ReFocus: The Films of Rachid Bouchareb

• Devotes attention to Bouchareb’s under-explored films, including the Oscar- nominated Poussières de vie/Dust of Life (1994), those shot in English, and recent made-for- television films
• Offers an interdisciplinary approach to Bouchareb’s work, drawing on gender studies, cinema studies, French and francophone studies, Islamic studies, and history, among others
• Highlights connections between Bouchareb’s diverse films while offering a broader exploration of the arc of the director’s career
• Considers Bouchareb in the context of new critical explorations of cinéma-monde as a global auteur whose work – in French, English and beyond – extends beyond the narrow French national context

ReFocus: The Films of Rachid Bouchareb is the first book-length study of the internationally recognized director’s films. Bouchareb was one of France’s first filmmakers of North African descent and his career as a director and producer now spans over 35 years. Remarkably varied in their themes, formal elements and narrative settings, Bouchareb’s work has engaged with and reflected on a variety of crucial social, political and historical issues; from the role of colonial troops in the French army during the Second World War, to terrorism in contemporary Europe. This volume examines Bouchareb’s films from an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring key influences on his output and considering new theoretical approaches to his filmmaking.