issues related to the Muslim world. Archnet’s mission is to provide ready access to unique visual and textual material to facilitate teaching, scholarship, and professional work of high quality. Officially launched in 2002 as a partnership between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Archnet has since evolved into the largest open, online architectural library with a focus on Muslim cultures.
Center for Jewish History
Center for Jewish History and partner collections span five thousand years, with tens of millions of archival documents (in dozens of languages and alphabet systems), more than 500,000 volumes, as well as thousands of artworks, textiles, ritual objects, recordings, films, and photographs.
Islamic Manuscripts (Michigan/HathiTrust)
Digitized manuscripts from the Islamic Manuscripts Collection at The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, made available via Open Access and the Hathi Trust.
Middle Eastern & North African Cinema & Film (Cornell University)
Cornell University subject guide providing selected resources and other aggregated information for researching and studying Middle Eastern & North African Cinema & Film.
Museum with No Frontiers
Within MWNF, artifacts in museums, monuments and archaeological sites become ‘ambassadors’ of the civilizations they represent. MWNF (initially under a different name) was founded in 1995 on the initiative of Eva Schubert as an independent non-profit organisation, within the context of the establishment of a formal partnership between the European Union and the Mediterranean countries of North Africa and the Middle East (the so-called Barcelona Process).
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is the ultimate source for Holocaust education, documentation and research. Yad Vashem's extensive digital collections document Jewish life all over the world before, during, and after the Holocaust.

Databases

Academic Video Online
Academic Video Online makes video material available with curricular relevance: documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, and more. Search for award-winning films including Academy®, Emmy®, and Peabody® winners and access content from PBS, BBC, 60 MINUTES, National Geographic, Annenberg Learner, BroadwayHD™, A+E Networks’ HISTORY® and more. Academic Video Online: Premium covers all disciplines and subject areas, with specific strengths in: Anthropology; Counseling & Therapy; Art, Fashion & Design; Business & Economics; Diversity Studies; Documentary Film; Feature Film; Education; History; Music & Dance; News & Current Events; Theatre & Drama. It also provides content in nursing; allied health; criminal justice; engineering; and science.
Arts & Humanities Database
Covers journal literature in Art, Architecture, Design, History, Philosophy, Music, Literature, Theatre and Cultural Studies. It is designed to complement the following indexes: ABM, Avery, BHA, BHI, DAAI, Index Islamicus, MLA, Philosopher's Index and RILM.
Artstor
Explore Artstor’s collections of high-quality images, curated from leading museums and archives around the world. Artstor’s diverse collections are rights-cleared for education and research, and include Open Access content as well as rare materials not available elsewhere. Currently there are over 851,000 images in over 300 collections. Artstor supports and enriches study across disciplines, including world events from Magnum Photos, anthropology from Harvard’s Peabody Museum, and archaeology from Erich Lessing Culture and Fine Art Archives. The images in Artstor are curated from reliable sources and have been rights-cleared for use in education and research — you are free to use them in classroom instruction and handouts, presentations, student assignments, and other noncommercial educational and scholarly activities. [Artstor is provided by the generous support of the Olive Higgins Prouty Fund, a library endowment dedicated to the humanities.]Search 850,922 items in 308 collections
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals is published by the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. It offers a comprehensive listing of journal articles on architecture and design, including bibliographic descriptions on subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design and decoration. It contains over seven hundred American and international journals including not only scholarly and popular periodical literature, but also publications of professional associations, American state and regional periodicals, and the major serials on architecture and design of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. Articles are included from key publications such as American Architect, Domus, Dwell, and El Croquis, as well as architectural articles from art and planning journals such as Burlington Magazine, Journal of Green Building, Metropolitan Museum Journal, and Urban Land. [Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals is provided by the generous support of the Olive Higgins Prouty Fund, a library endowment dedicated to the humanities.]
IET Ebooks (2024 collection)
IET eBooks review the current state-of-the-art in hot topics in engineering and technology research, including contributions from leading experts with a global perspective. These 60 ebooks provide a comprehensive resource for the engineering and technology community and covers reference and emerging topics in A.I., cyber security, big data, computing, semiconductors, healthcare technologies, electromagnetics, sensors, circuits, devices, systems, electrical, unmanned vehicles, robotics, mechanical, power, energy, sonar, radar, electronic warfare, computer science and other subject areas. **Note: titles are added throughout the year!
MIT Press Direct Ebooks Collection
Access to 3000+ ebook titles from MIT Press. Key subject areas covered in the complete collection include art and architecture, biomedical sciences, business and finance, computer science, cognitive science, design, education, environment, game studies, humanities, information science, linguistics, neuroscience, new media, philosophy, and social sciences.

Check out these Podcasts!

Arab-American Psycho
Unfiltered conversations about identity, relationships, and all sorts of interesting shit with cool guests (and occasionally a solo episode which further proves that Noor has no inner monologue).

Arab American Café
A podcast by Arab Americans about America and Arabs everywhere, bringing you a unique perspective, both in English & Arabic but mostly in "Arablish." Café patrons will discuss current affairs, politics, culture, and healthcare.
Arab Talk with Jess & Jamal
Arab Talk with Jess and Jamal brings news and analysis of the Arab World and Middle East, as well as issues affecting the Arab American community.
The Hamburger Generation
Hamburger Generation (or as our parents call us – جيل الهمبرجر) is a podcast show full of light-hearted stories about the lives of 2nd generation Arab expats.
Maghrib in Past & Present | Podcasts
Maghrib in Past & Present | Podcasts is a forum in which artists, writers, and scholars from North Africa, the United States, and beyond can present their ongoing and innovative research on and cultural activities in the Maghrib.
The Queer Arabs
The Queer Arabs podcast is a growing collection of dialogues surrounding the intersection of Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian + North African and LGBTQ identities. Recording in English and Arabic, with hosts based in the US and guests based all over, the podcast highlights queer artists, activists, and organizers from SWANA and its diasporas, as well as anyone whose work shares our goals of racial justice, gender liberation, and sex positivity.
Seen Jeem
Seen (س) Jeem (ج ) is the Arabic for Q and A. The Seen Jeem podcast highlights the work of contemporary Arab American and ME/NA diaspora writers. Produced by the Center for Arab American Studies, Seen Jeem features conversations with poets, novelists, and essayists about their latest work.
See Something Say Something
See Something Say Something is an award-winning podcast that covers the social, cultural, and political experiences of American Muslims.

Media & Music

Al Jazeera Live (English)
Al Jazeera English (AJE; Arabic: الجزيرة, romanized: al-jazīrah, lit. 'the Peninsula', pronounced [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ]) is a 24-hour English-language news channel operating under Al Jazeera Media Network, which is partially funded by the government of Qatar. In a bid to broaden its reach, Al Jazeera introduced an English-language division in 2006.
Sky News Arabia Live
Sky News Arabia (stylized as Sky News عربية; Arabic: سكاي نيوز عربية, romanized: Skāy Nyūz ʻArabīyah) is an Arabic 24-hour rolling news channel broadcast mainly operated in the Middle East and North Africa. It is a joint venture between UK-based Sky Group and the UAE-based International Media Investments (IMI) corporation.
TRT Live (English)
Turkish Radio and Television Corporation broadcasts.
mideast tunes
Founded in 2010, this website collects and distributes underground and up-and-coming Middle Eastern & North African musical talent on a slick Pandora-like platform.
IMVBox
"Iranian Netflix," offers both free and subscription memberships (subscription needed for subtitles, greater selection, casting, and ad-free).

MENA Videos Available at WPI

Click here for a search for video related to MENA available in the WPI catalog
Click here for a search for audio related to MENA available in the WPI catalog

Videos and Film related to Arab American, Middle Eastern American, and North African American Heritage and Current Issues

About a War - (2019) The Lebanese Civil War saw 170,000 dead, 1 million displaced and 17,000 people still missing. During the conflict thousands of teenagers picked up arms to fight in a 15 years war that tore the nation apart. Moving through the testimonies of Assad, a right wing Christian intelligence officer; Ahed, a Palestinian refugee fighter and Nassim, a Communist commander, About a War unpicks the personal motivations, trauma and regret of militiamen who picked up arms during the civil war. With no official account of the conflict, their testimonies build a multi-perspective picture of a crucial turning point in Lebanese history that radically transformed the Middle East.

Composing Freedom
Music is more than just a sequence of sounds reaching our being. It can bring back memories, call up fantasies, dreams, feelings, and emotions. Music can destroy borders and connect us. Palestine has been under occupation since 1948, which impacts lives every day. Freedom is limited, because of restrictions within society and imposed identities by Israel.
The Fight
Only days after the 2017 Trump inauguration, furious Americans gathered at airports across the country in protest of the Muslim ban. But it was the efforts of the American Civil Liberties Union, waging the fight in federal court, that turned the tide. Access to the ACLU offices has finally been granted to the award-winning filmmaking team, as they follow four seismically important cases and a handful of magnetic attorneys who managed to persuade Supreme Court Justices, beating back serious encroachments upon our freedoms.
Gender Double Standards in the Middle East | Maryam Salman | TEDxRCSIBahrain
It's time to stand up and reject the negative social elements of Arab culture. Maryam Salman, a medical student at RCSI Bahrain, discusses the Middle East's current double standards between men and women. She tackles the invisible societal chains that prevent women from reaching their full potential. This talk was heavily inspired by the book “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She quotes, “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man.”
Insurgency: Once Upon a Time in Iraq, Episode 2
When America and Britain invaded Iraq in 2003, most people expected an easy victory. Two very different witnesses question the benefits of the war in Iraq.
Levantine
She lived in Cairo, Paris and New York, but died in an old age home in Givatayim. She was admired and beautiful, but only few knew her during her life and even less after she had passed away. She was the first to write of Levantine and Mizrachi identities, as no one before her had done.
Life is a Highway: Chicago to Joplin, Missouri
(2022) In this three-part travelogue, a young Muslim American couple discover America’s Muslim roots on Route 66. From Chicago to St. Louis to Amarillo Texas, and across the Southwest, rap-star Mona Haydar and husband Sebastian Robins enjoy the iconic highway’s well-known roadside attractions, and along the way discover its overlooked Muslim American story. Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robin drive the first leg of Route 66. Join them as they discover Muslim stories from America’s heartland, a history that dates back to the 1800s. They also experience some early tests to their relationship.
On Her Shoulders
23 year old, Nadia Murad, a once ordinary girl, is a survivor of the 2014 genocide of the Yazidis in Northern Iraq who was able to escape sexual slavery at the hands of ISIS, has become a relentless beacon of hope for her people. On Her Shoulders follows this strong-willed young woman as she fights to bring ISIS to justice and save her people from extinction.
Samaritan
Samaritans are a unique minority in the Middle East. The world’s only holders of Israeli-Palestinian dual nationality, with only 780 members left, they are now on the verge of extinction. In the West Bank, on the heights of Nablus, Abdallah Cohen, the high priest's grandson, seeks his own way.
What Syrian Cuisine Can Teach Us About Humanity | Antonio Tahhan | TEDxMidAtlantic
Tony Tahhan was born in Venezuela to a Middle Eastern family and growing up in Miami, Tony Tahhan draws inspiration from a variety of cultures. In this moving and beautiful talk, he shares how his experiences growing up with Syrian cuisine have informed his understanding of not only that culture — but the others he calls his own — and how we can use food and foodways as a lens to better understand humanity as a whole. Born in Venezuela to a Middle Eastern family and growing up in Miami, Tony Tahhan draws inspiration from a variety of cultures.
Yemen: Chaos in Silence
(2018) After three years of war, Yemen is facing its most serious humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War. ‘Yemen, the chaos in silence' is an unprecedented journey which tells the story of a conflict taking place virtually without exterior witnesses. From Aden in the south to Sanaa in the north, via Taez, the frontline, this film explores a devastated country eroded by political and religious divisions and ravaged by cholera.