‘Dune 2’ Criticized for Lack of Middle-Eastern, North African Representation, Failure to Address Western Imperialism

The hit sci-fi epic Dune 2 has been met with criticism in some quarters for its lack of Middle-Eastern, North African (MENA) representation and for its failure to address Western imperialism.

“These critics offer a wide range of objections, including faulting the production for failing to cast many MENA actors in speaking roles, as well as leveling objections to story choices that diminish MENA influences,” Variety reported this week.

Frank Herbert, author of the original Dune novels upon which the films have been based, stated on multiple occasions his influences stemmed from Islamic and North African cultures. He also partially based the protagonist Paul off T.E. Lawrence, who was popularized in the 1962 David Lean epic Lawrence of Arabia. Of the Freman, the indigenous people of his fictional planet Arakis, Herbert said in a 1980 interview: “I saw [Fremen] as having very ancient roots in Arabic culture, but an Arabic culture modified by the convulsions through which it had gone, over the centuries.”

Director Denis Villeneuve said in an interview The Nerds of Color upon the release of the first Dune movie that he always intended to be faithful to Herbert’s vision.

“I tried to be as faithful as possible to the images I had in my mind when I read the book when I was young,” Villeneuve said. “And this idea that the world of the Fremen would be kind of inspired by culture from North Africa and the Middle East — culture that I deeply love by the way, because it’s a very complex world — there was this idea that there was something powerful that will come out from Africa in Frank Herbert’s mind.”

“And I tried to respect his ideas. Which is why I did the casting the way I did. And I feel truly that I’m right in doing it this way. It feels authentic, it feels honest, and true to the book,” he added.

Regardless, it seems that certain critics feel that Villeneuve and Warner Bros. did not go far enough as far as representation.

“Despite the filmmaker’s ambitions to be true to Herbert’s novel and its influences, critics of the movie note that the only actor playing a Fremen with links to the MENA region is Souheila Yacoub. A Swiss-born performer with Tunisian heritage, Yacoub plays Shishakli, a friend and companion to Zendaya’s Chani,” noted Variety.

In a piece for Cosmopolitan UK, Furvah Shah lamented that she felt frustrated while watching the movie.

“From the use of beads and prostration in prayers by the Fremen, to the almost-Arabic language, phrases pulled from religious texts and the wearing of veils, it felt like ‘Dune’ takes a heavy amount of inspiration from Islam, Middle Eastern and North African cultures yet simultaneously erases us from screen,” she wrote.

Serena Rasoul, a casting director and founder of MA Casting, told Variety that she felt disappointed more MENA actors were not on screen.

“This was a missed opportunity to honor the region’s rich culture and heritage,” said Rasoul.

Sue Obeidi, director of the MPAC Hollywood Bureau, called the Dune 2 casting “puzzling.”

“This feels wrong considering the story’s cultural background, and because of this, the film misses out on accurately showing the diverse world of ‘Dune.’ It weakens the films’ integrity and cultural impact,” she told Variety.

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of MuslimGirl.com, told Variety that Hollywood too often casts Middle Eastern people in villain roles.

“One of the big things we hear when it comes to Middle Eastern people getting cast or brown people getting cast is there is not enough talent,” said Al-Khatahtbeh. “Yet there is no hesitation and no challenge for the industry to cast those actors from those backgrounds in the stereotypical roles of being terrorists or the villains. Conveniently, we are at a surplus of Middle Eastern actors when it comes to negative portrayal.”

Dune 2 has made nearly $600 million in the worldwide box office.

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.