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<\/a>The holder of a degree in Filmmaking from the Tehran Art University, Abu Hasna has made short films including \u201cA wave stole my hand\u201d (Beirut, 2018). In Brazil, he set out to portray the country\u2019s reality and its cultural connection to the Arab world. \u201cDuring a visit to the University of S\u00e3o Paulo, I learned that there was a course in Arabic. That had a big impact on me, and it made me feel very optimistic. I discovered a great connection between myself, as an Arab and an Arabic speaker, and Brazil and its people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While seeing Brazilian students learning Arabic was the beginning, the real turning point came when he found out about professor Safa Jubran, then the head of the USP Department of Oriental Languages. \u201cI heard that they\u2019d call her the \u2018D\u00e2d’ Lady.\u201d That\u2019s when she became the main character and the driving force behind the film. \u201cIt\u2019s notable that she speaks Arabic fluently, in a tone that is familiar to me,\u201d said Abu Hasna.<\/p>\n
Jubran\u2019s life is a one-of-a-kind story about the teaching of Arabic in S\u00e3o Paulo. She has been working to spread Arabi culture and the language and literature ever since she graduated from USP. The film shows her at home and at work. Jubran said being featured was an interesting experience of \u201ca faithful account of the normal, regular life of a professor and her life story.\u201d<\/p>\n Abu Hasna decided that the story of Jubran, which straddles Arab and Brazilian culture, would be the essence of the film. Arabic students at USP were also interviewed. \u201cThese lovers of Arabic and literature, who were in the cutting edge when it came to championing Arab culture and Arabic language, were coleads in this film,\u201d the director said.<\/p>\n Filming took 10 days and editing took 40. \u201cIt was a beautiful experience in which the spirit of adventure was prevalent, especially since I didn\u2019t speak Portuguese fluently. However, having a good team made the work much easier,\u201d said Hasna regarding his work with AH Produ\u00e7\u00f5es e Tradu\u00e7\u00f5es. \u201cThe adventure of making this film was a novel experience, dealing with a new country that is vast and deep, and full of stories that we weren\u2019t aware of. It has also allowed us to find out about other aspects of Arab immigration to Brazil,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Thanks to being shown on TV and publicized on social media, the production got viewed by Arabic speakers all over the world, rather than just in Arab countries. \u201cI got happy messages fro all over the world. People were surprised, because they weren\u2019t aware of our work and our achievements, and now it\u2019s all documented,\u201d said professor Jubran. \u201cApart from focusing on the Arabic course, past and present, the film also approached Arab immigration to Brazil to provide some context.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe importance of this production is in showing what this group of university professors are doing in terms of teaching, education, research and training of researchers, without any help from Arab governments or institutions, as is the case with other courses. And still these professors and their students are able to create and spread quality knowledge which the Arab world should know about,\u201d said Jubran, adding that the course is waiting for initiatives in Arab countries that will enable Arab culture and language to be disseminated in an even more efficient way.<\/p>\n You can watch the documentary in Arabic below. Subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese will be available soon.<\/p>\n<\/a>