Middle Eastern and North African cinema
Unfortunately, not all MENA countries could experience the same growth of national industries, especially those occupied by France, where native culture was repressed and only French culture was promoted. However, this does not mean that these countries do not a rich history in film productions. From the 1920s, especially in the 1930s many French movies were produced in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. These countries were used as backgrounds due to their "exotic" look and the perceptions that Europeans had about the "Orient." The use of these countries for their "exotic" features caused the reproduction of many negative stereotypes against the natives.