2008.10.17
[Updates]
Rashid Mashrawi: More notes and details about his films!
Rashid Mashrawi is selected for the Winds of Asia-Middle East. We have updated more information on his movies, filmography, and quotes by him.
For Rashid Mashrawi’s filmographyClick here
For Rashid Mashrawi quotesClick here
【Notes】
『“Curfew”』(1993)
This is Mashrawi’s first long movie. Set in a refugee camp in Gaza in 1993. Abu Raji and his family are confined under a national curfew, but he and the neighbors try to keep life going as usual. But a neighbor’s daughter falls victim to a tear gas attack and dies of breathing difficulties. The boy next door is arrested by the Israeli army, and soon, tragedy sneaks up on Abu Raji’s family, too. The Arabian title is “Hatta Ishaar Akhar” (translated as, ‘waiting for the next command’). It is a film that portrays the daily life of a Palestinian family with a thrilling and humorous touch. Mashrawi captures the reality of life under a curfew?a reality that comes from living at a refugee camp for 40 days.
『“Haifa”』（1996）
The year is 1993 and only days away from the Oslo Treaty signing. Haifa is a middle-aged man with a mental breakdown living at the refugee camp in the Gaza District. He runs around the camp in military clothing shouting, “Yaffa, Haffa, Akka!”, the names of the towns before the Israeli occupation. A cotton candy shop owner, Abu Sahid, one day suddenly falls ill and becomes partially paralyzed. His wife is concerned about finding a nice wife for their son who will soon be released from jail. Sabah, his daughter who one day dreams of becoming a painter, is caught up with her romance with Eunice. This film captures the hopes and anxieties of the Palestinians during the historical moment of the Oslo Treaty. The brilliant actor, Mohammed Bakri takes the leading role. He is also known as the director of documentary films such as “JENIN JENIN” (2002) and “Since you Left” (2006).
『“Ticket to Jerusalem”』（2002）
Jabul lives at a refugee camp near Ramallah with his wife. He is a movie projectionist who travels from camp to camp to show movies to the children. Movies are his life, he lives for cinema. One day he meets a school teacher who wants to arrange a show in Jerusalem, but Palestinians are not allowed to enter the city, let alone with cinema equipment. There’s also the conflict between the Arabians and Israelis and the notorious Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah… Apart from the plot, Mashrawi uses his own film “Haifa” in one of the scenes within this movie. What’s more, he was involved in promoting traveling movie projections. Jabul’s wife is played by Mashrawi’s wife, Areen Omari. George Ibrahim (the producer at Al-Kasaba Theatre, Palestine), who was casted as the Santa Claus in Elia Suleiman’s film, “D.I.” (2002) is also in this movie.
『Waiting』（2005）
Movie director Ahmad had plans to immigrate to a different country, but his friend who is constructing the National Theater of Palestine in the Gaza District asks Ahmed to look for actors for their audition. Together with a film crew, they go around Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. However, most of the applicants have nothing to do with acting. As frustrated as Ahmad is, he soon realizes that he shares the same destiny with these people. Ahmad tells the applicants to perform “waiting” in front of the camera… Themes such as “crossing borders”, “waiting” and “movie” intertwine in this film, creating a world only Mashrawi is able to express.
『“Laila’s Birthday” 』（2008）
This is Mashrawi’s newest movie that was screened at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain) this September, which vividly portrays the lives of people in a Palestinian society. A taxi driver, formerly a judge, lives in Ramallah with his wife and daughter, Laila. On the morning of his daughter’s birthday, he is faced with a series of problems. Things are just not coming together to get his old job back, and the people he meets this day are strange and awkward. Being a man of law and order, he is very disturbed by Ramallah’s confusion and disorder: people carrying weapons, demonstrations, passengers forgetting their mobile phone in his taxi, and what’s worse, the engine stalls and he is caught up in a bombing by the Israeli army. All he wanted to do was buy a present for his daughter. Unable to tolerate all the chaos, he grabs a loudspeaker… Once again, the brilliant actor Mohammed Bakri is in the limelight with amazing acting.
【Filmography (Bold titles for TIFF 2008)】
1987 Across the Border (short film)
1989 Shelter (short film)
1991 One family: The Price of Bread（TV）
1993 Curfew
1996 Haifa
1998 Stress (documentary) screened at the 1999 Yamagata International Film Festival
2002 Ticket to Jerusalem
2003 Live from Palestine (documentary)
2005 Waiting (screened at the 2006 Arab Film Festival)
2005 Arafat, My Brother (documentary)
2008 Laila’s Birthday
【Quotes by Rashid Mashrawi】
Mashrawi came to Japan in 2006 with the film “Waiting”, for the Arab Film Festival sponsored by the Japan Foundation. He participated in a symposium with other Arabian directors. The following are some of his words from the conference. For more details about the Symposium, please follow the link below:
http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/culture/media/domestic/movie/arab2006_4-2.html
Politics and Art
A movie director from Palestine has to keep two things in mind. First, in order to be a part of a particular place like Palestine, I must talk about politics. On the other hand, as a filmmaker, I must pay attention to my movies as a piece of artwork because especially at film festivals, movies are being compared and judged. In this sense, a moviemaker from Palestine should be aware that neither politics nor artistic quality can be missing when making a film. I enjoy experimenting with movies. Instead of using a movie as a means to convey political views, I choose to use the political situation of that time to create a good film. I hope to be able to extend this beyond the history of Palestinian filmmaking.
Fiction and Documentary
Our current situation is just like a documentary movie so that’s probably why my films seem like documentaries rather than fictitious stories. Of course I sometimes deliberately make my films appear “real”, but “Waiting” is 100 percent fiction and the actors are professionals. There were probably about two amateur actors but their roles were specified in the script. I did aim for this movie to seem like a documentary, though. I believe a movie should reflect the people of the country it was made in.
Visiting Refugee Camps
For us Palestinians, “records” and “resource” are important. “Waiting” is 100 percent fiction so it was possible to shoot it at one location, the same studio. However, I went to actual refugee camps of each country. In this way, the reality of the camps is recorded in my film which makes my movie a valuable “resource”. I am not asking viewers to sympathize with the film but to make an enjoyable film. If my goal were to attract pity, there would be other ways of attracting it. I would like to make movies about Palestine and deliver them to all corners of the world.
A movie that connects immobilized people
The characters in “Waiting” meet each other in the movie, but this is not possible in reality. This is because people living in Gaza cannot leave the district, which means they have absolutely no means to meet people at refugee camps. The message is that in real life, we cannot move. This movie is also about traveling, but in a unique way, it connects the immobilized people together.
The two maps of Palestine
Palestinians have two maps. One is a ‘geographical map’ and the other a ‘personal map’. There is a map of the Middle Eastern area with all the refugee camps located. We Palestinians are spread throughout this map. When I was shooting this movie, I thought I was describing all Palestinians, but it turned out that the numbers were barely half the population. Of the eight million Palestinians, four million live in Palestine and the other half at refugee camps. So in this sense, “Waiting” is a film which brought together Palestinians from all parts of our ‘personal map’.
For Rashid Mashrawi’s filmographyClick here
For Rashid Mashrawi quotesClick here
【Notes】
『“Curfew”』(1993)
This is Mashrawi’s first long movie. Set in a refugee camp in Gaza in 1993. Abu Raji and his family are confined under a national curfew, but he and the neighbors try to keep life going as usual. But a neighbor’s daughter falls victim to a tear gas attack and dies of breathing difficulties. The boy next door is arrested by the Israeli army, and soon, tragedy sneaks up on Abu Raji’s family, too. The Arabian title is “Hatta Ishaar Akhar” (translated as, ‘waiting for the next command’). It is a film that portrays the daily life of a Palestinian family with a thrilling and humorous touch. Mashrawi captures the reality of life under a curfew?a reality that comes from living at a refugee camp for 40 days.
『“Haifa”』（1996）
The year is 1993 and only days away from the Oslo Treaty signing. Haifa is a middle-aged man with a mental breakdown living at the refugee camp in the Gaza District. He runs around the camp in military clothing shouting, “Yaffa, Haffa, Akka!”, the names of the towns before the Israeli occupation. A cotton candy shop owner, Abu Sahid, one day suddenly falls ill and becomes partially paralyzed. His wife is concerned about finding a nice wife for their son who will soon be released from jail. Sabah, his daughter who one day dreams of becoming a painter, is caught up with her romance with Eunice. This film captures the hopes and anxieties of the Palestinians during the historical moment of the Oslo Treaty. The brilliant actor, Mohammed Bakri takes the leading role. He is also known as the director of documentary films such as “JENIN JENIN” (2002) and “Since you Left” (2006).
『“Ticket to Jerusalem”』（2002）
Jabul lives at a refugee camp near Ramallah with his wife. He is a movie projectionist who travels from camp to camp to show movies to the children. Movies are his life, he lives for cinema. One day he meets a school teacher who wants to arrange a show in Jerusalem, but Palestinians are not allowed to enter the city, let alone with cinema equipment. There’s also the conflict between the Arabians and Israelis and the notorious Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah… Apart from the plot, Mashrawi uses his own film “Haifa” in one of the scenes within this movie. What’s more, he was involved in promoting traveling movie projections. Jabul’s wife is played by Mashrawi’s wife, Areen Omari. George Ibrahim (the producer at Al-Kasaba Theatre, Palestine), who was casted as the Santa Claus in Elia Suleiman’s film, “D.I.” (2002) is also in this movie.
『Waiting』（2005）
Movie director Ahmad had plans to immigrate to a different country, but his friend who is constructing the National Theater of Palestine in the Gaza District asks Ahmed to look for actors for their audition. Together with a film crew, they go around Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. However, most of the applicants have nothing to do with acting. As frustrated as Ahmad is, he soon realizes that he shares the same destiny with these people. Ahmad tells the applicants to perform “waiting” in front of the camera… Themes such as “crossing borders”, “waiting” and “movie” intertwine in this film, creating a world only Mashrawi is able to express.
『“Laila’s Birthday” 』（2008）
This is Mashrawi’s newest movie that was screened at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain) this September, which vividly portrays the lives of people in a Palestinian society. A taxi driver, formerly a judge, lives in Ramallah with his wife and daughter, Laila. On the morning of his daughter’s birthday, he is faced with a series of problems. Things are just not coming together to get his old job back, and the people he meets this day are strange and awkward. Being a man of law and order, he is very disturbed by Ramallah’s confusion and disorder: people carrying weapons, demonstrations, passengers forgetting their mobile phone in his taxi, and what’s worse, the engine stalls and he is caught up in a bombing by the Israeli army. All he wanted to do was buy a present for his daughter. Unable to tolerate all the chaos, he grabs a loudspeaker… Once again, the brilliant actor Mohammed Bakri is in the limelight with amazing acting.
【Filmography (Bold titles for TIFF 2008)】
1987 Across the Border (short film)
1989 Shelter (short film)
1991 One family: The Price of Bread（TV）
1993 Curfew
1996 Haifa
1998 Stress (documentary) screened at the 1999 Yamagata International Film Festival
2002 Ticket to Jerusalem
2003 Live from Palestine (documentary)
2005 Waiting (screened at the 2006 Arab Film Festival)
2005 Arafat, My Brother (documentary)
2008 Laila’s Birthday
【Quotes by Rashid Mashrawi】
Mashrawi came to Japan in 2006 with the film “Waiting”, for the Arab Film Festival sponsored by the Japan Foundation. He participated in a symposium with other Arabian directors. The following are some of his words from the conference. For more details about the Symposium, please follow the link below:
http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/culture/media/domestic/movie/arab2006_4-2.html
Politics and Art
A movie director from Palestine has to keep two things in mind. First, in order to be a part of a particular place like Palestine, I must talk about politics. On the other hand, as a filmmaker, I must pay attention to my movies as a piece of artwork because especially at film festivals, movies are being compared and judged. In this sense, a moviemaker from Palestine should be aware that neither politics nor artistic quality can be missing when making a film. I enjoy experimenting with movies. Instead of using a movie as a means to convey political views, I choose to use the political situation of that time to create a good film. I hope to be able to extend this beyond the history of Palestinian filmmaking.
Fiction and Documentary
Our current situation is just like a documentary movie so that’s probably why my films seem like documentaries rather than fictitious stories. Of course I sometimes deliberately make my films appear “real”, but “Waiting” is 100 percent fiction and the actors are professionals. There were probably about two amateur actors but their roles were specified in the script. I did aim for this movie to seem like a documentary, though. I believe a movie should reflect the people of the country it was made in.
Visiting Refugee Camps
For us Palestinians, “records” and “resource” are important. “Waiting” is 100 percent fiction so it was possible to shoot it at one location, the same studio. However, I went to actual refugee camps of each country. In this way, the reality of the camps is recorded in my film which makes my movie a valuable “resource”. I am not asking viewers to sympathize with the film but to make an enjoyable film. If my goal were to attract pity, there would be other ways of attracting it. I would like to make movies about Palestine and deliver them to all corners of the world.
A movie that connects immobilized people
The characters in “Waiting” meet each other in the movie, but this is not possible in reality. This is because people living in Gaza cannot leave the district, which means they have absolutely no means to meet people at refugee camps. The message is that in real life, we cannot move. This movie is also about traveling, but in a unique way, it connects the immobilized people together.
The two maps of Palestine
Palestinians have two maps. One is a ‘geographical map’ and the other a ‘personal map’. There is a map of the Middle Eastern area with all the refugee camps located. We Palestinians are spread throughout this map. When I was shooting this movie, I thought I was describing all Palestinians, but it turned out that the numbers were barely half the population. Of the eight million Palestinians, four million live in Palestine and the other half at refugee camps. So in this sense, “Waiting” is a film which brought together Palestinians from all parts of our ‘personal map’.
