Sunday, October 01, 2006

Back to Captain Abu Raed




So my last blog got dragged into a political discussion that unfortunately went nowhere. I won't let myself be dragged into useless political rants again. I want to make movies and entertain people. Maybe make them connect to some sort of emotion once in a while. Movies are for those who want to escape for a couple of hours.

So, today I want to share with you this beautiful painiting made by our costume designer, Jamila Aladdin. This is a sketch of Abu Raed in his wardrobe. We're still working on the web site, but when it's up, you'll get to see the paintings of some of the other characters. I just love it. When Jamila showed it to me, I had to sit down. I was moved that here's my character taking shape in a form other than words on a page for the first time. Here was Abu Raed as I could only dream to see him painted.

Thank you Jamila for your art. I had to take this painting home and hang it on my wall in a frame.

12 Comments:

Blogger lubna said...

isn't he supposed to be a jordanian pilot? why does he seem to be a poor one?

no argument about the beauty of the piece though:)

12:56 AM  
Blogger Amin Matalqa said...

Actually, he's a janitor. The title is one of irony.

12:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

useless political rants?

I am not sure I agre. we know more about you after the discussion than we did before.

2:01 AM  
Blogger lubna said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

9:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

amin,
you don't always have to avoid controversy and say all the right things in order to get by. you consider yourself a pioneer in jordanian film-making, but if this industry does not stand for anything then what is the point? poorly made jordanian soaps give me as much entertainment as a hollywood film. they just don't move anything in me the way other movies do. Abu Raed touches politics, whether you intended it to or not and whether you admit to it or not. from what i've seen, you're really REALLY good at what you do, but if you're making a statement you have to stand up for it and not making the "i just want to entertain" claim because that would be a cop out. i know i would respect you a lot more if you were passed for an Oscar because of a controversial movie you made (ala Paradis Now) rather than won the Oscar for a purely entertaining movie that pleased everyone in hollywood. I liked your previous post about Lebanon, even though it came with a disclaimer, and I liked your post about the academy in Jordan and how you stood up for your opinions, even though you half-regretted it later. the other anonymous is right, it did teach us more about you than most of the other 'entertainment' themed entries. i don't know you, but most people i know who keep saying they don't like to talk politics are either unable to express themselves well (which I know is not the case with you) or are too worried about stepping on people's toes. trust me, great people and events were made out of stepping on other people's toes. try it once in a while, you might actually like it :)

12:57 PM  
Blogger Amin Matalqa said...

Thanks Tina for the advice. I'm not a fan of grey in Abu Raed's wardrobe though.

4:13 PM  
Blogger Amin Matalqa said...

Who are all these annonymous people suddenly flooding my blog?

Believe me, I don't mind controversy. I speak my mind. Anyone who knows me, knows this. Ask the folks at AFI. They read my mass email against Israel's brutatlity in Lebanon. I'm not affraid to say what I'm thinking. I'm fairly blatant and vocal.

But that's not the point. Look, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but those who quickly jump to hate and generalize, well, I have no respect for them.

Those who don't want to listen, those who want to hate because they're full of hate, will get nowhere. My film will humanize Arabs without touching religion or politics. Too many Arabs dwell in politics. I don't want to get into politics. You wanna go see my movie, great. You don't wanna go see it, that's fine too. I'm making a human drama that speaks about love. You don't like that, then go fuck yourself. (Irony intended by the way).

4:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best of luck ya garaba,
who was selected for the role of Captian Raed?

5:36 PM  
Blogger Amin Matalqa said...

Thanks Hareega,
Still working on the lead role.

2:20 PM  
Blogger Amin Matalqa said...

The painting may give you a hint who we're going for though.

2:20 PM  
Blogger Hecate said...

Hey, it's Luma, Jamila's 15-year-old daughter! I really am filled with rapture for the fact that someone in the disgraceful world appreciates my mum's work.. She is a hard worker and is worth being WORSHIPPED!!.. 3amo Amin, thanks A LOT!! I'm sure that when I show my mum what you wrote over here about her will make her proud of her work!!.. I just wanted to point out to Tina Sweis that my mother isn't depending on the culture itself, but she is reflecting the personality of the character, Captain Abu Raed, which is a great dancer =P .. LOL, anyways, as I was saying, my mum followed the theme of the movie, with specific shades of colour.. Coming out of an 'Art Therapist', I would have never expect anything so shallow from you, no offence!!.. I am not here to start a fight, just to justify my point of view and from what I see!!.. Don't take any of this personally!!!.. Anyways, I know my mum well enough to know that every detail in her work, a stroke of her brush, a thread in her dress has a reason, a justification..!! Which unfortunately FEW understand.. Apparently, 3amo Amin understood it.. The colours reflect Captain Abu Raed's warmth, muse, philosophy and shows the joule in him.. And as I heard, Captain Abu Raed is not a shallow person; Sufi.. I am not an expert in this, but I do understand!!!.. I actually expect artists to understand my mum and 3amo Amin!!.. I feel sorry that so little people understand the true essence of art and creativity.. My mum wasn't looking for any typical personality, for this man is different than anyone else!!.. Don’t take me as child, for people, friends or foes, take me as an adult!! Don’t under estimate me..
Anyways, back to my mum.. I am sure that if you look deeper in the colour, texture, style of the clothes, you would see the world that my mum is trying to venture all viewers in, no matter how little costume design is appreciated or even noticed, it affects the whole movie.. My mum, to me, is amazing, although she and I are different, to me she is a goddess in her own artistic way..!! A place of colour instead of emotion, brushes instead of action, and effort instead of criticizing..
3amo Amin, this means the world to me; you appreciating my mum and treating her as a professional which is REALLY hard to find in Jordan!!..
I was very excited when I searched my mum’s name on google.com and found that someone actually posted something about her!!!...
Hope she reads your post man!!!! =D
Metal on \m/
-Hecate [ Metal Goddess, Luma Odat ]

8:07 AM  
Blogger fawzi said...

الاخ أمين مطالقه المحترم
كل الحب والاحترام على ما قدمته وما ستقدمه في المستقبل اما عن الموضوع فقد اثارني بشكل كبير وكبير جدا ما كتبته ابنة السيده جميله علأالدين عن الموضوع اولا-اعتقد انك اثبت بأنك فنان حقيقي
ثانيا- عمو لمى اعتقد بأنه لديك كل الحق بأن تكوني فخوره بما تقدمه والدتك
ثالثا- وللامانه السيده علأالدين ليست بحاجه لشهادتي ولكن انا متابع للفن في الاردن والعالم العربي واعتقد وأجزم بأنها الاولى في الاردن ومن الثلاث الأوائل في العالم العربي
رابعا- نحن في الاردن الغالي دائما وتماما كما هي السيده صويص لا نرى الا جانب الفلسفه السخيفه ولا نرتقي الى المستوى
خامسا- الى الامام يا ايها الفنانون العظماء
القافله ستسير مهما الك....نوحت
كل التقدير للاستاذ أمين والسيده جميله وهذه ضريبة الفن...الكمبارس دائما ينتقد النجوم....عجبي الفن...الكمبارس دائما ينتقد النجوم....عجبي

6:06 AM  

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