Autoethnography as documentary in Iranian films and videos
Mazyar Lotfalian
Anthropology of the Contemporary Middle East and Central Eurasia March 10, 2014 DOI: 10.26581/acme.v1i2.48 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Women in the Western Rif region of Morocco, observed through ethnographic fieldwork |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Argues that dreaming, dream-sharing, and dream-interpretation constitute a significant source of power for women in the Western Rif, allowing a feminine management of the dead and of the dead saints' discourses and actions, including through dream incubation (istikhara) at Sufi saints' shrines. |
Abstract
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Western Rif (Morocco), I examine three types of oneiric experiences: dreams (ahlam, manaym) and visions (ru’yan) of a prophetic nature obtained through lethargic sleep; and dream incubation (istikhara) at Sufi saints’ shrines. I argue that dreaming, dream-sharing and dream-interpretation become a significant source of power for women, as they make possible a feminine management of the dead and the dead saints’ discourses and actions.