... of the Kaptan Paşa Sea Bus, is a large-scale model of the heart’s circulatory system through which saltwater flows, propelling the vessel. Matching in size the biggest living creature in the world, the blue whale, the boat becomes a whole new organism that runs on saltwater: seawater is pumped into the heart’s...

... women as resistance fighters. Whereas female resistance fighters in the miniseries Al-Hut ( The Whale ) maintained their subordinate role in the family, those in the drama Hasiba resisted patriarchy on the home front. The latter’s director, Khayri al-Dhahabi, elaborated on his choices by explaining...

... of the Prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale but allowed to survive because of God’s mercy.11 This Qur’anic image is set against the description of Jonah as a man of strong mascu- linity and aggressive sexuality and whose sexual exploits seem to lead to his eventual expulsion from...

... Shamiyya tales. In al-Hut ( The Whale , by Kamal al-Morra, dir. Radwan Shahin, 2008) the dictatorial Murad Bik oppresses his son ʿAdel so much that ʿAdel is rendered mute. In the final episode, amid thunderous music, ʿAdel locks his father in the basement and sets the house on fire, burning his father...