Amr Gamal (director)

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Amr Gamal
عمرو جمال
Born (1983-07-14) 14 July 1983 (age 40)
Poznań, Poland
NationalityYemeni
Alma materUniversity of Aden
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, film producer
Years active2005–present
Notable work10 Days Before the Wedding
The Burdened
Websitehttps://theamrgamal.info/

Amr Gamal (Arabic: عمرو جمال; born July 14, 1983) is a Yemeni film and theatre director, producer, and writer. He founded Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe in the Yemeni city of Aden in 2005 to revive commercial theater in Yemen after a years- long hiatus due to the consequences of the 1994 civil war. In 2018,[1] Amr directed his first feature film,[2]10 Days Before the Wedding,[3] which achieved great public success in Yemen and became Yemen’s official entry for the International Feature Film category at the 91st Academy Awards.[4] His second film, The Burdened 2023,[5] is the film that put Amr Gamal's name on the international cinema map after it became the first Yemeni film ever [6] to be screened at the Berlin Film Festival.[7] The film also participated in a number of prestigious international film festivals [8] and won many awards.[9]

Early life[edit]

Amr was born in Poznan, Poland to Yemeni parents who were studying there. Amr returned to Aden with his parents in 1989, where he studied primary and secondary school and graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Aden in 2007.

Amr's relationship with theater started with the school theater, where he led the theater troupe of Lutfi Jafar Aman High School in 1999 and then led the Aden City School Theater Troupe in 2000.[10]

In 2001, Amr received the Prestigious President of Yemen Award in playwriting for his play The Sixth Column, becoming the youngest Yemeni to win this award at the time.[11]

Film career[edit]

In the spring of 2018, Amr began the production of his first feature film, 10 Days Before the Wedding.[12][13] The film premiered in Aden during the summer of the same year, becoming the first film to be commercially released in Yemen in four decades.[14]

As a result of the destruction of the infrastructure in Aden due to successive wars and the deterioration of cinemas due to negligence,[15] Amr was forced to rent two wedding halls to show the movie inside.[16] Amr asked his team to build plywood screens in the two halls, and then they painted them white to screen the movie on them.[17][18]

The premiere of the film took place in Aden on August 21, 2018, at the two wedding halls, with five screenings daily in each hall.[19] The film achieved great commercial success, as the screenings lasted for more than eight months.[20][21] Later, the film became Yemen's official selection for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 2019.[22][23] The film also participated in a number of international and Arab festivals and won a number of awards.[24][25]

In 2021, Amr Gamal started shooting his second feature film, The Burdened, which was shot entirely in Aden City with a joint Yemeni and foreign crew. In February 2023, The Burdened became the first Yemeni film to be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the film also won a number of awards at international festivals.[26][27][28][29]

The Burdened is a co-production between Yemen, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia with the participation of artists and technicians from Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, India, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic.[30][31][32] It also receives post-production funding from the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival.[33][34][30][35]

Theater career[edit]

In 2005, Amr Gamal and his colleagues founded Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe, a theater troupe that has revived commercial theater in Yemen since the interruption of commercial theatrical performances after 1994 civil war in Yemen.

Amr wrote and directed nine plays between 2005 and 2023, and his play Ma'ak Nazel became the first Yemeni play to be performed in Europe, where it was performed in 2010 at the GRIPS Theater in Berlin for two consecutive days. Tickets were sold out days before the live performances.[36][37]

Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe[edit]

Amr and his colleagues founded Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe in Aden City in May 2005. The troupe's debut was through the play Family Dot Com, written and directed by Amr Gamal, which was performed on May 5, 2005, as part of the "Second Aden Theater Nights Festival".

Before founding Khaleej Aden Troupe, the founding members worked together on short plays written and directed by Amr Gamal as part of school theater activities between 1998 and 2001.

As a result of the 1994 civil war in Yemen, most of the theaters in Aden City were destroyed, and thus most commercial theater performances stopped. Some theatrical troupes that remained active at the time performed their plays as part of national theater festivals or within government national celebrations, which were rarely organized.

Due to all these circumstances, the members of Khaleej Aden troupe, led by Amr Gamal, began looking for alternative options in order to secure a venue to perform their commercial plays, and they chose the Hurricane Cinema Theatre, which is considered one of the oldest cinemas in the Arabian Peninsula, as it was opened in Aden during the Fifties of the last century.

Hurricane Cinema opened its doors to Khaleej Aden Troupe in 2006. This partnership between the cinema and the troupe bore fruit, as during the years between 2006 and 2023, all of the troupe's plays that were hosted by the cinema were a great commercial success.[38]

With an estimated audience of 350 people, Khaleej Aden troupe performed its first play, Family Dot Com, at the Hurricane Cinema Theatre in 2006. The success of the play led to increased public interest in attending the next Khaleej Aden troupe plays, so many Yemenis were traveling to Aden specifically to attend theatrical performances during the holiday seasons. By 2008, the number of attendees exceeded 800 per performance, and the troupe also performed more than one play in the city of Sana'a.

In June 2010, Khaleej Aden became the first Yemeni troupe to perform one of their plays in Europe,[39] as the troupe performed Ma'ak Nazel, directed by Amr Gamal, at the GRIPS Theater in Berlin.[40]

In January 2023, Khaleej Aden troupe performed the Adeni version of Hamlet by the English playwright William Shakespeare, directed by Amr Gamal.[41] The play was performed on a specially built stage in Aden's Legislative Council[ar], formerly St. Maria's Church. To achieve this performance, the troupe restored the historic church building, which was partially damaged due to the 2015 war, from its own budget.[42][43]

Hamlet was funded in cooperation with the British Council, which linked the Khaleej Aden Troupe with Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London and the Volcano Theater in Wales, which provided counseling and training sessions for the troupe members for a full year. The Adeni version of Hamlet received wide media attention, most notably the arrival of The Sunday Times correspondents from London to Aden to cover the premiere for the prestigious newspaper. The expanded report was published on the pages of the newspaper in the issue of March 19, 2023.[44][45]

Filmography[edit]

Theater Work[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2023 Berlin International Film Festival Amnesty Award The Burdened Won [55]
2023 Berlin International Film Festival Panorama Audience Award The Burdened Won
Second Place 		[55]
2023 Valencia International Film Festival Best Film The Burdened Nominated [55]
2023 Valencia International Film Festival Jury Prize (Best Director) The Burdened Won [55]
2023 Valencia International Film Festival Jury Prize (Best Writing) The Burdened Won
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at 		[55]
2023 Durban International Film Festival Best Film The Burdened Nominated [55]
2023 Durban International Film Festival Best Writing The Burdened Won
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at 		[55]
2023 Yerevan International Film Festival Best Asian Film The Burdened Nominated [55]
2023 Taipei Film Festival Best Film
(Grand Prize) 		The Burdened Nominated [55]
2023 Taipei Film Festival Best Film
(Special Jury Prize) 		The Burdened Won [55]
2019 Jaipur International Film Festival Best Film 10 Days Before the Wedding Nominated [55]
2019 Aswan International Women's Film Festival Best Film 10 Days Before the Wedding Nominated [55]
2019 Aswan International Women's Film Festival Best Film
(Special Jury Prize) 		10 Days Before the Wedding Won [55]
2019 San Diego Arab Film Festival Best Film
(Audience Award) 		10 Days Before the Wedding Won [55]
2019 Amman Arab Film Festival Best Film
(Audience Award) 		10 Days Before the Wedding Won [55]
2019 Casablanca Arab Film Festival Best Film 10 Days Before the Wedding Nominated [55]
2019 Casablanca Arab Film Festival Best Writing 10 Days Before the Wedding Won
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at 		[55]
2019 Zanzibar International Film Festival Best Film 10 Days Before the Wedding Nominated [55]

References[edit]

  1. ^ الاتحاد, صحيفة (5 March 2019). ""10 أيام قبل الزفة".. قصة حب في زمن الحرب". صحيفة الاتحاد (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ Othmani, Nashwan Al (28 November 2018). "When All Was Ruin Before the Wedding". Al-Madaniya Magazine. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  3. ^ ""10 أيام قبل الزفة".. عرس سينمائي بهيج تحت أنقاض عدَن". doc.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. ^ Newbould, Chris (10 October 2018). "Yemeni drama '10 Days Before the Wedding' completes Arab Oscars list". The National. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (15 December 2022). "Films Boutique Boards Berlinale Panorama Movie 'The Burdened' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  6. ^ Elmahdy, Basma (23 August 2023). "'The Burdened' Is Not Your Typical Yemeni Civil War Film". New Lines Magazine. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ^ Sequeira, Gayle (21 February 2023). "Dispatch from Berlinale 2023: Abortion Drama Al Murhaqoon Offers A Rare Glimpse of Life in Yemen". www.filmcompanion.in. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  8. ^ Bałaga, Marta (8 July 2022). "'We Want to Tell Our Untold Stories,' Say the Creators of Yemeni Abortion Drama 'The Burdened'". Variety. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  9. ^ Staff Reporter (8 July 2023). "Yerevan Int'l Film Festival nominates 'The Burdened' for Golden Apricot". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  10. ^ Amr, Gamal. "Amr Gamal | Director, Writer, Producer". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  11. ^ "حكاية نورس المخرج المايسترو عمرو جمال". عدن الغد (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ^ "في حوار مع أخبار الأمم المتحدة: مخرج فيلم "10 أيام قبل الزفة" يكسر قيود الحرب على اليمن | أخبار الأمم المتحدة". news.un.org (in Arabic). 2 November 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  13. ^ الحميري, عبدالرحمن (26 March 2019). "زهرة الخليج - (10 أيام قبل الزفّة) فيلمٌ يُزهر من تحت الأنقاض!". زهرة الخليج (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  14. ^ "النشرة الثقافية - "10 أيام قبل الزفة": سخرية اليمن من الحرب". مونت كارلو الدولية / MCD (in Arabic). 23 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  15. ^ CORRESPONDENT, ST (16 January 2019). "Yemeni film may provide some hope and happiness". The Bridge Chronicle. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  16. ^ "الفيلم اليمني "10 أيام قبل الزفة" يتجاوز ظروف الحرب ويواصل حصد الجوائز". اندبندنت عربية (in Arabic). 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  17. ^ magazine, Le Point (14 September 2018). "Au Yémen, le cinéma veut prendre sa revanche sur la guerre". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  18. ^ "dpa German Press Agency". dpa.com. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  19. ^ Gamal, Amr. "Regard d'Amr Gamal, un cinéaste au Yémen". www.areion24.news (in French). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Yemeni film takes center stage at San Diego Arab Film Fest". SDNews.com. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  21. ^ "The Panorama Audience Awards Go to Sira by Apolline Traoré and Kokomo City by D. Smith". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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  23. ^ جدلية, Jadaliyya-. "An Interview with Aden-Based Director Amr Gamal". Jadaliyya - جدلية. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  24. ^ Denisonian, The (23 February 2022). ""10 Days Before the Wedding" moves the audience". The Denisonian. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  25. ^ "The Royal Film Commission Jordan | "10 Days before the Wedding" Wins the Audience Award at AFFA 2019". www.film.jo. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  26. ^ Staff Reporter (1 July 2023). "'The Burdened' nabs Special Jury award at Taipei Film Festival". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  27. ^ "THE BURDENED – Durban International Film Festival". Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  28. ^ Odoj, Christin. "Berlinale-Panorama: Emotionaler Ausnahmezustand in »Al Murhaqoon«". nd-aktuell.de (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Amr Gamal - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  30. ^ a b Staff Reporter (3 July 2023). "Yemeni film 'The Burdened' bags two awards at Valencia International Film Festival". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  31. ^ Romney2023-02-20T15:30:00+00:00, Jonathan. "'The Burdened': Berlin Review". Screen. Retrieved 28 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ "用貼近真實的鏡頭，留下當代葉門風景──專訪《腹荷》導演阿姆魯．賈馬爾". 放映週報 (in Traditional Chinese). 8 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  33. ^ "The Red Sea Fund Opens Its Third Cycle For Production Funding – Red Sea Film". redseafilmfest.com. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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  38. ^ Mahmood, Ali (3 October 2019). "Theatre returns to war-ravaged Aden with a satirical look at life in the city". The National. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  39. ^ ""معك نازل" ـ مسرحية ألمانية بنكهة يمانيـة | DW | 18.06.2010". DW.COM (in Arabic). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  40. ^ "shaqous.com". Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  41. ^ "Shakespeare returns to the stage in Yemen's Aden". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  42. ^ "Shakespeare in Yemen: tragedy offers respite from war". Daily Times. 21 January 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  43. ^ "SHAKESPEARE IN YEMEN | cmecx". cmec.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  44. ^ "Shakespeare au Yémen : le retour du théâtre face à la tragédie de la guerre". France 24 (in French). 20 January 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  45. ^ Callaghan, Louise (28 August 2023). "To be or not to be? How Hamlet was staged amid Yemen's civil war". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  46. ^ "10 Days Before the Wedding, 2018 | Adenium Productions". adeniumproductions.com. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  47. ^ "Yemen—10 Days Before the Wedding". Retrieved 25 February 2023.
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  49. ^ Solutions, M. A. D. "THE BURDENED sets a precedent for Yemeni cinema with a historic premiere at the Berlinale - MAD Distribution Films". mad-distribution.film. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  50. ^ Romney, Jonathan. "'The Burdened': Berlin Review". screendaily. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  51. ^ "The Burdened - The Film Verdict". 20 February 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  52. ^ Staff Reporter (14 June 2023). "Durban International Film Festival to screen Yemeni film 'The Burdened'". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  53. ^ Al-Kohali, Tamjid Aziz (8 August 2017). "Amr Gamal: Theater In Wartime". Al-Madaniya Magazine. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  54. ^ kuwaittimes (25 January 2023). "Shakespeare in Yemen: tragedy offers respite from war". Kuwait Times. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  55. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Amr Gamal". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2023.

External links[edit]

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