Najdat Ismail Anzour
Encyclopedia
Najdat Ismail Anzour is a Syrian television director of Circassian origins. He is most known in the Arab
world for his prolific TV series with a distinct style. His father Ismail Anzour, the director who made Taht sama'a Dimashq (Under Damascus Skies), Syria's first silent film, in 1932. Anzour graduated as a mechanical engineer, but credits his father with encouraging him to direct films. Initially, he created TV ads (numbering over 1,000), and later went into TV series, then films.
fasting month of Ramadan
, where TV viewing is at its peak in the Arab world.
based Middle East Broadcasting Corporation and aim to end the terrorism committed by Muslim extremists. Although his work is supported by many Muslims, others object to his vilification of terrorist actions .
, and was announced to be directed by Anzour. High-profile actors including Anthony Hopkins
, Kevin Spacey
and Ben Kingsley
have been courted, albeit without any current confirmation. At first Omar Sharif
had been also announced to be in the cast playing Omar Al-Mokhtar. However, He withdrew later stating that he had other engagements as a pretext. The shooting of the film was announced to start on the Italian Tremiti islands on 2008-04-14 for 6 days
, which is the same islands many Libyans where deported to during the Italian occupation of Libya. There are no recent indications, however, that filming ever commenced, and it appears that the project may be on hold.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
world for his prolific TV series with a distinct style. His father Ismail Anzour, the director who made Taht sama'a Dimashq (Under Damascus Skies), Syria's first silent film, in 1932. Anzour graduated as a mechanical engineer, but credits his father with encouraging him to direct films. Initially, he created TV ads (numbering over 1,000), and later went into TV series, then films.
TV series
Anzour directed over 20 TV series with a distinctive style. They are mostly set in an ancient era, in the Arabian desert or oases. The series has more realistic fighting scenes and lots of night shooting. They often tell the story of tribal conflicts, honor, romance, ...etc. Normally, his work is aired in the MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
fasting month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, where TV viewing is at its peak in the Arab world.
- Al Kawaser
- Al Jawareh (The Predators).
- Romh Al Nar (Spear of Fire)
- Searching for Saladin
- The Last Cavalier
- 2007 Roof of the World: based on Ibn Fadlan's tenth century travels and adventures in ScandinaviaScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, and compares Northern European culture, primitive at the time, and MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
culture, at its height then.
Films
Some of his recent films are aired by the DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
based Middle East Broadcasting Corporation and aim to end the terrorism committed by Muslim extremists. Although his work is supported by many Muslims, others object to his vilification of terrorist actions .
- Al-Hour al-Eyn (Beautiful Virgins) (2005) traces the lives of attackers, victims, and survivors of the November 2003 terrorist bombingsRiyadh compound bombingsThe Riyadh compound bombings took place on May 12, 2003, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Altogether, 35 people were killed, and over 160 wounded. A smaller campaign of insurgency in Saudi Arabia had started in November 2000 when car bombings were carried out targeting and killing individual expatriates in...
of RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, and challenged the popular belief among many terrorists that they would be rewarded with seventy-two beautiful virgins each in heaven. This film was viewed by an estimated fifty million people. - "Renegades" (2006) is one episode is a series called Always by Hatem AliHatem AliHatem Ali is a Syrian actor as well as a television and cinema director.In the year 1986, Ali gained acceptance in theater arts, and worked as a teacher for Acting in the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts.- Cinema :...
. In Anzour's "Renegades" episode the subject is how the terrorists who bombed the London underground7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
in 2005 were not true Muslims because they acted with violence. The episode also points out that good Muslims were killed by the attacks as well as innocent non-Muslims.
Future films
Oppression: Years of Torment (Arabic:الظلم : سنوات العذاب) is film whose production was due to start in 2008. The film is about the Libyan national hero Omar Al-Mokhtar, was written by Muammar al-GaddafiMuammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, and was announced to be directed by Anzour. High-profile actors including Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
and Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
have been courted, albeit without any current confirmation. At first Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
had been also announced to be in the cast playing Omar Al-Mokhtar. However, He withdrew later stating that he had other engagements as a pretext. The shooting of the film was announced to start on the Italian Tremiti islands on 2008-04-14 for 6 days
, which is the same islands many Libyans where deported to during the Italian occupation of Libya. There are no recent indications, however, that filming ever commenced, and it appears that the project may be on hold.
External links
- Donna Abu-Nasr. "New Syrian TV Show Angers Some Arabs". ABC News, October 10, 2005.
- Craig Nelson. "Arab miniseries takes on militants". Statesman.com, November 28, 2005.
- Michael Slackman. "For Ramadan Viewing: A TV Drama Against Extremism". New York Times, July 6, 2006.
- Deborah Amos. "Ramadan TV Special Sends Anti-Terrorism Message". NPR's All Things Considered, September 11, 2006.