There was a time when we
used to say “Salah Jahin, Abdel-Rahman al-Abnoudi and others are writing”… “Muhammed
al-Mogi, Baliegh Hamdi and others are composing… “Um kolthoum, Abdel-Halim
Hafez and others are singing”… we also used to say that “No’aman Ashour, Alfred
Farag, Michael Roman and others are writing”… “Tolymat, Diab, Hassan
Abdel-Salam and others are directing”… “Mahmoud Morsi, Samieha Ayoub, the Gaith
brothers and others are acting”… then we add: the leader is fulfilling the dream,
the people are working and building and the army is protecting… all are
gathered by one purpose; belonging to Egypt and the Arab nation…
I say “used to”… a
grammatical form to express an action in the past… that past we yearn to but
unfortunately, failed to make moral out of it… which itself is a disease that
requires a cure.
Last Tuesday, my mind
wandered – although the place, attendees and crowds do not allow you to do such
thing – and I said to myself: will it happen that one day we can say the same
regarding our present time?... will it happen that one day we will say “Ibrahim
Eissa used to write”… “Muhammed el-Adl used to produce”… “Magdi Ahmed Ali used
to direct”… “X and Y used to act”… as I saw people enjoying what they were
watching because they found a response to what is bustling in their minds and
souls.
Before continuing, I admit
these lines maybe biased to some degree.
Despite the long
distance between the far east of Cairo in New Cairo district to the far west at
the entrance of the desert road… and although it was very cold and night
driving for old men like me is quiet dangerous, I could not resist the
temptation of watching the movie “Mawlana” or Master… I also wanted to
see my friends, including the writer, producer and director… I was attracted to
the movie by its title; “Mawlana”… since I have been repeating this name
through all my life as I belong to those Dervishes who love to eat meat broth
added with rice and sauce, and who are chanting supplications, praising prophet
Muhammed and are devoted to serving those who seek the blessings of his family
and companions… we also had our own Master or Sheikh who was revered by
our ancestors that kept loyal to him until they passed away.
Despite the first “used
to” is used to the describe the dream we lived depicted in Jahin, al-Abnoudi
and others’ words, the second “used to” is employed here to denote what turned
our dream into a nightmare… this time, using Eissa’s words and directed by
Magdi… however, in my opinion, the message is still the same as nations do not
fulfill their dreams unless they refute or demolish what had shattered those
dreams before.
I am not a professional critic
who is in control of artistic tools of criticism, however I am one of those who
are haunted by that dream and how to make it work out and survive… in my
opinion, there is a huge difference between employing art in resisting the twisted
ideologies that shatter our dreams and using statistics and data in long wordy
statements to do the same task… in the latter, if you replaced the name of the incident
you are issuing a statement about with another, nothing would change; as I have
been for long years one of those asked to formulate a strong political
statement attacking a situation or stance adopted by the state president or the
government, especially the ministry of interior… and I know very well due to my
experience that many of those who write such statements know nothing about the
art of writing but to write their own names.
Back to our movie “Mawlana”
which I was invited by my friend; the director Magdi Ahmed Ali to attend its
premiere… I found a close resemblance between the picture appealing to the eye
and the easy-going clear script that goes into the depth of the religious
geography – if I can use this description… the movie also carefully weaved a braid
of lines that best describe our political geography; a line representing the
authority head and the ruling court… another of the grass-roots of the society
along with supplications’ circles and scenes of hymns… also, that of the hypocrite
employee preacher… the security man expert at destroying free thinking and
wills… etc. If I went further into detailing, I will unravel this braid into
more and more lines… again, I admit; I am biased.
Some professional
critics mastering the science of artistic criticism may add other things I have
not tackled here… it may be said that the movie is too direct that we can say
it is a preaching sermon or even an instructing lecture in a school or college…
some may also hint that some actors were not accurate in pronouncing some Quranic
verses and committed some linguistic errors… others may think that the film is portraying
the salafist ideology based on Ibn Taymmiya’s interpretations in the role of
the devil.
However, to me, the
movie message was fully conceived… I enjoyed the film and was really touched… and
despite I have a very good knowledge of Christianity and Islam and all their
doctrines to the extent that I can say I received no intellectual addition, I really
enjoyed the movie and felt satisfied.
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This
article was published in Al Ahram on January 5, 2017.
To
see the original article, go to:
#alahram
#ahmed_elgammal #mawlana
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