Look What Happened While Mainstream Media Wasn't Looking

Cinematology

The Amman Filmmakers Co-operative is a grass-roots initiative grown out of the fertile mind of a good cinematologist named Hazim Bitar, and nourished by like-minded aspiring Jordanian indie film-makers. Before the phrase "first Jordanian" is placed before any of the products of his vision, the AFC founder/co-ordinator makes it a point to mention the first Jordanian feature-length film "A Struggle in Jerash" was produced long before his time in 1957.

Since then, it has been the Amman Filmmakers Co-operative that has shone the first light of hope for real Jordanian Cinema: a cinema that tells the stories of Jordanians outside of the circles of West Amman. It often tells those stories without real regard for what mainstream media is interested in covering. The AFC has given workshops in refugee camps and rural areas such as Al Ghor, where the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation has provided the necessary finances. Other than that, the AFC is a purely self-funded entity based on the exchanges and partnerships of people who are passionate about film. These interpersonal creative exchanges within the AFC attracted filmmaker Rifqi Assaf. Through the workshops, he learned about the technical aspect of filmmaking and produced his first short film with AFC funding. He soon ascended to the roles of co-writer and co-director, with Mr. Bitar, for The Last Patch (2005) and The View (2008).

"It's the whole idea of the co-operative, the first film is free, and then it becomes a
partnership," explains Hazim.

The View, a short one-take film, was awarded the first prize at the Franco-Arab Film Festival in Amman this year.

Cinemapoetry

Rifqi's main creative outlet before this partnership was poetry, but he nostalgically tells of his early days of avid television and film viewing with surprising detail. "I loved the films where directors take on the roles of script-writers as well, like Shadi AbdesSalam's The Mummy (1968) and Yousef Chahine's films." He also cites Najdat Anzor as an eye-opening influence, for the cinematic feel he used to treat television series with. "This was before he became famous with Nihayat Rajol Shoja'a (The End of a Brave Man) in 1993 before that, they used to air Asraar Wadi Al Mazaheer (The Secrets of Al Mazaheer Valley)."

His journey towards the feature length film is still in it's "mid-stages" after The View, he says. No doubt, indie filmmakers face many obstacles on the way to the feature film, especially in shooting on-location in the streets for security reasons. Surprisingly, no such difficulties were faced during the filming of The View, despite its touching on sensitive political issues.

"The film was shot in one day," says Rifqi. " it's just one scene, and we shot it three times ... that was the challenge."

In one day of shooting and one week of post-production, these filmmakers managed to tell a very powerful story through the scope of an Israeli sniper's rifle as he spies on a Palestinian couple in the apartment across the street.

Rifqi's message in the film is clear. "These people (Palestinians) have a life, a right to live, just like everyone. Why should they be framed in a limited scope and their killing justified?"

Director Rifqi Assaf

Hazim is more concerned with how the film works on two levels of voyeurism. The first is obvious, "You have the sniper looking at the couple but then you have the audience, who is just passive as this whole thing is happening in front of them. That's the way it is."

So there we are: we are passive to the televised turmoil on Palestinian soil. The Palestinians themselves will soon be able to witness this film-as-socio-political-commentary, as Rifqi is arranging for screenings to be held in the West Bank and for the film to be aired on Palestine Television.