Omar al-Qattan
Encyclopedia
Omar al-Qattan (born May 4, 1964) is a Palestinian
British film director and film producer.
, Lebanon
to Palestinian parents. Abd al-Muhsen al-Qattan, his father came from Jaffa
, but fled the city with thousands of other Arab
s in the midst of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, becoming refugee
s. Omar lived in Beirut until he was eleven years old. His family moved to London at the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War
in 1975, and Qattan enrolled in public school. Originally, he distanced himself from his past in the Arab world
and adapted to his "new life" as "British public schoolboy". In 1982, Qattan was strongly influenced by the Sabra and Shatila massacre
and began to move closer towards his Arab heritage. It was during this year, that he moved to Cairo
to learn in Qur'an
ic school.
His first full-length film, Dreams & Silence, was a documentary directed and produced by Qattan in 1991. The film portrayed a Palestinian woman refugee in Jordan
and her struggles with the religious and social constraints around her at a time of great tension and anguish. The documentary received the Joris Ivens Award and was broadcast in five European countries and Australia. His success led him to found his own film company Sourat UK in 1992, later becoming Sindibad Films Ltd in 1993.
Qattan developed a close partnership with Khleife, and the two co-produced and directed Tale of the Three Jewels and Forbidden Marriages in the Holy Land. The latter, filmed in 1994 was about mixed marriages between Jews and Arabs in Palestine
/Israel
and the former, filmed in 1995 was entirely shot in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip
and received several international awards.
Qattan's latest full-length film and perhaps the most controversial was Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
, a two-hour documentary on Muhammad
's life and his legacy with Muslims in the United States. Produced by Unity Productions Foundation, it was aired on American television by PBS on December 22, 2002. The film was criticized by some right-wing journalists as "too soft on the topic", but it won great acclaim by the US public.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
British film director and film producer.
Early life
Qattan was born in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
to Palestinian parents. Abd al-Muhsen al-Qattan, his father came from Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, but fled the city with thousands of other Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s in the midst of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, becoming refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
s. Omar lived in Beirut until he was eleven years old. His family moved to London at the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
in 1975, and Qattan enrolled in public school. Originally, he distanced himself from his past in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
and adapted to his "new life" as "British public schoolboy". In 1982, Qattan was strongly influenced by the Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sabra and Shatila massacre
The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon between September 16 and September 18, 1982, during the Lebanese civil war. Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were massacred in the camps by Christian Lebanese Phalangists while the camp...
and began to move closer towards his Arab heritage. It was during this year, that he moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to learn in Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic school.
Filming career
Qattan began his filming career by directing 15 to 20-minute documentaries and dramas. In 1987, he directed his first documentary Je suis...tu es? and then in 1988, his first drama La Danse — which was in partnership with Michel Khleife. In the next two years, Qattan continued to film these types of films.His first full-length film, Dreams & Silence, was a documentary directed and produced by Qattan in 1991. The film portrayed a Palestinian woman refugee in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and her struggles with the religious and social constraints around her at a time of great tension and anguish. The documentary received the Joris Ivens Award and was broadcast in five European countries and Australia. His success led him to found his own film company Sourat UK in 1992, later becoming Sindibad Films Ltd in 1993.
Qattan developed a close partnership with Khleife, and the two co-produced and directed Tale of the Three Jewels and Forbidden Marriages in the Holy Land. The latter, filmed in 1994 was about mixed marriages between Jews and Arabs in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
/Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the former, filmed in 1995 was entirely shot in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and received several international awards.
Qattan's latest full-length film and perhaps the most controversial was Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
Muhammad: Legacy of the Prophet is a PBS documentary film about the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad based on historical records and on the stories of living American Muslims who call Muhammad the Messenger of God...
, a two-hour documentary on Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's life and his legacy with Muslims in the United States. Produced by Unity Productions Foundation, it was aired on American television by PBS on December 22, 2002. The film was criticized by some right-wing journalists as "too soft on the topic", but it won great acclaim by the US public.
Filmography
- Je suis...tu es?, (1987)
- La Danse (1988)
- Conte de l'Aveugle et du Paralytique (1989)
- Cantique des Pierres (1990-91)
- L'Ordre du Jour (1992)
- Executive Producer on Tale of the Three Jewels (1994-95)
- Forbidden Marriages in the Holy Land (1995)
- Going Home (1996)
- Jerusalem (1998)
- Homesick (1999)
- Rachel Leah Jones' 500 Dunam on the Moon500 Dunam on the Moon500 Dunam on the Moon is a 2002 documentary film directed by Israeli director Rachel Leah Jones, about Ayn Hawd a Palestinian village that was captured and depopulated by Israeli forces in the 1948 war....
, a fifty-two minute documentary on the story of the Palestinian village of Ein HawdEin Hawd-External links:*, Archnet Digital Library....
- broadcast on France 2, Spring 2003. - Amal, My Star (2000)
- Muhammad: Legacy of a ProphetMuhammad: Legacy of a ProphetMuhammad: Legacy of the Prophet is a PBS documentary film about the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad based on historical records and on the stories of living American Muslims who call Muhammad the Messenger of God...
(2000-02) - Midwest/ Midwest Field (2002)
- Diary of an Art Competition (Under Occupation) (2002)
- Route 181- Fragments of a Journey to Palestine and Israel (2003-04)