• A photograph of green flatbed trucks with blue flashing lights attached parading down the street. In the truck beds are Taliban members - men in combat fatigues, some with flags and guns, some with hats, headscarves or sunglasses. THe mood is celebratory, with one or two in the closest vehicle smiling for the camera. Photograph: Callum Darragh. Source: Flikr via Wikipedia (public domain).

Class and Feeling in the Films of Jia Zhangke

Class and Feeling in the Films of Jia Zhangke

In 2008, I saw Jia Zhangke’s film Still Life, and it changed my life. I had never seen a film that had affected me so intensely and knew that, after that moment, I needed to research this director and his films further. What impacted me the most about Jia’s films were their emotional and affective qualities, and how they evoked feelings that lingered long after the films had ended.

Mapping Christianity in North Africa and West Asia

Christianity in North Africa and West Asia

This region, North Africa and West Asia, is where Christianity began, nearly 2,000 years ago. Many Christian communities today trace their histories back over the entire period. At the same time, there is no region in the world where Christians are more at risk of extinction, as civil wars, persecution and economic distress have resulted in a massive exodus of the Christian population. This volume documents that exodus while it is underway.