MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017 lifestyle

MUSIC & MOVIES

Israeli Arab Maysaloun Hamoud, director of the film ‘Bar Israeli Arab Maysaloun Hamoud, director of the film ‘Bar Israeli Arab Maysaloun Hamoud, director of the film "Bar Bahar", poses as she hugs a friend during an interview with AFP Bahar’, poses with a tattoo bearing the title of her film. Bahar’, speaks during an interview with AFP in . in Tel Aviv. — AFP photos Alcohol, drugs and sexuality: Arab Israeli film faces backlash

he culture clash in "Bar Bahar" starts off when Nur, a tions by leaving her religious fiance Wissam after he rapes grave," said one. "You need a bullet in the head and another in descended from who remained on their land after veiled and conservative Muslim, moves into a flat with her, a scene shown on screen. the heart," a second read, Hamoud told AFP. was established in 1948. Many identify as Palestinian but Ttwo other Arab Israeli women and sees their drug-tak- "For me as an artist, a director and a screenwriter who is a feel torn between identities-saying they experience discrimina- ing, party-going lives. But for its director, the real shock of the Death threats part of this society, it is my right to tackle any issue I feel is tion and racism living and working in major Israeli cities. "I'm film, which opened last month in Israel, has been the contro- The film has already been released in the United States, important enough for me to talk about," Hamoud said in a not exaggerating, every scene is realistic," Hammoud insisted. versy it has whipped up, even death threats on social media. under the title "In Between", and it won three prizes at the San cafe near where she lives in Jaffa, a predominantly Arab dis- Maysaloun Hamoud, herself an Arab, always hoped her first Sebastian Film Festival in Spain last year. US magazine Variety trict of Tel Aviv. "For the audience, if they want to see it they 'Contradictions' feature film would hit hard. In its two hours, the Galilee-born called it a "compelling" drama and The Hollywood Reporter are welcome and I will be very happy. But if you don't want to, Hamoud chose to set the film in Tel Aviv, regarded the filmmaker, 35, tackles almost all the taboos of Arab Israeli soci- trumpeted it as a "sparkling, taboo-breaking first feature". The don't go," she added. Her face is framed by short black hair most tolerant and liberal city in Israel, to make a point that ety: Drugs, alcohol, homosexuality. film company has not released ticket sale numbers but and she has tattooed arms, including one with the title of the even there racism against Arabs is prevalent. She wanted to Salma is rejected by her Christian family for being a les- Hamoud said there had been a lot of feedback, mostly posi- film in the colors of the Palestinian flag. Her film, she said, show the girls' "otherness" in the city. "They discover that no bian, while Leila leaves her boyfriend when she discovers tive but some less so. The response from Umm Al-Fahm has brings to the screen issues usually "hidden" among Arab matter how far they go from their towns and the traditions he is more conservative than he claims. But above all, been particularly sharp. The municipality issued a statement Israelis, such as lustful, youthful evenings where cannabis they came from, they are shocked that the place where they there is the story of Nur, a native of the conservative city of condemning a film as being "without the slightest element of smoke billows among dancers. are (Tel Aviv) doesn't accept them." Hamoud wants to make Umm Al-Fahm-a stronghold of the Islamic Movement, truth" and barring it from being screened there. Bar Bahar, literally meaning "land and sea" in Arabic, trans- films that help society "face its contradictions in order to close to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. They insisted, however, that they were happy to support lates as "neither here, nor there" in Hebrew. For its director it move forward". "No one should feel good after the movie, nei- Conservative, and initially shocked by the attitude of her "meaningful" art, but did not reply to a request for an inter- aims to be "the voice of a generation" of young Arab Israelis ther Israelis nor Palestinians in this society." — AFP roommates, Nur and the other two become friends and view. Hamoud as well as her actresses have received death who feel trapped between cultures. Making up around 18 per- allies. She ultimately rebels against her family and tradi- threats. "Those who speak ill of Umm Al-Fahm dig their own cent of Israel's population, the 1.4 million Arab Israelis are Syria's White Helmets to travel to US for Oscars

escue workers from Syria's White Helmets- country's citizens have been forced to flee their the subjects of an Oscar-nominated docu- homes. "The documentary took a lot of effort to Rmentary-said on Saturday they have make and we've been working on it for a long received US visas to attend next week's presti- time. People who are featured in the film have gious Academy Awards ceremony. For weeks, since died. There's equipment that you see that the rescuers and the film's staff had been nerv- has been destroyed," Saleh said. ously watching the fallout from US President "This film is history for us. We hope that we Donald Trump's now-suspended travel ban for win the Oscar, because that would provide seven countries, including Syria. "We got our moral support to the White Helmets and show visas yesterday (Friday), but we're not yet sure if them that their sacrifices weren't for nothing." we'll be able to travel or not," Raed Saleh, leader According to the film's producer Joanna of the rescue group, told AFP by phone on Natasegara, Saleh will be joined by fellow White Saturday. "We don't want to have problems at Helmet Khaled Khatib, who shot much of the the borders or the airport," he said. footage. Natasegara told AFP by phone that the The documentary titled "The White Helmets", last few weeks had been a "roller coaster" ride. directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, was named a "Initially, we were totally delighted at the nomi- contender in late January in the Oscars short nation and invited them to join us, and two days documentary category. Since it emerged in later the executive order came through," she 2013, the rescue group has attracted over 3,000 said. Under Trump's short-lived executive order, volunteers and says it has saved more than travellers from seven mainly-Muslim countries, 78,000 lives. It is named for the distinctive white including Syria, were banned from travelling to hard hats worn by its volunteers and has gained the United States for 90 days. OSN unveils new prices and international renown for its daring rescues, often The travel ban has since been suspended in filmed and circulated on social media. The court, but Natasegara said she and the film's Oscars award ceremony will take place on team would "be nervous until (Saleh and Khatib) February 26 in Hollywood. are on US soil". "For us as filmmakers, we wanted new packs bringing exclusive "With so many people watching, it would be to be able to give them that platform," she said. such an important opportunity to talk about the "It's their day. Their message is one of hope and Syrian civil defense volunteers, known as the White suffering happening in Syria," Saleh said. More peace. We're just really excited to share that day Helmets, rescue a boy from rubble last year after a barrel than 310,000 people have died since Syria's con- with them." — AFP bomb attack on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. — AFP entertainment for everyone flict erupted in March 2011, and over half the

SN today reinforced its position Spanish broadband communication and as the region's leading entertain- entertainment company, and as Chief Brazil mega-church scores Oment network, launching new Financial Officer for Sky, Europe's lead- prices and new packs that will bring its ing entertainment company. unmatched breadth of world-class con- Since taking charge in August 2016, TV hit with biblical soaps tent to hundreds of thousands more Martin has prioritised the company's core subscribers. values of putting customers first, offering ebuchadnezzar II is about to be crowned native who cut his teeth at Globo. But "TV The game-changing prices and packs unrivalled content and unbeatable value. in a sumptuous Babylonian palace, and Record's greatest success has been bringing the are the first steps in a customer-first strat- Martin said: "OSN's ambition is to offer Nproduction assistants in Havaiana flip- whole family together in front of the television egy that defines the ambitions of a entertainment everywhere, for everyone, flops are rushing to get a small army of extras again," he said. #newOSN. The company is placing its at a price that suits every pocket. We've into place. Welcome to the set of "The Rich Man It is a strategic shift for the network, whose emphasis on delivering extraordinary val- listened to our customers and we're deliv- and Lazarus," the latest biblical telenovela from nighttime programming originally featured pas- ue, ensuring customers get affordable ering what they want, how they want it. the media empire of one of Brazil's largest evan- tors preaching to their flock. About six years ago, access to the latest and exclusive enter- Relevant, exclusive and affordable, our gelical mega-churches. Edir Macedo, the contro- TV Record began producing religious mini-series tainment OSN is renowned for. new prices and new packs will put the versial founder of the Universal Church of the with modest budgets. Emboldened by their suc- The company launches its 'new prices, world of OSN - exclusive content and an Dancers perform during the shooting of ‘O Rico e Lazaro’ Kingdom of God, has already scored two prime- cess, the network then went out on a limb and new packs, new OSN' strategy today after unmatched viewing experience - within (The Rich Man and Lazarus) soap opera at the studios of time hits with soap operas based on the Bible: commissioned "The Ten Commandments," over six months of extensive research. the reach of all. That is our mission and Record TV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. — AFP photos "The Ten Commandments," in 2015, and "The Brazil's first biblical telenovela. It managed to 40,000 households across the region were ambition, and we are committed to deliv- Promised Land," currently on air. beat Globo in the ratings several nights, and sold surveyed to find out what they wanted. ering on it." Macedo is the owner of Brazil's second- the show to networks in some 20 countries Their answer was clear: choice, flexibility He added: "Television viewing habits largest television network, TV Record, whose for- around the world. "Promised Land" achieved and great value. have changed and with the new packs, ay into telenovelas is reshaping prime-time in similar success, and TV Record is now hoping With prices starting from just AED/SAR customers can customise what they want the giant South American country. Telenovelas- "Lazarus" will do the same. 79, the company is offering customers a to watch, paying only for their packages or "novelas," in Brazilian Portuguese-are a The 150-episode series explores a parable of choice of new sports, movies and enter- of choice. This is just the first step in an national obsession in Brazil, nearly on par with Jesus with two protagonists, one poor and tainment packs that lets customers create exciting journey ahead with a number of football. They used to be strictly secular, with the bound for heaven, the other rich and bound for their perfect mix and puts them in control further initiatives this year as new OSN." dominant player, TV Globo-the country's largest hell. "It teaches certain tenets of ethical behavior. of what they want to watch based on OSN continues to strengthen its cre- network-dealing with subjects such as gay cou- People are tired of the aggression and ugliness their available spending power. dentials as the home of the biggest ples and racial discrimination in its scripts. of daily life," said actor Cassius Scapin, who plays Faisal Hamad Al-Ayyar, Chairman of Hollywood blockbusters, award-winning But Macedo and TV Record saw an opening a villain on the show. OSN, said: "OSN has consistently set series at the same time as the US unri- for a new kind of series in a country where evan- benchmarks in the region's entertain- valled kid's and family entertainment, gelical Christianity is booming, steadily eroding Powerful pulpit ment landscape through its exclusive talks-shows, Arabic programming as well the numbers of the world's largest Catholic pop- Evangelicals have grown from five percent of content partnerships and an unbeatable as being the home of cricket and WWE ulation. Spending $230,000 per episode, the net- Brazil's population in 1970 to nearly 25 percent viewing experience. We are pushing the and a plethora of can't miss action sports. work has drawn viewers and advertisers with in the 2010 census. Evangelical denominations boundaries and making this value propo- OSN's power to deliver the best con- extravagant biblical sets, costumes and, in the have capitalized on an extensive network of sition available for one and all, marking a tent to the region was recently affirmed Actors wait on the set of "O Rico e Lazaro" (The Rich Man case of "The Ten Commandments," action filmed churches, deftly using TV, radio and social media new era for the entertainment industry. by its ground-breaking renewal deal with and Lazarus) soap opera. partly on location in Israel. "In the 27 years I've to draw millions of Christians away from the This is the organic evolution of OSN, a family entertainment giant Disney, and its been in this business, I've never seen a set like Catholic Church. In a country with millions of response to what our customers want." exclusive deal with UFC, which brings the this. It's a very bold project, and it will be a won- poor, evangelical churches typically teach a mes- OSN has streamlined the world of con- incredibly popular mixed martial arts derful story," said the director of "Lazarus," sage of change for the better in this life and tent it provides into convenient, easy-to- shows to the network's channels. Edgard Miranda. "The Bible is a fantastic script." after-whereas the local Catholic church tradi- navigate packs that put customers in OSN's deep and broad programming tionally puts the accent on the afterlife. The pow- charge of their entertainment experience. portfolio is unbeatable in this region with 'Family time' er of Macedo's church is evident in Rio, where his From movies and sports, to series in long-term exclusive deals with all the On a recent visit to the sprawling studios on nephew Marcelo Crivella, a former bishop, was Arabic, English, Tagalog and South Asian major international studios such as the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, AFP saw large recently elected mayor. languages, new OSN opens doors to all Disney, HBO, NBC Universal, Fox, Mesopotamian sphinxes and gold-tipped But Macedo's rise has also been controver- the best content available at great value. Paramount, MGM, Sony and Warner columns framing the palatial set where the sial. Macedo, 71, was charged with fraud and Leading the drive to bring OSN with- Brothers, among others, ensuring cus- ancient Babylonian king was about to be money laundering in 2011 for allegedly buying in the reach of all customers is the tomers always have a great line-up of crowned. TV Record has built an artificial river, a jewelry, real estate and cars with billions of dol- organisation's new Chief Executive 'nowhere else' content to enjoy. For more Babylonian temple and Jerusalem streets in its lars skimmed off his followers' charitable dona- Officer, Martin Stewart. Widely acknowl- information, visit osn.com. Join the con- quest to create an authentic Old Testament feel. tions. He denies the accusations, which have edged for his contribution to the versation using #newOSN and tag @OSN. The soaps' scripts do not lack for romance and done little to dent the popularity of his church. European pay TV industry, Martin has intrigue. But in between staple telenovela plot But the evangelical boom is not the only reason served as Director General of ONO, a lines, characters preach the word of God. "The for the success of biblical telenovelas, said TV Actors perform during the shooting of ‘O Rico e Lazaro’ stories deal with very current issues with a high critic Nilson Xavier. —AFP (The Rich Man and Lazarus) soap opera. level of quality," said Miranda, a 44-year-old Rio