Omar Amiralay
Encyclopedia
Omar Amiralay (1944 — 5 February 2011) was a Syria
n documentary film
director and prominent civil society
activist. He is noted for the strong political criticism in his films and played a prominent role in the events of the Damascus Spring
of 2000.
at La Fémis
, before returning to Syria in 1970. He thus had a different artistic formation from the majority of Syrian film-makers, who studied in the Soviet Union
or in Eastern Europe.
His films include a trilogy of documentaries concerning the Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates
. The first, Film Essay on the Euphrates Dam (1970), is a tribute to Syria's greatest development project, but the second and third take a more critical approach. Everyday Life in a Syrian Village
(1974) shows the dam's ambiguous impact on the lives of ordinary people in a nearby village, and portrays their relationship with the authorities, seen as distant and disconnected from them. Amiralay revisited the region in 2003 with A Flood in Baath Country
, which contains trenchant political criticism (it had the working title Fifteen reasons why I hate the Baath Party). Due to the films strong indictment of the regime, the film was removed from the Carthage Film Festival. In act of solidarity with Amiralay, Arab filmmakers Yousry Nasrallah, Annemarie Jacir, Nizar Hassan, Joana and Khalil Joreige, and Danielle Arbid subsequently pulled their films out of Competition to protest the festival's actions. As a result, A Flood in Baath Country
was re-programmed and screened to enthusiastic crowds.
Another notable film was There Are So Many Things Still to Say
, based on interviews with the Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous
recorded while the latter was dying of cancer. The film juxtaposes Wannous' remarks with scenes from Syria's wars against Israel and the Palestinian First Intifada
, as the playwright recounts, with some regret for the lost opportunities that resulted, how the Palestinian struggle became a central part of intellectual life for an entire generation.
His other films include a portrait of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, The Man with the Golden Soles, and one of French academic and student of Middle Eastern society Michel Seurat, murdered in Beirut
during the Lebanese Civil War
, On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat...
.
in force since 1963, the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and the permitting of political parties and independent civil society organizations. This was seen as an expression of the general goals of the Syrian democratic opposition and of the movement known as the Damascus Spring in general. Amiralay was a prominent participant in the various debates and petitions that marked the Damascus Spring
.
In 2005, in the aftermath of the assassination of former Lebanese
prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, Amiralay signed a declaration by Syrian intellectuals calling for a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and an end to the attacks on Syrian workers in that country. Despite these activities, Amiralay does not consider himself to be involved in politics, but in "civil society".
Omar Amiralay died on February 5, 2011, either from cardiac arrest or a cerebral thrombosis.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n documentary film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
director and prominent civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
activist. He is noted for the strong political criticism in his films and played a prominent role in the events of the Damascus Spring
Damascus Spring
The Damascus Spring was a period of intense political and social debate in Syria which started after the death of President Hafiz al-Asad in June 2000 and continued to some degree until autumn 2001, when most of the activities associated with it were suppressed by the government.- Background...
of 2000.
Life and work
Amiralay studied in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at La Fémis
La Femis
La Fémis , is the French state film school. FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son. Based in Paris, it offers courses balanced between artistic research, professional development and technical training...
, before returning to Syria in 1970. He thus had a different artistic formation from the majority of Syrian film-makers, who studied in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
or in Eastern Europe.
His films include a trilogy of documentaries concerning the Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
. The first, Film Essay on the Euphrates Dam (1970), is a tribute to Syria's greatest development project, but the second and third take a more critical approach. Everyday Life in a Syrian Village
Everyday Life in a Syrian Village
Everyday Life in a Syrian Village is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay.The documentary presents an unabashed critique of the impact of the Syrian government's agricultural and land reforms, and the state's conceit of redressing social and economic inequities...
(1974) shows the dam's ambiguous impact on the lives of ordinary people in a nearby village, and portrays their relationship with the authorities, seen as distant and disconnected from them. Amiralay revisited the region in 2003 with A Flood in Baath Country
A Flood in Baath Country
A Flood in Baath Country is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay.The documentary explores the implications of Baath Party policies in Syria. Without commentary or criticism, Amiralay's film exposes Baath party propaganda and its debilitating effects on the people of al-Mashi...
, which contains trenchant political criticism (it had the working title Fifteen reasons why I hate the Baath Party). Due to the films strong indictment of the regime, the film was removed from the Carthage Film Festival. In act of solidarity with Amiralay, Arab filmmakers Yousry Nasrallah, Annemarie Jacir, Nizar Hassan, Joana and Khalil Joreige, and Danielle Arbid subsequently pulled their films out of Competition to protest the festival's actions. As a result, A Flood in Baath Country
A Flood in Baath Country
A Flood in Baath Country is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay.The documentary explores the implications of Baath Party policies in Syria. Without commentary or criticism, Amiralay's film exposes Baath party propaganda and its debilitating effects on the people of al-Mashi...
was re-programmed and screened to enthusiastic crowds.
Another notable film was There Are So Many Things Still to Say
There Are So Many Things Still to Say
There Are So Many Things Still to Say is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay. The film was based on an interview with Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous a few months before he died of cancer....
, based on interviews with the Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous
Saadallah Wannous
Saadallah Wannous , Syrian playwright. He was born in the village of Hussein al-Bahr, near Tartous from the Alawites sect , where he received his early education. He studied journalism in Cairo, Egypt and later served as editor of the art and cultural sections of the Syrian paper Al-Baath and the...
recorded while the latter was dying of cancer. The film juxtaposes Wannous' remarks with scenes from Syria's wars against Israel and the Palestinian First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
, as the playwright recounts, with some regret for the lost opportunities that resulted, how the Palestinian struggle became a central part of intellectual life for an entire generation.
His other films include a portrait of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, The Man with the Golden Soles, and one of French academic and student of Middle Eastern society Michel Seurat, murdered in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
during the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
, On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat...
On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat...
On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat... is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay. The film is an elegy by Amiralay to his friend Michel Seurat, who was kidnapped along with Jean-Paul Kauffmann on May 22, 1985 by the Islamic Jihad on the road to Beirut airport....
.
Activism
In 2000 Amiralay was a signatory to the "Declaration of the 99", a manifesto signed by 99 prominent Syrian intellectuals calling for an end to the state of emergencyState of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in force since 1963, the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and the permitting of political parties and independent civil society organizations. This was seen as an expression of the general goals of the Syrian democratic opposition and of the movement known as the Damascus Spring in general. Amiralay was a prominent participant in the various debates and petitions that marked the Damascus Spring
Damascus Spring
The Damascus Spring was a period of intense political and social debate in Syria which started after the death of President Hafiz al-Asad in June 2000 and continued to some degree until autumn 2001, when most of the activities associated with it were suppressed by the government.- Background...
.
In 2005, in the aftermath of the assassination of former Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, Amiralay signed a declaration by Syrian intellectuals calling for a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and an end to the attacks on Syrian workers in that country. Despite these activities, Amiralay does not consider himself to be involved in politics, but in "civil society".
Omar Amiralay died on February 5, 2011, either from cardiac arrest or a cerebral thrombosis.
Filmography
- Film Essay on the Euphrates Dam (1970)
- Everyday Life in a Syrian VillageEveryday Life in a Syrian VillageEveryday Life in a Syrian Village is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay.The documentary presents an unabashed critique of the impact of the Syrian government's agricultural and land reforms, and the state's conceit of redressing social and economic inequities...
(1974) - The Chickens (1977)
- On a Revolution (1978)
- The Misfortunes of Some... (1981)
- A Scent of Paradise (1982)
- Love Aborted (1983)
- Video on Sand (1984)
- The Intimate Enemy (1986)
- The Lady of Shibam (1988)
- East of Eden (1988)
- For the Attention of Madame the Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (1990)
- Light and Shadows (1994)
- The Master (1995)
- On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat...On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat...On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat... is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay. The film is an elegy by Amiralay to his friend Michel Seurat, who was kidnapped along with Jean-Paul Kauffmann on May 22, 1985 by the Islamic Jihad on the road to Beirut airport....
(1996) - There Are So Many Things Still to SayThere Are So Many Things Still to SayThere Are So Many Things Still to Say is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay. The film was based on an interview with Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous a few months before he died of cancer....
(1997) - A Plate of SardinesA Plate of SardinesA Plate of Sardines is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay. This short documentary tells Amiralay's own story about how he first heard of Israel. In his own words, "The first time I heard of Israel, it was in Beirut, talking about a sardine dish...
(1997) - The Man with the Golden Soles (1999)
- A Flood in Baath CountryA Flood in Baath CountryA Flood in Baath Country is a Syrian documentary film by the director Omar Amiralay.The documentary explores the implications of Baath Party policies in Syria. Without commentary or criticism, Amiralay's film exposes Baath party propaganda and its debilitating effects on the people of al-Mashi...
(2003)
External links
- Omar Amiralay on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Rawafed: Documentary Interview with Omar Amiralay "part one". Alarabiya.net
- Rawafed: Documentary Interview with Omar Amiralay "part two". Alarabiya.net