Chronopoulou, A. 2024. “In Between” East and West: A Comparative Approach to Cinematic Portrayals of Female Lawyers. Middle East Law and Governance. 16 (1), pp. 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1163/18763375-16010002
| Title | “In Between” East and West: A Comparative Approach to Cinematic Portrayals of Female Lawyers |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Chronopoulou, A. |
| Abstract | On-screen female advocates have been the subject of investigation in a growing body of literature over the past two decades. Celluloid depictions of women lawyers in the Middle East are less common. This paper attempts to fill this gap by examining two films: In Between and The Accused. These films were chosen for two reasons. First, they constitute rare cinematic representations of female lawyers’ personal lifestyles and the way these lifestyles inform professional identity. Secondly, they evoke detraditionalized versions of gender while emphasising the construction of new on-screen femininities not that far off from modern day legal practice. This paper consists of three parts. The first part examines the striking similarities in the way both films portray female lawyers as role models and outsiders in the legal profession. The second part situates the discussion of the two films within the consumer-based, pleasure-seeking attitude associated with the new aesthetics of legal practice. The third part draws parallels between the fictional representations of the female lawyers in the two films and the reality of legal practice. |
| Keywords | Female Lawyers |
| Middle Eastern Films | |
| legal profession | |
| law and popular culture | |
| Journal | Middle East Law and Governance |
| Journal citation | 16 (1), pp. 94-111 |
| ISSN | 1876-3367 |
| 1876-3375 | |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publisher | Brill |
| Accepted author manuscript | File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1163/18763375-16010002 |
| Web address (URL) | https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/16/1/article-p94_006.xml |
| Publication dates | |
| Published online | 13 May 2024 |