{"id":201238,"date":"2018-09-20T07:00:53","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=201238"},"modified":"2018-09-21T16:40:11","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T19:40:11","slug":"palestinian-actress-discusses-her-theater-cinema-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/palestinian-actress-discusses-her-theater-cinema-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Palestinian actress discusses her theater, cinema work"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 \u201cFascism is a creation of the masses,\u201d said Hiam Abbass, quoting an excerpt of the book \u201cFrance Against the Robots\u201d, by George Bernanos, in which she based her play of the same name. She\u2019s touring Brazil with the play since last week. The actress and director (picture)<\/em> received a tribute to her career this week in S\u00e3o Paulo and, during the event, at Alian\u00e7a Francesa theater, Abbass talked to ANBA about her filmography, Arab cinema, her play, today\u2019s fascism and the situation in Palestine.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrance Against the Robots\u201d is a monologue produced by Abbass. She said she was shocked with the contemporaneity of the book, written in 1944. \u201cMy partner Jean-Baptiste Sastre acts and directs the play and this is our work, he read the book by Bernanos and, when I read it, I was surprised, because it\u2019s like he had visualized today\u2019s world,\u201d she reveals.<\/p>\n

Abbass says that Bernanos talks about fascism in his work \u201cbecause he lived the Second World War, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin,\u201d and he began to criticize the Catholic Church after the Spanish Civil War, since it sided with dictator Francisco Franco. \u201cAs long as we live and think as mass, we will have fascists in power doing this; not only the human is fascist, but technology has become fascist in general, look to the people and what they\u2019re doing with their phones and TVs, fascism is present everyday in our daily lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

To Abbass, the narrative is \u201ca description of his way (Bernanos’) of thinking modernism, the world of machines, the massive destruction caused by this new technology of the beginning of the 20th<\/sup> century, and the way he writes about this, analyses and connects the individuality of the human being to his life, to the dangers if we keep in this path.\u201d The actress revealed that Bernanos address, in many moments, the young people, including the Brazilian youth (the writer lived in Brazil for ten years). \u201cYoung people is responsible for what\u2019s going to happen from now on, since we won\u2019t be here anymore,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A chat with Abbass took place on Monday (17)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy for learning about Brazil through the eyes of a great man and great thinker, to borrow the point of view of this author that lived here; he chose to live as a poor man, writing and teaching young people and people in general that were willing to think about how humanity is in danger.\u201d The artist said that this is a fulfilling and exciting work, one of the most important in her career. \u201cI think that Sastre and Gilles Bernanos (the grandson of the author, responsible for the book\u2019s adaptation for the play) share this thinking with me; we shouldn\u2019t neglect this point of view [of Bernanos] these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play opened first in France and toured for three cities. Here in Brazil, it was performed in Florian\u00f3polis and, after S\u00e3o Paulo, it will go to Rio de Janeiro, Juiz de Fora and Ouro Preto, always in theaters of Alian\u00e7a Francesa in each of the cities that Bernanos visited or lived. Then, it returns to France for more dates, with plans to also go to Jerusalem and, next year, to the United States.<\/p>\n

Early career <\/strong><\/p>\n

Abbass was born in Nazareth, a city of a predominantly Arab population in the current territory of Israel, and lived in a Palestinian village with her Arab family, where she studied, always showing an interest in the arts from an early age. \u201cI always loved to act, was always very artistic from a very young age, I acted in a play in school as a little girl and thought it was all very magical,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

In her teen years, she studied photography and it was in a photo session in a theater that she decided to join the theater company, where she stayed for six years. Later, the actress had small roles in two Palestinians movies.<\/p>\n

She then decided to move to France, where she still lives, \u201cto escape the censorship from both Israel and Palestine.\u201d Initially, she did some Arab films, co-productions with Europe, such as Haifa<\/em> and Satin Rouge<\/em>. \u201cI learned to speak Arabic with many accents and that allowed me to play roles of the Arab world from many countries, plus English and French; I like roles and stories that touch me in some way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Hollywood<\/strong><\/p>\n

The presence of the Palestinian actress in Hollywood is, according to her, a sign of changes in recent years, despite fascism and prejudices being very much active in the global culture scene. \u201cI think that September 11 opened some minds in the western world to try to understand who this enemy is, who are these terrorists, what is this clich\u00e9, this stereotype; and I believe that this process is jumpstarting a new way for creating Arab characters. I\u2019m not saying that everyone is doing this, neither that it\u2019s an easy process, but I\u2019m saying that a door has opened.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about the issue of representation, of being an Arab woman in worldwide productions, the artist believes that \u201cworking together, our will and work can help bring the name of Palestine to a broader spectrum worldwide,\u201d and that \u201ceach person has ambitions, dreams, and they should believe that they are able to fulfill these dreams and pursue them: \u2018this is what is most important to me\u2019; it\u2019s good to tell them that it\u2019s possible, but that it\u2019s the result of a lot of work, it didn\u2019t come from nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hiam Abbass believes that her work in Hollywood not necessarily helps to promote the Arab cinema. \u201cI think that those interested in Arab cinema and culture already watches it, regardless if I\u2019m in Hollywood, but yes, eventually, some people could follow this way, of getting to know me for these works and go searching for my previous ones, it can help in this sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere in Brazil, for instance, people that have welcomed me know about the importance of this mix of cultures and knowledge that we can acquire by bringing people from different parts to talk to local artists, creating a new dialogue; art doesn\u2019t know nationality, art\u2019s only nationality is the arts, our identity is to be human before anything else,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n

Her most recent works in the North American movie industry are a participation in \u201cThe OA\u201d (2016), a Netflix series in which he played the part of Khatun, a type of an angel, and in the HBO series \u201cSuccession\u201d (2018), where she plays the role of Marcia, one of the main characters and the wife of an American billionaire. \u201cI couldn\u2019t remain with the role in \u2018The OA\u2019 for the second season because I\u2019m playing a main character in \u201cSuccession\u201d, which is a series that criticizes the fascism of money. In this drama, I\u2019m of Arab origins, but we still don\u2019t know where this will lead in the future, but I talked with the writers and I\u2019m loving to do the series because it exposes this power of wealth,\u201d said the actress. She also had a part in \u201cBlade Runner 2049\u201d, where she played the replicant Freysa.<\/p>\n

Inheritance<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cInheritance\u201d is the only feature film directed by Abbass. She has directed three short films. \u201cI have other ongoing projects to direct feature films, but I can\u2019t talk much about them for now,\u201d she said. According to Abbass, \u201cthis feature film tells the story of a community of Palestinians and how a person can fulfill her ambitions with so many traditions that can chain you up.\u201d \u201cInitially, it\u2019s not about a political issue, but I decided to set the film in a war scenario, with parts in Israel and in Lebanon; the message is that life goes on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palestine<\/strong><\/p>\n

The artist criticized the current conflicts in her home country. \u201cIf this Israeli government keep doing what they\u2019re doing, I don\u2019t see how a peaceful solution could emerge. It\u2019s a very difficult situation and I feel very sorry for the people in Gaza, in the conflict areas, and in the prisons; Israel is playing a dirty game in the whole world, and it has the support of Trump, a rich, powerful man who doesn\u2019t know anything about politics\u201d.<\/p>\n

Abbass again mentioned the work of Bernanos and its contemporaneity. \u201cI think that if this is what is happening, if this is what humanity wants, I think that Bernanos is necessary so that, at least, we can be honest about how each of us can build something minimally positive to save humanity. Because Netanyahu (Israel\u2019s prime minister) is not saving even the Israelis, how is he going to save Palestinians? Bernanos says that a country that isolates itself, that closes itself, is a country that negates its own identity. If Trump or Netanyahu could understand this, their policies would change,\u201d she ensured.<\/p>\n

Arab cinema<\/strong><\/p>\n

Abbass noted that most of the Arab productions she was involved in were co-productions with France, Germany and other countries, mainly European ones. \u201cThe number of young people, especially [Arab] women who are attempting to go across the border (literally and figuratively) to express their art as they see it, rather than how they were taught, is increasing. They are discussing issues like homosexuality and oppression on women and criticizing their leaders. The [Arab] revolution didn\u2019t come from out of nowhere. It came from the perception of those people. I see a great generation of young people whom I see as the seeds of a future,\u201d she said. The actress also claimed she does not approve of radicalism in any shape or form, and that no progress comes from separation or segregation.<\/p>\n

The event<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The event also included music and poetry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Monday (17) event included a conversation with the actress, featuring musician Sami Bordokan and poetry interventions by actress Fernanda Azevedo of theater company Kiwi Cia. de Teatro and group Cabar\u00e9 Feminista. The event was held by Beit21 in partnership with Alliance Fran\u00e7aise, with backing from the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber\u2019s International Relations vice president Osmar Chofi, cultural director Silvia Antibas, director Mohamad Murad and counselor Arthur Jafet were in attendance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing honored for your work is one thing, but doing what you do because you believe you should be doing it, that\u2019s the most important thing. And I like to think this is a moment for meeting people who like my work and for sharing with them,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

Translated by S\u00e9rgio Kakitani and Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bruna Garcia\/ANBA<\/div>\n
Divulga\u00e7\u00e3o\/Fambras<\/div>\n
Bruna Garcia\/ANBA<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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