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After a stir in the media on what many described as a biased portrayal of the MIddle East, Pakistan and Muslims, Oscar-nominated documentary makers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer have decided to produce a television series that will counter the over generalised depiction in the popular series Homeland.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, the makers of the critically acclaimed Egyptian documentary The Square want to project an unbiased image of the Muslim world and combat the over-generalised perception shown by shows like Homeland and Tyrant.
Noujaim said that although Middle East is full of “fascinating and rich” tales, “the two big TV series to come out of the region are Tyrant and Homeland” – series which only fuel negative and prejudiced sentiments toward Muslims.
The series is still under production phase.
“It’s very early days; we’re literally working on a pilot right now. We’re looking at a place to shoot,” said Noujaim.
Also read: Pakistan in Homeland — Finally, an accurate portrayal!
Their earlier project, The Square, was lauded internationally and made it to the Oscar nominations.
However the documentary faced harsh criticism from Egyptians for giving way to controversies about the 2011 revolution and along with attacks on the team, Sanaa Seif – the videographer and editor of the film – was sentenced to three years in prison.
The famous espionage-thriller TV series Homeland is produced under the banner of Showtime, a US cable channel network, and has already aired three seasons.
Homeland season four premiered on October 5 and received an outcry from viewers and the media for its stereotypical portrayal of Pakistan.
