First shoots of freedom: has the Arab spring liberated film-makers?

Last week

Doha Tribeca Film Festival presented years of Arab cinema uprising taken directly from the street

Last week, delegates from around the Arab world is in Doha to discuss the future of a Liberated Libya. Meanwhile, across town, Tarak Ben Ammar launch of her new movie WAS. Black Gold is an epic tale spun from the discovery of oil in the Arabian Peninsula, and its producer, Ben Ammar was keen to keen to play up the news of ICT. "We were filming in Tunisia as Ben Ali has fallen," I Told a sweaty crowd in a small air-conditioned room at the Tribeca Film Festival Doha. "These events not only for the history of Tunisia became a goal for the world. Hopefully this is a new era for Arab cinema as well. "

In front of Ben Ammar sitting

Some history of the votes: Freida Pinto, Tahar Rahim and Mark Strong. His sentiments echo Theys, project their belief that, in the words of Rahim, "this is a film that portrays noble noble ideas, and a new vision of the Arab world." Unfortunately, ute, black gold is a bit of a turnip, a two-and-a-half hours we slog dramatic light that dialogue is heavy ominous. Rahim, so powerful in a prophet, spends half the historical time that the reform Auda channeling the Prince of Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man - every gaffe, no guts.

Pinto or hidden in a half-naked harem. Stronger the moral heart of the film, an emir caught between tradition and modernity, has been drinking is smothered by a thick "Arabic" accent and makeup that gives it the look disconcerting to Jafar, the villain of Disney's Aladdin.

Black Gold

do, it seems to bet, hail a new era in Arab cinema. Purpose Harrer, Harrer might just. As peer STI scoop in Doha, it was hand-funded by the Institute the Qatari government in Doha Film (DFI). Black Gold unlikable but the bloated, Harrer Harrer is tight, intimate and simple of the street. A collection of 48 films inspired by the Arab spring, each and a maximum of one minute, put together, it was in the space of six months, through a series of workshops across the region, from Amman to Cairo from Tunis to Beirut.

• in one, the taste of freedom, three friends sitting at a cafe in Beirut and discuss what freedom means (something like chilli eating slept with this "and burns makes you jump up and down, "says one). The goat found two women Anxious to know whether to celebrate the fall of Mubarak themselves when they took the streets to protest is not. What is the problem? Visit historic man concerned Dr Palestinian seeking treatment for the story "jumiah" - which means both "impotence" and "nationality."

"The Arab Spring was before we started kicking," said Scandar Copti. "Our first workshop in Amman in April. Most students are non-professional filmmakers, ordinary people ILS who believe something to say. It was our duty to create a safe environment where we could facilitate Story telling. "Copti Is thriller The Israeli-Arab Ajami Director has been nominated for an Oscar for best year for Whose Foreign Language Film last year. Now on sabbatical education center and implementation of DFI, HE designed and delivered the project (despite the fact of history Prevents Israeli passport to travel from his most locations).

Would

Each workshop script, shoot and edit short films in a six week before moving on to the next location ICT. The results and finally placed in random order deliberately displayed, offering a fractured dialogue between neighbors face the same overwhelming feelings. "That's what we wanted to create," said Copti. "The works themselves are very, very diverse - Because the Arab world is diverse Purpose Many things we also share the story - we're talking about occupation, colonialism - has a culture and mentality of some that connects us together. ".

How is the culture change and how it seeks to express is what makes the transformation Harrer Harrer covered. "These films show the desire to be liberated, who want to be liberated, and this is new," said Copti. "You must go into a state of mind and mentality of some empowerment to achieve this feeling and the Arab world has facilitated this spring." Also order the film explores the relationship between the individual and collective coherent. "We come from a paternal society where the hierarchy is very clear. It is a father and the father is the one who makes the decisions for everyone. There is a very complex relationship between the individual and his freedom is limited by the boundaries of freedom of the collective agreement. Once the limits of the collective Then push the limits of freedom of the individual to become larger as well. It's the amazing thing. Sometimes freedoms aussi thesis Goal conflicts. "" / aa>
Thesis conflict and drama inherent in them, are Harrer Harrer make fascinating viewing. But this is not the only new element of Arab cinema as wrestling's with recent history. Normal, also shows in Doha is a film by Algerian What Merzak Allouache tussles with the nature of freedom and responsibility in the Arab world. A young manager and his wife are desperately trying to save a local film about censorship, as events outside threaten to exceed em '. Protests against the Algerian regime and the local youth are growing ("the children of the Casbah") are about to riot. While the administrators have resolved the best contribution that HE can do is to concentrate on his art, his Women Make Her DETERMINED to protest more directly. As with Harrer Harrer, anger emotions arent friendly or ecstasy, purpose and a sense of confusion that guilt, regardless of the choice of the character of the action, they have not done enough to help the cause.

Find best price for : --first----last----Copti----Scandar----Beirut----Taste----each----Harrer----Strong----Mark----Rahim----Tahar----Freida----Gold----Black----Ammar----across----Arab----Doha--