Movies - TV
Why The Dune Movies’ Fremen Language Is A Source Of Controversy
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
In Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel “Dune,” the Fremen are the desert-dwelling people of the planet Arrakis who have adapted to survive in extremely inclement conditions.
To navigate the arid landscape of Arrakis, the Fremen rely on high-tech stillsuits, designed to capture and recycle every precious drop of bodily fluid secreted so none is wasted.
Additionally, they exhibit remarkable ingenuity, devising an irregular stepping pattern to evade the colossal sandworms and a unique language to communicate with each other.
In Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel “Dune,” the Fremen are the desert-dwelling people of the planet Arrakis who have adapted to survive in extremely inclement conditions
However, Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation of “Dune” sparked controversy when the filmmaker altered the Fremen language by removing many Arabic words, which upset fans.
The removal of these terms aimed not to erase the politically real connections to the Middle East, but rather to render the movie more representative of dangerous religious pathos.