The Summer 2024 issue of Index looks at how cinema is used as a tool to help shape the global political narrative by investigating who controls what we see on the screen and why they want us to see it. We highlight examples from around the world of states censoring films that show them in a bad light and pushing narratives that help them to scrub up their reputation, as well as lending a voice to those who use cinema as a form of dissent. The issue contains stories ranging from India to Nigeria, giving us a global insight into the starring role the film industry plays in global politics.
Outside of our special report, Katie Dancey-Downs investigates book banning in UK school libraries, Laura Silvia Battaglia speaks to the director of a Palestinian theatre company about the harsh reality of life in Gaza and Ugonna-Ora Owoh warns of the queer Ghanaians being persecuted under new anti-LGBT+ laws. Elsewhere, Simon James Green speaks out about his experience of book banning, Anmol Irfan discusses Muslim influencers who are creating a misogynistic subculture online and Can Dündar explains the importance of exiled journalists working together.
FEATURING
Bänoo Zan
Bänoo Zan is a self-exiled poet and translator living in Canada. As well as publishing numerous works, including the books Songs of Exile and Letters to My Father, she founded the Shab-e She'r Poetry Night in Toronto.
Can Dündar
Can Dündar is an award-winning Turkish journalist, documentary filmmaker and author. He was arrested in 2015 for his work and now lives in exile in Germany.
Simon James Green
Simon James Green is an award-winning UK author of young adult books. A leading writer in LGBTQ+ teen fiction, his works include Noah Can't Even and Boy Like Me.
