ROYAL WINGS - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002
BY Eddie Taylor
The Shatter Hassan fairy tale has been brilliantly reinterpreted by a young Jordanian filmmaker, Mahmoud Massad, who talks to Eddie Taylor about his modernization of an Arabian Nights classic.
A story on which Arabic children from Morocco to Syria have been raised for enturies, Shatter Hassan entertains with tales of an unusually clever boy whose nomadic adventures bring him face to face with imaginary birds and legends. Yet there is little in Mahmoud Massad's debut film, a contemporary version of this famous fable, to inspire romantic visions of desert vistas or Bedouin mythology. Set in present-day Utrecht, Holland (where Zarqa-born Massad has been living and working for 12 years since he left Amman as a teenager), this Shatter Hassan features a homeless adolescent who ekes out an existence busking on the streets, living amid the filth and degradation of a Western city's brutal underbelly.
Having debuted the film at the Netherlands Film Festival in the autumn of 2001, and received rave notices from all involved, Mahmoud is currently in discussion with distributors and producers to help screen Shatter Hassan across the world. But with a second script nearing completion, and having caught the eye of several large European studios, it is clear there are more masterpieces, big and small, in the pipeline for this exceptional young Jordanian.
The story of Shatter Hassan is one of the 1001 Arabian Nights tales. Can you remember when you first heard it?
I must have first heard it when I was about four or five, probably read to me by my grandmother. Shatter Hassan, this dream character, is a very strong part of our culture - we have a saying that someone who lives in a world of his own is a Shatter Hassan! And it wasn't until I made the film that I realized that he was known across the entire Arab world.
So how did the idea come about for setting this tale in modern-day Western Europe?
The idea for the film occurred by chance. I was wandering around Utrecht and came across this Arabic musician on the street - he was obviously a down and out. I chatted to him, learned about his story, and when he said his name was Hassan, I instantly made the connection in my mind. It just all linked together. But the film is very much my story! It is about that strange situation of living in between two cultures - people see that you are different, yet you cannot help but lose some of your own national identity It is also the story of anyone from the developing world who goes to the West to try and live their dreams.
What led to you into the world of filmmaking, which is the ultimate dream for so many people around the world?
I left home to travel around Europe when I was 17 or 18. 1 actually wanted to go to film school in the United States, but my parents weren't that keen on it! Instead, I became a cameraman and editor on documentaries and spent the next 10 years working in places like Italy, Germany and Holland. That is still where my living comes from - I have to pay the rent! But I thought I needed that kind of technical experience to make this film and it has really served me well.
The notices you received after the Netherlands Film Festival must have brought a tremendous sense of relief?
Sadly, I didn't win a prize, but I was delighted with the response to my movie. One of the to Dutch film critics, a man who can count Steven Spielberg among his friends, said that it was a disgrace that I didn't win! He wrote a superb piece in the paper - so I guess that was my prize right there!
What about the general audience, did you get a sense of how they perceived a film that was made by an 'outsider' in their own backyard?
Well, the people who saw it first were from Utrecht, where the film is based. They told me they didn't believe it was their city! They were really shocked. I think Utrecht is a beautiful place, but you really have to look hard for the beauty. People were coming up to me saying, 'I live here, and I have never seen it this way!' That was nice. But what touched me most was the reaction from those in the film, or who had worked on it. People say that I am problematic and difficult to work with - but all those who criticized my perfectionism came up to me after the premier and apologized! They said it was the most beautiful thing they had seen, and that they were deeply moved by the finished product.
So how long did the process take? What were those problems?
Shatter Hassan took three years to complete. Two and a half of those years were spent simply getting enough material. I was forever waiting for the right light and conditions, so that tended to upset the actors! But after two years of shooting, I showed what I had done to a producer and he got the money together for post-production. That was where the film really came together, with the editing, the score and the narration. Several times, with no result in sight or audience feedback to sustain me, I did ask myself what the hell I was doing. But I had to keep believing, and I proved to myself that I could. I am very proud!
The narration you mentioned came from the famous Jordanian actor Nadim Sawalha. How did that come about?
I am such a fan of his! I must have seen everything he has been in. I knew I wanted to use a narrator from the beginning, and friends and colleagues suggested I do it - it was, after all, essentially my story. But I thought my skill lay purely in presenting the right image to the audience. I tried a few English guys, but I didn't feel that was right for such an Arabic story. So my brother in Amman got hold of Nadim's number. I showed him some scenes and he loved it, so he recorded the DAT at his own expense and sent it over. It was so professional and wonderful, everyone thought I had got hold of Anthony Hopkins...
Are you anticipating any negative feedback about your modernization of such a cherished story in the Arab world?
I don't really know. But I did get a lot of strength from the Arab world when I sought help for facilities and marketing. They were intrigued to know what I was doing with this famous story. A Lebanese producer who works for Warner is trying to find a distributor in the US. So at least I am making contacts! But this was a project for myself, to prove that I could do it. Not to make money or be a big success...
What is next for Mahmoud al Massad?
I have another very interesting story about the Middle East, again on the basis of someone traveling from the East to the West, about the chance that your dreams may turn to dust. I prefer to use stories to put across my message; there is more room for illusion, more freedom to express than with a pure documentary.
Would your future ever involve making a film in your native Jordan?
I would love to make a film in Jordan! People make films in Jordan, but not about Jordan - they come for six weeks and then disappear. Of course, it is a dream maybe to have a co-production. It is such a brilliant location... it Is amazing. That is my dream, yes.
Shatter Hassan is shot on 35mm,in colour, is 40 minutes long and was filmed in English, Dutch and Arabic.