ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, AUGUST 13-14, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Siham Mustafa as Nermeen in a scene from the fi lm ‘Our River … Our Sky,’ which is co-produced by Talal Al-Muhanna through his Kuwaiti company Linked Productions.

Obit Film

An end of an era Baghdad-set fi lm tells stories of ordinary people Pat, daughter of Alfred Kuwaiti producer’s fi lm to debut in Sarajevo Hitchcock, dies aged 93 KUWAIT CITY, Aug 12: An versity professor, Irada Al-Jubori ing some very intense periods of NEW YORK, Aug 12, (AP): Patricia Hitchcock internationally co-produced fea- — won the $100,000 IWC Schaf- sectarian violence in Iraq in 2006 O’Connell, the only child of Alfred Hitchcock and an ture fi lm directed by Maysoon fhausen script prize at Dubai In- and 2007. In many ways, Irada actor herself who made a memorable appearance in Pachachi — a London-based fi lm- ternational Film Festival in 2012, felt unable to write fi ction at the her father’s “Strangers on a Train” and championed maker of Iraqi origin — will have awarded to the fi lmmaker by Head time, when real life itself was so his work in the decades following his death, has died its world premiere at the pres- of Jury Cate Blanchett. Says fi lm- terrifying and awful. An underly- at age 93. tigious Sarajevo Film Festival in maker Maysoon Pachachi: “This Hitchcock died Monday in her sleep at home in ing theme of our fi lm is about how Thousand Oaks, California, her daughter Tere Car- Bosnia & Herzegovina in August. fi lm has been a long time coming, creativity can function as an act of rubba said Wednesday. She died of natural causes, The fi lm — co-produced by Talal with lots of fundraising success in resistance. While co-writing the said Carrubba. Al-Muhanna through his Kuwaiti some years and then, at other times, script we asked ourselves if the “She was always really good at protecting the leg- A poster of ‘Our River … Our Sky,’ company Linked Productions — long waits with not much happen- character of Sara, who is a novelist acy of my grandparents and making sure they were which will have its world premiere at has been made in collaboration ing. I think the unusual ensemble in the story, would ultimately fi nd always remembered,” said Carrubba, one of Patricia the prestigious Sarajevo Film Festival with multiple producers in France, nature of the fi lm left some poten- a way to remain artistically crea- Hitchcock’s three daughters. “It’s sort of an end of an in Bosnia & Herzegovina this month. Germany and UK and with support tial funders unsure about whether tive — not just for herself but also, era now that they’re all gone.” from numerous fi lm funds glob- to get on board the project or not. in a way, for her daughter — de- Known to many as Pat Hitchcock, she was born in ally, including: British Film Insti- But we fi nally made it.” London to Alfred Hitchcock spite the grim circumstances they tute, Visions Sud Est (Switzerland) were both in.” and Alma Reville Hitchcock and Doha Film Institute in Qatar. Documentaries in 1928 and spent much of While the veteran editor and Ms. Al Joundi — the actress her life in and around the Set in the last week of 2006, the playing Sara — is joined by an family business. During her fi lm tells the stories of ordinary director had long worked on TV series and documentaries — some impressive array of actors from childhood, Alfred Hitchcock people living in a mixed Baghdadi the UK, Sweden and Germany in- directed such classics as “The neighborhood at a time of sectar- of which had won awards and were 39 Steps,” “The Lady Vanish- broadcast in the UK and Germany cluding Zaydun Khalaf (“A Holo- ian violence and nightly curfews. gram for the King”), Meriam Ab- es” and “Shadow of a Doubt,” Says producer Talal Al-Muhanna: — “Our River…Our Sky” is her moved to California after sign- “I fi rst began collaborating with fi rst fi ction fi lm: “After making bas (“Baghdad in My Shadow”), ing a multipicture deal with the writer-director of this project documentaries for decades, it was Basim Hajar (“In the Last Days of producer David O. Selznick Kelly Jackson in 2012, when it was in the early interesting to be a ‘fi rst-timer’ the City”) and Badia Obaid (“Billy Hitchcock and rose to global fame as the Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”). In- “Master of Suspense.” Alma script stage. Later on, other pro- once again,” quipped the London ducers joined — inspired by the in- Film School graduate and former dividually and collectively, their was his indispensable adviser, a former fi lm editor characters convey the story of through whom he vetted story ideas and screenplay Variety terweaving stories of a community student of renowned British direc- treatments. affected by ongoing confl ict.” tor Mike Leigh (“Vera Drake”, Iraq’s post-invasion implosion in “My mother had much more to do with the fi lms Indeed, the director of the Sa- “Topsy Turvy,” “Peterloo”). a way few Hollywood fi lms will than she has ever been given credit for — he depend- PORTLAND, Ore: Police have confi rmed rajevo Film Festival — where the The Arabic title of Pachachi’s ever be able to: ed on her for everything, absolutely everything,” Pat that two members a hip-hop group with fi lm will be screened for the very multi-character Arabic-language Pachachi reminds that for what- Hitchcock told The Guardian in 1999. ties to the multiplatinum rap group Wu- ever “quirks and faults” her abun- Tang Clan were fatally shot Tuesday in fi rst time, in the director’s pres- drama is “KulshiMakoo”. The fi lm Pat would visit her father’s movie sets and by her ence, on August 19 — echoed the stars Paris-based actress Darina Al dantly casted fi lm of intertwined teens was acting in school plays and appearing on Portland, Oregon. tales may have, “It comes from a stage, including the Broadway productions “Solitaire” Relatives on social media identifi ed producing team’s sentiments. At Joundi of recent Oscar-nominated and “Violet.” She was admitted to London’s Royal the rap music artists killed as 12 O’Clock the time of his invitation to the drama “The Man Who Sold His place of personal experience — Academy of Dramatic Art in 1947 and was about to and Murdock of the Brooklyn Zu, The fi lmmaker, festival director Mirsad Skin”. In the new fi lm, Al Joundi not a Hollywood executive’s im- graduate when her father contacted her and said he had Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Portland Purivatra wrote: “Every second of plays a single mother and novelist aginary playbook; because it was a role for her in his new fi lm, “Strangers on a Train,” police in a news release identifi ed the two your fi lm reminds me of our war who fi nds herself unable to write. written, acted and made by peo- adapted from the Patricia Highsmith novel. The 1951 men as David Turner, 45, and Odion and post war story in Sarajevo… As Pachachi — one of the fi lm’s ple who understand and, in many production starred Robert Walker and Farley Grang- Turner, 42, who are cousins. The Oregon State Medical Exam- Beautifully told stories which the two writers — puts it: “The cen- cases, lived through that period in er as strangers who meet on a train and agree — at whole world ought to see and learn tral character of Sara refl ects the Iraq.” least Walker thinks they agree — to a double murder: iner determined both died from gunshot wounds and ruled their deaths homicides, from…” experiences of my co-writer Irada “Our River…Our Sky” is a UK- Walker will kill Granger’s wife, and Granger will kill police said. Walker’s father. Pat Hitchcock plays the sister of a The script — co-written by a Al-Jubori, who really struggled to France-Germany-Kuwait-UAE- The shooting happened at 5:30 am Baghdad-based writer and uni- be creatively active as a writer dur- Qatar co-production. woman (Ruth Roman), with whom Granger is in love. Tuesday. Four others were hurt in the Honor shooting, including one person who remains hospitalized with life-threatening Walker duly carries out his side, strangling Grang- Kelly from his smash hit “I Believe I Can The multiplatinum-selling singer has “were dying to be with him.” The women injuries, police said Wednesday. Police only started accusing him of abuse years er’s wife on the grounds of an amusement park, and said it took time to confi rm whether that Fly.” Many said they knew little or noth- denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not later when public sentiment shifted in the pressures Granger to honor the bargain. He turns up victim had been injured in this incident, ing about the case. guilty to charges accusing him of leading #MeToo era, they said. at a party attended by Granger and chats up an elderly so police didn’t mention that victim on The jury selection spanned three days an enterprise of managers, bodyguards and woman about the best way to kill someone — strangu- Tuesday. with Kelly seen on a video feed sitting other employees who helped him recruit Kelly, 54, won multiple Grammys for lation. He has placed his hands on her neck, when he Young Dirty B.., the son of the late impassively at the defense table, wearing women and girls. Federal prosecutors say “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that looks up and sees Pat Hitchcock staring back in hor- Wu-Tang rap legend Ol’ Dirty..., in a post glasses and dressed in a suit. The scene the group selected victims at concerts and became an inspirational anthem played at ror. Unnerved by her resemblance to his murder vic- to Instagram on Tuesday, wrote of his was beamed into an overfl ow courtroom other venues and arranged for them to school graduations, weddings, advertise- tim — they wear similar glasses — he nearly chokes cousins, “Rip 12 O’Clock. Rip Murdock. after a judge took the unusual step of travel to see Kelly. ments and elsewhere. the guest to death. Hitchcock’s character later sobs They Were My Fathers Tightest blood barring the press and public from watch- Defense lawyers have said Kelly’s Although Kelly is primarily a singer that she felt as if she was the one he might have killed, bonds. My Two Older cousins Was just ing trial in person, citing coronavirus alleged victims were groupies who turned and songwriter, he has written, produced, leading to suspicions about the murder of Granger’s assassinated. Love Yalll. Blood Forever. concerns. up at his shows and made it known they and remixed songs, singles, and albums wife. Brooklyn Zu.” for many artists. In 1996, he was nomi- “I think he was using her as the audience,” Pat Police have released few details about nated for a Grammy Award for writing Hitchcock, interviewed for a 1997 BBC special on her the shooting. A home surveillance video Michael Jackson’s song “You Are Not father, said of her character. “I think he was having her provided to the Oregonian/OregonLive ap- Alone”. peared to capture nearly 20 gunshots and a Kelly has sold over 75 million records go through what the audience went through.” worldwide, making him the most success- Hitchcock was a lively, witty actor with a heart- car speeding away. Police said the investigation is ongo- ful R&B male artist of the 1990s and one shaped face and her other acting credits included of the world’s best-selling music artists. the TV sitcoms “My Little Margie” and “The Life ing. Their deaths marked the 57th and 58th He is the 55th best-selling music artist in of Riley” and several roles in the TV series “Alfred the United States, with over 32 million al- Hitchcock Presents.” She also had parts in her father’s homicides this year in Portland, which is more homicides than Portland recorded in bum sales. Kelly was named by Billboard “Stage Fright” and in his horror masterpiece “Psy- as the Top R&B/Hip Hop Artist between cho,” in which she plays an offi ce colleague of Janet all of 2020, police said. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑ 1985 and 2010 and the most successful Leigh, who later in the fi lm is famously stabbed to R&B artist in history. death in a motel shower. NEW YORK: R&B star R. Kelly will face Music executive Barry Weiss de- More recently, she worked for Alfred Hitchcock’s an anonymous jury made up of seven men scribed Kelly as “the modern-day Prince, Mystery Magazine, appeared at numerous fi lm festi- and fi ve women when his New York City although there’s a bit of Marvin Gaye in vals and in numerous Hitchcock documentaries and sex traffi cking trial goes forward next him, and a bit of Irving Berlin.” contributed photographs and a foreword to “Footsteps week with opening statements. In addition to his solo and collabo- in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco,” by The panel was sworn in on Wednes- ration success, Kelly has also written Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal. She also co-authored day after dozens of potential jurors were and produced several hit songs, such a book on her mother, who died in 1982, “Alma Hitch- screened by US District Judge Ann Don- as “Fortunate” for Maxwell, “You cock: The Woman Behind the Man.” (Alfred Hitch- nelly in federal court in Brooklyn. Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson, cock died in 1980). The judge sought assurances from pro- “G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.” for Changing Pat Hitchcock was married for more than 40 years spective jurors that they could remain im- Faces, “Bump, Bump, Bump” for B2K, to Joseph O’Connell, who died in 1994. They had partial despite the bad publicity swirling Sonja Peng poses with the Premio Cinema Ticino award for photographs during and many more. R. Kelly has been three children. around Kelly since his 2019 arrest. Some the 74th Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, Wednes- compared to artists like Sam Cooke and told her that they were mainly aware of day, Aug. 11. The Festival del fi lm Locarno runs from August 4 to 14. (AP) Marvin Gaye. (Agencies)