The Fabulous Picture Show with Captain Abu Raed
As I attended the screening of Captain Abu Raed here in London, I was very delighted to see that there was media attention and most specifically from Al Jazeera English as they also hosted the screening in a sense.
Many asked me what I thought of the movie, I think it's absolutely brilliant. It sends out a message that could possibly be the most important message we need to send out in the mean time. The quality of the production was beyond amazing, and the twist of the story was extremely interesting and unexpected.
What's the message? That Arabs, as much as they are living in political turmoil and in a geographic area where they were destined to face politics anyway they change their direction, we are also humans which lead lives just as any universal citizen and we face social problems and issues that was barely brought to attention in film making or even in the media in general. This message was quite clear and carried on in Nadine Labaki's Caramel, as she also chose not by any chance mention the War on Lebanon or the political differences people might have in Lebanon.
Anyway, watch the video and I will pop up a couple of times in it. Too bad my friends didn't, well just Sultan for a bit but not Noora and Aliya :(
posted by omar @ 4:06 PM
20 Comments
We all are rooting for Amin and Cabtain Abu Raed. but we must have an internal discussion once the media attention moves on to something else.
Let's face it. the film is not up to the propaganda. It's a jordan tv soap opera shot on 35mm. this will not be a memorable film. it will not be the sort of film people will want to watch more than once and only to satisfy their curiosity.
i hope the next jordanian filmmaker will do better.
i am proud of Amin, but he needs to mature as a director.
Having not seen the whole film (just this YouTube vid), I can't comment authoritatively, but my sense from this brief preview is that this film is worth a view. An escapist tale with requisite conflict and requisite denouement. Looks good.
Sorry to say it but the film is not good. However, it's a good start.
Susan, so which major studio do you work for? On par with David Pritchard, Ken Kokin and Reinhart Peshcke? Which major film review rag? Superior to Variety and Hollywood Reporter? So you are in position to choose Sundance award winners? These are the opinions I will listen to.
Sorry, sounds like a little too much snobbery for me to take your opinion seriously until you present some real credentials here.
Omernos, glad you were there!
kinzi, excuse me your American Highness. I am just a retarded inferior Arab who dares to developed an opinion about an American film. This may come as a surprise to you but there are films by far greater directors that I don't like.
You are so rude I don't know where to start.
>>> until you present some real credentials here
Are you for real?
Since when does expressing an opinion about a film requires any credentials?
Who the heck do you think you are to come and tells what we should like or dislike?
Go screw yourself whoever you are.
:( For GOD'S SAKE .. I WANT TO SEE IT :(
Mishan Allah ... Release it in the US! Come to Seattle .. MISHAAAN ALLAH!
Good review Omernos, and a great report from Aljazeera
I watched the movie and I really liked it, particularly the cinematography which is stunning especially when considering the $2million budget. I did think some parts could have been shortened a bit, but I liked that the movie somehow managed to be both touching and emotional yet gritty and real at the same time.
Ok Sarah, et al, I was rude and apologize. It's just that here in Jordan, I'm tired of a certain Fafi crowd thinking it is cooler to criticise than support. How strange that an American expat liked it more than a Jordanian.
There is enough of that going on here. This is an accomplishment to celebrate. He didn't claim to be the next Steven Spielberg. Have your opinion,but don't claim those who like it are 'propaganda'.
Again, I am sorry for being a jerk. 3anjad :)
@ Susan...yabayay, sorry
It's hard to ignore the politics behind the film Captain Abu Raed. I am not the only one who thinks there is an American push to turn this film into some sort of an American foreign policy success story in the Arab world, after decades of European dominance in the area of supporting Arab cinema. Poor Amin has been the ultimate victim in this power play. He will never claim to have been the people's choice, when you consider the massive support and intervention he got at the highest levels in Jordan and US. He should have tried to make it on his own first. We shall see how his film does in Europe's festivals. That's the toughest market crack. That market will be harder to influence since it's outside the American and royal sphere of influence. Time will tell.
susan
as much as Jordanian tv soap operas were dramatic and over the top, but most of them did address many social issues within Jordan. I mean, yes the cast are usually terrible, the production is worst but to have the same issues addressed on a higher scale (i.e. feature film) and being spread outside Jordan is definitely an achievement to be proud of.
I don't know how you can ask a director to mature and this is still his first feature film experience, other than that you're hoping for a better "jordanian filmmaker" to come next. So don't try to say you're proud of Amin and you're rooting for Captain Abu Raed...
the linden row
it's definitely worth a view...
reem b
it's not a perfect film, and they are a couple of stuff that would've worked better. But I wish you'd elaborate more on how you don't think the film is good.
It sure is an excellent start, I mean, lets go back to all the first feature films of filmmakers and compare!
kinzi
Thanks Kinzi, I definitely enjoyed my time
qwaider
it will be out in the US pretty soon as much as I know.
Thanks a lot, definitely a good report!
onzlo
I fully agree with what you said :)
musa
I don't understand the nature of people and their affection to believe that there are always invisible hands behind everything.
We shall wait and see how well it goes in the European festivals...
(((I don't understand the nature of people and their affection to believe that there are always invisible hands behind everything. )))
I don't understand the nature of people and their ability to not see it even when it hits them in the face.
the film is funded, produced, promoted by Americans. Its first win was in an American colony called Dubai. According to rumors, there was so much winning and dining of the jury and even then they could not give an award to the film or the writer or the director or anything artistic or creative, so they gave it to the actor. The film's second success was in Sundance in the heart of USA. There the director Amin was introduced as a peace lover and a man under attack in his country from extremists for his peaceful views. The most outspoken persons in defense of the film are Americans. This is not a film. Captain Abu Raed is a US foreign policy.
I was waiting to watch the film since Amin first announced on his blog that he is writing the script. Was that a year and a half ago? maybe or more. Anyways, i has the chance to see it in Amman a few days ago, what a suprise indeed.
This movie is probably one of the most disapointing moments in my theater history, i left about half time. What a pretensious nonsense. This is like watching a hollywood B-Movie. I just couldn't believe it! With all that propaganda and the sundance award! are you people insane? a simple way ovverrated story that have been done million times in various forms. The only cinematographic achievment that actually means something is where the kids were playing soccer. Sound is also dissapointing. the acting wasn't that much also.
Believe me people, i want to see something great coming out of Jordan, or any other country, but this is not the way. We live in a country were almost 80% of the population doesn't go the cinema. So much like almost every other developing country in the world, movies coming out of there have their own style, not copycating hollywood commercial bullshit. Have a sense of cinema please, create something that can represent and actually last, depending on its art, its value, not on it being the first film since i don't know how many years.
Good Luck.
ATV is another US foreign policy. So are JO Magazine, Living Well, NOX, Skin, Islamica, ... Propaganda funding for Jordan is a line item on the US state department budget. How do you think these worthless magazines survive the cost of their fancy printing when all they sell is less than 10% of the freely distributed copies.
u forgt za red sea institute for cinematic arts in akaba, another american project in jordan.
I'm a bit shocked by some of the negative comments here, especially since some are from Jordanians. I had read about his film a few times in different media, and saw the item on Al-Jazeera. There are so many things to be cheerful about: it's a young Jordanian director and cast, he managed to raise 2m USD to make the film (ever tried that?) and it gets quite a bit of attention. I haven't seen it so I can't comment on the quality, but I really hope that the success of this film opens
new opportunities for this and other Jordanian filmmakers.
us Arabs are just experts at slapping ourselves, possibly the most self-destructive people you can meet on earth. And people wonder why we never united.
shame on you all, just keep on making a conspiracy theory out of everything.
what do you mean matalqa managed to raise 2m USD for his film. he did not raise a penny. Cabtain Abu Raed is the most blatant form of US intervention in Arab culture in the region.
The investors are all Jordanians from Jordanian families. My mother and I raised the funds with Isam Salfiti and David Pritchard. Quit bitching and moaning and do something positive with your lives. The movie has done really well in Jordan and is on its way to cinemas around the world.
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