“The Refugee Crisis” and the Mediterranean Seametery
In his talk, Professor Hakim Abderrezak examines how “the refugee crisis” and clandestine migrations across the Mediterranean Sea have been portrayed in French, Arabic, Spanish and Italian literature and cinema, as well as in political discourse and mass media. Ever more stringent anti-migration policies have forced individuals to embark on increasingly fatal journeys from Africa and the Middle East. Mare Nostrum (Our Sea), La Grande Blue (The Big Blue) and al-Baḥr al-Abyaḍ al-Mutawassiṭ (The White Sea of the Middle) are some of the many names given to the Mediterranean Sea by various peoples, in several languages and at different times. Basing his analysis on a close study of the flawed terminology used to discuss the phenomenon of sea crossings, Abderrezak argues that in addition to the romantic and lyrical appellations bestowed upon this body of water, the contemporary Mediterranean must also be addressed as a bleak Seametery.
Hakim Anderrezak will be the final presenter in the year-long lecture series Innovative Interdisciplinary Directions in Francophone, French, and Italian Studies.
