A glitzy premiere for first aeHamaswoodAE movie in Gaza City.Byline: Daily Star Staff Summary: The Gaza movie premiere drew an exclusive crowd with local celebrities posing for jostling photographers u and that's pretty much where the similarities end between Hollywood and the fledgling film industry of Gaza's Hamas rulers. The Islamic militants' first feature film u an action-packed homage to a top Hamas militant. Diaa Hadid Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. GAZA CITY: The Gaza movie premiere drew an exclusive crowd with local celebrities posing for jostling photographers u and that's pretty much where the similarities end between Hollywood and the fledgling film industry of Gaza's Hamas rulers. The Islamic militants' first feature film u an action-packed homage to a top Hamas militant u cost only $200,000 to make and is being shown to segregated audiences of bearded men and veiled women. "It's Hamaswood instead of Hollywood," Fathi Hamad, Gaza's Hamas interior minister, said after the film's first showing Friday evening at Gaza City's Islamic University Islamic University is a government financed public university of Bangladesh. It was established to promote the islamic system of education in the country. Previously it was situated in Gazipur. . "We are trying to make quality art that is Islamic and about the resistance, without provocative [sexual] scenes." Hamad doubled as producer, and the screenplay screenplay Written text that provides the basis for a film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by the characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film's action. was penned by Mahmoud Zahar, the Gaza strongman seen as one of the architects of the group's violent takeover of Gaza two years ago. Despite his fierce reputation, Zahar, a physician, has always had an artistic streak, with three novels and two screenplays to his credit. The movie tells the story of Emad Akel, commander of the Hamas' military wing, who was killed in a firefight fire·fight n. An exchange of gunfire, as between infantry units. with Israeli troops in Gaza in 1993. Akel, 23 at the time, was known as "the ghost" for his many disguises, including dressing up as a Jewish settler with a skullcap skull·cap n. See calvaria. skullcap, n Latin names: Scutellaria laterifolia, Scutellaria baicalensis; . In the early 1990s, he topped Israel's wanted list for his suspected role in killing 11 Israeli soldiers, an Israeli civilian and four Palestinian informers in a series of attacks. In the two-hour movie, titled "Emad Akel," there's plenty of action. The hero frequently leaps out of cars to open fire on Israeli soldiers, prompting bursts of applause from the audience each time. There's no romance, however, and the female actors all wear long robes robe n. 1. A long loose flowing outer garment, especially: a. An official garment worn on formal occasions to show office or rank, as by a judge or high church official. b. An academic gown. c. and headscarves. The actors playing the Israeli characters u soldiers, then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his army chief of staff at the time, Ehud Barak u speak in Hebrew with a heavy Arabic accent, and their dialogue is translated in Arabic subtitles sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . Rabin frequently yells at an inept Barak u now Israel's defense minister u who can't stop Hamas fighters. The cast is made up of amateur actors, all from Gaza, including 57-year-old carpenter Mohammad Abu Rous, who portrays Rabin, assassinated as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. in 1995 by an ultranationalist Jew Jew Any person whose religion is Judaism. In a wider sense the term refers to any member of a worldwide ethnic and cultural group descended from the ancient Hebrews who traditionally practiced the Jewish religion. . The movie was shot over 10 months on a production lot that Hamas hopes will one day grow into a $200 million media city. Gaza doesn't have movie houses, and "Emad Akel" will be screened at a cultural center. Gaza's cinemas were closed down in the late 1980s, with the outbreak of the first uprising against Israeli occupation. Activists across the Palestinian territories This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. For more on their geography, demographics and general history, see West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian territories felt entertainment was inappropriate at a time of struggle. Zahar said making movies is just another way for Palestinians to fight Israeli rule. "Resistance can be a word, a poem," he said. Copyright 2009, The Daily Star. All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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