Cinnamon Zone

Yesterday we attended the screening of 5 short films at the Royal Film Commission. The films were done by a group of 14 apprentice movie makers, who participated in a 5-week workshop held by the Royal Film Commission in collaboration with the University of South California.

Before giving the brief review, I should note that I'm not an art critic, so this is for the most part my personal opinion as a viewer and observer.

The first film: One Day

This film shed light on a very important issue that is somehow becoming an unspoken taboo, or rather the elephant in the room that most of us are unwilling to acknowledge. Does love fade away after marriage, or is it us who have very high expectations?  I can't say I fell in love with the film, maybe because I couldn't relate, but my cousin said that if I was married, I would probably have liked it. After all, I trust that the writer and the creator of the movie must have had a message to deliver through the movie, and it did get across. On another subject, I think there was a serious problem with the language. Apparently, the script was written in English and then literally translated into Arabic, which sort of caused and identity crisis for the movie. It felt like watching a dubbed version of The Young and the Restless.

The second film: By the Sidewalk

This was the one I liked the most. It's a movie that would make you laugh at the first and cry at the end. Ruba Haddad, who played the role of the homeless beggar did an awesome job and was extremely convincing. It was my favorite particularly because of the last scene, when her features softens, and all of a sudden she stops being the shrewd hobo cussing people out and calling them all kind of names. She turns out into a completely different person, and her dreamy eyes and faint smile say what you may take to mean: "I'm a human too". The film had a strong influence on the audience, which was very obvious in the long round of applause that followed the last frame.

The third film: Yasmina

I wasn't able to form an objective opinion on this one, since I was already familiar with the script, so I was technically waiting for the events to unfold. Honor crimes, a very important and sensitive subject, yet very complicated. Visually speaking, the film was really good, but I have more to say on the subject itself. As I said, the issue of honor crimes is very complicated. There is more to it than killing a female relative in the name of honor. It's about the Jordanian law imposing minor punishments on those who commit such crimes, so I was hoping for at least one allusion to that point. In all fairness, the writer said she was trying to focus on Islam's stance on this, but due to problems in sound editing some essential parts of the film were cut.

The fourth film

Well, what's in a name! I'm really embarrassed to say I forgot the name of the film! Not that it wasn't memorable enough, but I'm having memory issues. The film tackled a very important subject, parents and children alike complain about: teenage. What's the best way to teach teenagers responsibility and independence at the same time? And when they make a mistake, which is bound to happen, what's the best way to make them realize their mistake and learn from it? It reminded me of something my uncle once said, and I thought it was very true. He said: "None of us parents have an experience in raising kids, we are all experimenting." The film tackled the subject in a funny way, which made it appeal more to the audience. The film is very realistic, and I'm pretty sire it was based on a true story. But again, the elephant in the room.

The fifth film: The Other Side of My neighborhood

I'm glad they left this one for the end; it was really something, a very professional experience on all levels. Great script, great visual effects, great editing, great music and the actors did an amazing job too. As for the audience, it was a real human experience; for the film brought to light the problem of those we all know they live amongst us, but hardly take notice of. Proper notice that is. If I talked more about it, I would probably ruin it for those who want to watch it, so I'll just stop here.

I just want to note at the end that those guys did an awesome job and proved a high level of talent, especially given their young age and little experience. This gives hope for change in the Jordanian film industry scene, which is hoped to reflect on the society as a whole.

The last scene of the movie, the girl is in the airport, leaving the country after getting her heart broken by her old boy friend. Suddenly, come our hero, shouting: Ba7ibbeeeeek! And they live happily ever after…

This was a scene of some Egyptian movie that was shown on T.V a zillion times. It was on TV while I was doing some work on the PC, -so I was indeliberately listening to the dialogue. After it finished, I found myself thinking of something, but I shut the idea out because I felt I was almost going to blow a gasket.

When I think of the difference, well maybe different is not the right word, the huge gigantic thing whatever it is called, between a movie like "el7ob el awwal" (the first love" and a movie like "The silence of the lambs", "Blood Diamond", or "The pursuit of Happiness"… You name it!

Lately, Arabic movies were divided between 3 categories:

1) The story of a group of girls and boys, falling in love with each other while being involved in something together

2) Comedies, sometime funny with a smart streak, and sometimes nothing more than a farce, like "Al-limby" series

3) Movies in which someone tried to do something different, like Mafia.

Leaving the 3^rd category aside, how many movies of the first 2 categories have we had in the last few years? Too many, more than enough actually! I think there are 2 problems in these movies; the first is that they insult the audience's intelligence; the second is neglecting the great potential and talents of movie makers, actors and other people in the film industry in the Arab World.

I don't want to sound like a stiff-neck or something, but let's be realistic. The whole poor visual effects, poor sound mixing, stupid sexual innuendos, disgusting love scenes, typical dialogue, typical stories and uncreative imitations. It's visually, auditory and mentally disturbing! And then you watch a Hollywood or foreign movie that keeps you mesmerized in your seat after the last scene, and you wonder… Why?

I don't really know why. Don't say we don't have the same capabilities. We're not talking about Hollywood production only here, many low-budget movies are just as good as Oscar winning ones. So the question returns: Why? Maybe they attempt to cut cost and increase profits. Maybe they think this is what the people want. Maybe this is really what appeals to a very large population. Maybe it's just bad taste, and maybe there's something else to it.

Can we do better?

I'd say yes! In the last few years Jordan witnessed a revolution in movie making. Talented film makers began to surface and there movies saw the light. I know they are mostly short movies, but they indicate the potential we have. New creative ideas, an eye that sees more, and a high sense of whatever is necessary to produce a visually entertaining picture.

But, the problems remains here that the road of those talented movie-makers-in-the-making is not paved. They need support, sponsoring, guidance, learning more and more.

Who knows? Maybe one day we'll see a Jordanian movie in the Academy Awards. "Best foreign movie". Wouldn't that be cool? Yes, and when that day comes –in sha'a Allah- I will dare to make a comparison again, and rest assured I won't flip.