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A movie made in heaven
Palestinian director Najwa Najjar's new film reflects both the sweetness and bitterness of life in her homeland.
- By Dina Aboul Hosne, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:17 December 14, 2008
- Lead actress Yasmine Masri.
- Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News
Palestinian director Najwa Najjar's new film reflects both the sweetness and bitterness of life in her homeland.
An old Arabic proverb says that in every pomegranate, one seed is made in heaven. It is the seed of hope that made The Pomegranate and the Myrrh a reality, reflecting life's sweetness and bitterness.
With these words, Palestinian director Najwa Najjar introduced her film to a full house at the Madinat Arena on Saturday.
Arab stars including Lebanese singer Najwa Karam and Egyptian actresses Libliba and Rajaa Al Jiddawi were among the people of all nationalities who attended the world premiere of the film, which tells a story of love and life under the Israeli occupation in Palestine.
Kamar, a folklore dancer, marries Zaid, the man she loves, but a few days later, the groom is arrested for resisting soldiers who came to confiscate his land. Kamar then embarks on a journey to free her man and reclaim their land, while trying to cope with the daily realities of occupation, injustice and social traditions.
At a press conference on Sunday, Najwa said she was happy her first full-length film was premiering in Dubai, after her first short film titled Yasmine Sings was featured in DIFF's second edition.
"The film took six years to complete. Independent films always have a hard time from funding to marketing, and I'm so glad DIFF understood my film," she said.
"You can't imagine how hard it is to make a film in Palestine. We had actors and crew coming in from Jerusalem, Ramallah, Aker, Haifa and all over Palestine, as well as from Lebanon and Europe," Najjar said.
"We had to cope with 650 check points, acquire all necessary passes for the crew, shoot secretly in Jerusalem and even use fake IDs at times!" she added.
Palestinian-Lebanese actress Yasmine Masri, who plays the leading role, was not planning to become an actress when she was offered a part in Lebanese film Caramel. "My life has completely changed since I was offered the first role, but since acting was not something I considered, I select my roles not as a professional actress, but as a human being. I work from my heart." Yasmine, a fine arts graduate, said.
Co-star Ali Sulaiman said that as a Palestinian actor, he had very few options. "Things are improving now when it comes to Palestinian cinema. We have more directors and more films, but accepting a role depends on what I want to say," he said.
Sulaiman, made famous by his part in award winning Palestinian film Paradise Now, said the hardships they faced as a team made them more motivated to complete the film, and it was ultimately a very good experience.
Family
Actor Ashraf Farah, who plays the part of Zaid, said the human and social dimensions of the film, and the absence of clichés, meant the actors could not be too difficult about the script and other details, something that the director strongly agreed with, adding that they all worked together like a family.
As for the film's lack of a direct political message, Najwa, who also wrote the film, said she wanted to work around politics, and did not want another documentary or something people usually see in news bulletins.
The film's characters could easily fit into any Middle Eastern society, if it wasn't for the constant reminders of the occupation- the apartheid wall, sound of bullets, check points, and all the hardships Palestinians suffer from on a daily basis.
What Najwa wanted to show was how people live in Palestine. How normal people, tired and fed up of the daily struggle, spend their days. They work, cook, play and sit at cafes. They love, marry, dance and celebrate life and hope.
Or, in the director's own words: "People are fed up with slogans. All we want is to live — with dignity."
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