2023-05-18 04:46:16
The 75th anniversary of the Nakba of Palestine cannot pass without returning to the series “Palestinian Westernization” (2004), which was made by the late Syrian director Hatem Ali (1962-2020). The series still represents, even today, a valuable reference for those who do not know the story of the Nakba, especially since the Israeli occupation wagered on time for people to forget everything.
On the 54th anniversary of the Nakba, the author of the series, writer Walid Seif, produced his papers to present a historical drama, or tragedy, consisting of 31 episodes, which was shown on Arab channels during the Ramadan 2004 season, and carried stories about Palestine in its events. However, one scene of “Palestinian Westernization” turned into a “trend” over time, embodying the image of the late Syrian actor Khaled Taja crying over his homeland in the role of Abu Ahmed Sheikh Yunis, the head of the family, a simple farmer who struggles and bears the burdens of life and injustice.
The series’ badge, which was performed by the Syrian singer Asala Nasri, was considered one of the “revolutionary” songs of Palestine, the poetry of Ibrahim Touqan and the melody of the musician Taher Mamelli.
In a Palestinian dialect, the actors perform their roles. Actor Jamal Suleiman in the role of Ahmed Sheikh Younis (Abu Saleh), the elder brother of the Younis family, which suffers from poverty. Later, Ahmed joins the revolution against the occupation for the sake of his village and country.
The role of Suleiman’s colleague, actor Tim Hassan, was no less professional, especially since he took on the narration of the work with his voice. Hassan played the role of Ali Sheikh Yunis, the educated young man who seeks to acquire his knowledge, become a lecturer, then obtains a doctorate from the United States, but remains resistant to colonialism, as well as the brave young man Hassan Sheikh Yunis (Basil Khayyat), who prefers to join resistance groups against the occupation instead of completing his education.
The actor, Maxim Khalil, also appears in the role of Doctor Akram Al-Suwaidi, who works in political activity, and is later subjected to assassination. Hatem Ali printed making this series in a Palestinian spirit, relying on the maximum that he could produce from the scenes and emotions of the actors during the years of enthusiasm for the renaissance of the Syrian drama, using a realistic narration of the Nakba of the Palestinian people, and employing it with a template that takes into account the form, whether in places, such as Aleppo, Safita and Palmyra, or from Through technical and technical assistants, who gave the content a good visual vision of Palestinian homes and refugee camps, and the emergence of resistance fighters in the neighborhoods, as well as the social space for a new reality for every Palestinian who was forcibly displaced from his home.
Writer Walid Seif chronicles the journey of alienation through the stories of families and neighborhoods that are very close to reality. The writer is from the city of Tulkarm, and it is said that he derived the events and characters of the series from the reality of Aisha and his books, to be picked up by the director Hatem Ali, who grew up in the Yarmouk camp.
The experience of “Palestinian Westernization”, 19 years after its presentation, can be described as the most accurate and detailed dramatic reference for the narration of what happened in the occupied territories, and the Palestinians’ ability to coexist with a crisis reality that has been imposed on them until today, and they are paying the price for it, persevering in resisting the occupation, according to the scene. The last of the series, in which Hatem Ali directs himself, as Saleh, the son of the occupied Golan, brandishing his gun.
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