JORDANTV — The Strangers Pledge
20261012 210500 UTC
604 transcript segments
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[00:00:14] I want to create this
[00:00:16] and animals, from
[00:00:25] Blessed days to
[00:03:44] reserve in
[00:03:57] Do you, for example, suggest to
[00:04:06] memorizing and working on
[00:04:11] So when
[00:04:15] Awni who made this
[00:04:39] types of
[00:04:44] realistic, do you feel? Is it else in
[00:12:21] So, the film "Behind the Scenes," directed by Awni
[00:12:25] Qandah, starring Samira Al-Asir, Youssef Kiwan,
[00:12:28] Diana Rahma, and others. Today we will talk more about it.
[00:12:31] I renew my welcome. First of all, I want to tell you, Samira,
[00:12:35] this is your first, I mean, your beginnings, perhaps one of the first works you
[00:12:38] did, but you won best actress in it, right?
[00:12:42] That year, yes, it was, I mean, years ago, maybe 11
[00:12:46] years, do you remember that time? Yes, I remember. How
[00:12:49] did you feel then about receiving such an award
[00:12:53] at the beginning of your career? I was very, very happy, and I actually remember
[00:12:57] going up on stage, and Issam Hajjawi at that time gave out the awards,
[00:13:00] I mean. And everyone
[00:13:03] stood up and clapped for me, and I felt that this is my artistic
[00:13:06] journey beginning, things are happening, I mean. So it was
[00:13:10] a very beautiful thing. Now, the heroine talks
[00:13:13] about a story that almost every
[00:13:17] artist might experience, exactly. Every artist
[00:13:21] experiences such details. But it touches upon
[00:13:25] it. Yes, of course, because this is my job too. So I felt
[00:13:29] very much that this is an important thing we need to talk about, how
[00:13:33] society prevents a girl from becoming an artist
[00:13:36] and speaking and acting. So
[00:13:39] this role was very important from that aspect. And you felt it was realistic,
[00:13:44] female artists, let's say, who might face such a thing,
[00:13:47] not at the beginning, perhaps, right? Right. Okay, let's move on to Dr.
[00:13:51] Hamza. Our traditional usual question always, okay.
[00:13:55] How did you see the film "Behind the Scenes" in general before we get into
[00:13:58] its details, somewhat? First of all, before
[00:14:01] I talk about the film, the film was produced about
[00:14:04] 13 or 12 years ago, of course.
[00:14:08] So, to be fair, you know that it's made up of
[00:14:11] fair first thing. First of all,
[00:14:14] films that receive funding from the Ministry of Culture, they
[00:14:18] receive funding, I mean, what we call
[00:14:21] in our language as filmmakers, low budget, which is
[00:14:25] very little funding, just enough to make the film's
[00:14:29] cost low, right? So, we must know
[00:14:32] that these films are made with very small
[00:14:36] budgets, and
[00:14:38] they are not films made for
[00:14:42] commercial purposes. These are films that are
[00:14:46] either for directors who are trying it for the first or second
[00:14:49] time, or for people who are trying filmmaking for the first time, right?
[00:14:53] So, films
[00:15:07] for filmmaking. That's why, before we talk about
[00:15:11] the film and the techniques of filmmaking
[00:15:13] that we saw, or let's say,
[00:15:16] I mean,
[00:15:19] as, I mean, if we want to talk about analyzing the film in general
[00:15:22] before we analyze the film, we must know
[00:15:27] the circumstances first. Second thing, for me,
[00:15:30] as an academic
[00:15:33] researcher specializing in the role of cinematic elements
[00:15:36] in creating empathy with the hero, and this is, let's
[00:15:40] say, the basic core that every filmmaker thinks about
[00:15:43] because the main goal of filmmaking for me as a filmmaker
[00:15:47] or anyone is to think about how
[00:15:51] connection or empathy between
[00:15:55] the viewer and the character that I build as my hero.
[00:15:58] So, this
[00:16:01] empathy is built
[00:16:05] through the director's and filmmaker's
[00:16:08] use of cinematic tools, which are the elements of cinema, including acting, screenwriting,
[00:16:12] camera frames, cinematography,
[00:16:16] colors, music. I mean, these are very many elements.
[00:16:20] We can't list them all now because each
[00:16:23] film uses certain elements, and it might, of course, focus on certain
[00:16:26] things depending on the requirements of the film and the story.
[00:16:30] Let's just say, in general, the film,
[00:16:33] I mean, thank you to the director who
[00:16:36] was able to make such a film with such a budget, and most
[00:16:40] importantly, that
[00:16:43] the most important thing is the award that Samira received. How did you see Samira,
[00:16:47] eh, we, I mean, this is the most important thing because
[00:16:50] it is one of the important elements of cinema,
[00:16:54] how I as a director manage
[00:16:56] the actor, and how the actor himself
[00:17:00] interacts with me as a director and gives me the performance I want.
[00:17:03] And this was very excellent, I mean, and the proof
[00:17:07] is that Samira received
[00:17:10] film. And it was, I mean,
[00:17:14] we talked off-air before, I understood
[00:17:17] that this was Samira's first acting
[00:17:20] or cinematic experience. There were more than one, but
[00:17:23] it was one of the first she did, and she,
[00:17:26] at her beginnings, to be able
[00:17:29] to win an award for a film, that's a very great thing for Samira. I mean, my testimony
[00:17:32] about her is biased, honestly, because I mean, there is
[00:17:36] injustice and difficult circumstances, let's say,
[00:17:40] for the art sector in general here, and acting, but, I mean,
[00:17:44] your steps are well-thought-out, eh,
[00:17:47] firm, let's say, and God willing, you will succeed
[00:17:51] in your professional life and your marital
[00:17:54] and family life. Samira,
[00:17:57] a film, you had co-stars, and perhaps you were in your beginnings. I mean, Diana
[00:18:01] Rahma was your mother in the
[00:18:04] the co-stars? Youssef Kiwan, of course, greetings to him.
[00:18:08] I honestly am even affected by his voice, not just
[00:18:11] his acting performance. So tell me, how was the atmosphere
[00:18:14] working with these artists? Ms. Diana actually
[00:18:18] played my mother more than once, and our relationship
[00:18:21] is very intimate and very beautiful.
[00:18:24] those personalities who embraces those in front of her.
[00:18:28] She doesn't make you feel that
[00:18:30] she is famous and she is a star. She doesn't make you feel that way. No,
[00:18:33] she takes you into her heart, I mean.
[00:18:37] And of course, Youssef, we, I mean, he is a bit older than me, but he
[00:18:41] was very cooperative with me, and we enjoyed acting
[00:18:44] together a lot.
[00:18:48] So it was a very nice experience. How long do you remember it took to
[00:18:51] shoot? I think three days, maybe four days,
[00:18:54] something like that. There were scenes that
[00:18:57] required a high level of emotion, let's say,
[00:19:00] and there were some scenes that talked about
[00:19:03] the struggle, let's say, between a person and themselves.
[00:19:06] How did you manage to prepare yourself for these things?
[00:19:11] films? Um,
[00:19:14] honestly,
[00:19:16] we worked, I trained on the script before, I mean, and Professor Nabil,
[00:19:20] since he was my teacher, he was training me in acting.
[00:19:24] Our greetings to him for his efforts. Professor Nabil, honestly,
[00:19:27] I mean, we thank him very much because he is
[00:19:31] a true supporter of the new generation in a very big way.
[00:19:35] I mean, our greetings to him if he's watching us. Oh,
[00:19:38] so we worked a lot at home already before, I mean,
[00:19:44] the other beats and things.
[00:19:49] I came to shoot, it was a little easier because I
[00:19:52] knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to bring out that feeling.
[00:19:56] And of course, just standing on stage
[00:19:58] yes, there's this feeling that gets inside you
[00:20:02] when you're an actress that gives you that energy.
[00:20:06] Yes, yes, oh, that energy is really great. God willing, it will continue
[00:20:10] and give more and more. Dr. Hamza, when we are
[00:20:13] talking about the film's story, let's start
[00:20:16] with the story, let's say. Is the plot
[00:20:22] somewhat close to reality? Did it touch you as a story before we get into
[00:20:25] other techniques? I mean, let's
[00:20:29] be realistic in general, cinema or drama is actually
[00:20:33] a reflection of societal reality. I mean, no filmmaker
[00:20:36] draws
[00:20:39] a story for a film or
[00:20:42] for a series unless he is affected
[00:20:45] by it.
[00:20:48] reality and very close to reality, especially in that era, I mean.
[00:20:52] When we go back in time
[00:20:55] to when the film was produced 12 years ago,
[00:20:58] a lot of things changed during that period.
[00:21:01] Things changed.
[00:21:04] 12 years ago, societal ideas were
[00:21:07] present in this
[00:21:10] story. Today, I think things have changed a bit,
[00:21:13] and there's more openness
[00:21:16] in thinking. But, I mean, of course,
[00:21:19] the story in society at that time, I
[00:21:22] noticed not only the parents. I noticed, I don't know
[00:21:26] if Samira, because you were in the thick of it,
[00:21:29] I mean.
[00:21:32] Youssef Kiwan, who is the girl's fiancé, because
[00:21:36] the parents, maybe, I don't know, I felt that they were okay
[00:21:39] with refusing, but at least there was a dialogue, a give and take.
[00:21:43] He was firm and told her, "It's either me or
[00:21:46] acting." And he
[00:21:50] is in the same field. Are there really people
[00:21:53] in the same field
[00:21:56] who, unfortunately, refuse anyone from
[00:22:00] their sons or daughters or
[00:22:03] wives to be in this field?
[00:22:06] Yes, there are.
[00:22:09] Why do you think that is? I mean, let's, if we want to talk about
[00:22:13] the reason in general, realistically, and the reason in the film, because
[00:22:16] the character of the hero, Youssef,
[00:22:20] is complex. But the father also says something, he says
[00:22:23] that society looks at an actress in a way that is not
[00:22:26] very nice. So it comes from this pattern. Even the one
[00:22:30] who works in art doesn't want his wife or fiancée to work because he knows
[00:22:34] how people talk within society and among artists
[00:22:37] and within society that they will look at this woman as something wrong
[00:22:41] or negatively or not
[00:22:42] in a
[00:22:45] way. Not the positive view that society
[00:22:50] has of artists. But when I sometimes talk a lot, we are talking about
[00:22:52] a person, I mean, I don't know if it was Wael himself who told her that art
[00:22:56] changes society and art is a message,
[00:22:59] and art, I mean, this big talk. And when
[00:23:03] it came to his fiancée,
[00:23:05] he refused. Ah, his personality
[00:23:08] is complex. Is he, when
[00:23:12] also, this is because I connected between Othello
[00:23:15] too, let's talk a little about the topic
[00:23:19] of the idea of the Eastern
[00:23:23] man. I liked the story of the Eastern man, since we want to
[00:23:27] delve into the idea of the Eastern man. But with your
[00:23:30] permission, we need to go to a short break, and after that, we will
[00:23:34] dive into the idea of the Eastern man. So, dear viewers, a short break,
[00:23:37] and after that, we will definitely come back to you.
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[00:26:50] So, dear viewers, we're back and we were talking about the film "Behind
[00:26:54] the Scenes" with the film's star, Samira Al-Asir,
[00:26:57] and Dr. Hamza Al-Khatib. Dr. Hamza, we were
[00:27:01] talking about her fiancé, perhaps,
[00:27:04] in the film for Samira, and how much he was
[00:27:08] against the idea of her acting. And you mentioned the idea of the Eastern
[00:27:12] man. We stopped at this idea to elaborate more
[00:27:15] on this topic. The Eastern man himself
[00:27:19] suffers within his society from the issue of society's acceptance of
[00:27:22] art in the first place. If we go back to what people say,
[00:27:26] exactly. He himself is
[00:27:29] not, as a man,
[00:27:33] not, I mean, not able to
[00:27:36] convince society of his presence in
[00:27:39] the field of art or, for example, in art work. I mean, for example, you find, for example, in
[00:27:43] some conservative families, for example, that if
[00:27:46] someone from that family loves art, he keeps feeling a bit
[00:27:50] that he, as a man, is not accepted. So how
[00:27:54] when he brings his wife and tells them that his wife is also an artist
[00:27:57] who works in art and so on? So,
[00:28:01] contradiction happens to the Eastern
[00:28:04] man, because when
[00:28:07] the house, he thinks about how she will be suitable for the family
[00:28:10] and their interaction with the family, and I don't know if
[00:28:14] you agree with me, I mean, also Samira, because she is married
[00:28:17] to an artist, of course, Majd, our greetings, of course,
[00:28:20] to him. But perhaps art in general, ah,
[00:28:24] whether for a man or
[00:28:27] for a woman, we're talking about in the past, it was something
[00:28:30] difficult, and sometimes they say to you, "Study something because this doesn't put bread
[00:28:34] on the table," I mean, let's say it
[00:28:38] in colloquial terms. They consider that if you have a craft, a profession,
[00:28:42] a degree that you work with in a stable
[00:28:45] job, this is what is guaranteed, right?
[00:28:48] But how does
[00:28:51] a person? If someone doesn't achieve their dream, do they live unhappy?
[00:28:54] Yes, you feel something is missing, that, well, this is the
[00:28:58] place where I had this dream, I want to go there. If I
[00:29:02] went there and worked in
[00:29:05] something not, I mean, I got full marks in all my theater
[00:29:08] courses at university, full mark, full mark.
[00:29:12] Anything else, those electives, English, even English, and my mother
[00:29:15] is English, I failed maths, science, everything,
[00:29:20] classes, but anything related to theater, that's it.
[00:29:23] And in university, I did 14 plays
[00:29:26] by students in the four years I was there, as much as I wanted
[00:29:30] to immerse myself in it, and I wanted to do and learn everything.
[00:29:32] So imagine if you took this away from me, that's it.
[00:29:36] From one place to another, the heroine and you love your fiancé, you would have fought, you would have
[00:29:39] left him. You would, I mean, you choose
[00:29:42] your passion or your dream. Yes, okay. And I am very lucky
[00:29:46] that I found someone that you are
[00:29:48] lucky, honestly, Majd, I mean, he's also an artist
[00:29:52] and a sophisticated person, mashallah. May God protect you, I mean.
[00:29:55] Dr. Hamza, if we want to get into the techniques a bit, tell us
[00:29:58] about the techniques. Tell us if there are things that you might
[00:30:02] not agree with, and we repeat that it is
[00:30:06] an old film. We're talking about 14 years
[00:30:10] if not more. We're talking about the beginnings
[00:30:13] perhaps of the director
[00:30:17] film. So tell us
[00:30:19] what were the aspects that you felt
[00:30:23] didn't attract you much? Before I say
[00:30:26] my opinion, um, the film
[00:30:29] is made from the director's point of view.
[00:30:32] Before I speak, he saw that this is how the film was made.
[00:30:35] So, that's his point of view on how to direct the film, and this is
[00:30:39] what he came up with, of course. Now, from my point of
[00:30:42] view, for example, if I thought about this film
[00:30:45] and how it could be directed in a better way,
[00:30:50] of the frames would change, the way
[00:30:52] of filming.
[00:30:54] Let's say, perhaps, the production design needed
[00:30:58] a lot of work, I mean.
[00:31:01] What do you mean by production design? Production
[00:31:04] design is the design of the scene within the frame, whether it's decor
[00:31:08] or costumes, colors,
[00:31:11] lighting, which is, let's say in Arabic, they call it
[00:31:15] set design, right? That's what they say in Arabic,
[00:31:18] I don't know. Production design is
[00:31:21] the production design within the frame, okay, which is
[00:31:24] how the frame itself is designed for us to see it,
[00:31:28] okay. From the aspect of shot size,
[00:31:31] colors, decor within the scene,
[00:31:34] costumes, makeup, all of this. Did
[00:31:37] you feel that because it was in a time period between when she was little
[00:31:41] in school, Samira, and between
[00:31:44] now, did you feel the transition? Because sometimes this transition
[00:31:47] requires more makeup, more work
[00:31:51] from the director also with colors? I mean, I'm not
[00:31:54] talking about that. What I'm talking about is that it needed work
[00:32:00] the directorial vision in general. It needed more
[00:32:03] work. And again, we need to talk
[00:32:06] about something we weren't in its circumstances, honestly,
[00:32:09] because the film, again, was made on a low budget, with a small
[00:32:13] amount. Perhaps
[00:32:17] this is what he ended up with, I mean. Now I want to ask
[00:32:20] Samira this question after the number of years she has been working,
[00:32:24] and after she saw this film, but please allow me to go to a short break,
[00:32:28] dear viewers. After that, we will come back and see Samira's opinion on the matter.
[00:33:00] It revives the soul. It has the sea, it has nights out, it has
[00:33:04] adventures and the sweetest memories. It has restaurants
[00:33:07] and markets and the biggest water park, and its prices suit
[00:33:11] all budgets. Every corner tells you stories. Go
[00:33:14] there, go to Aqaba, it revives the soul.
[00:33:18] Oh Aqaba, oh bride of the sea,
[00:33:21] oh adorned.
[00:34:45] So, dear viewers, we want to continue our conversation and go
[00:34:48] to Samira now. Samira, you heard
[00:34:52] topic, and let's repeat that
[00:34:55] we say, as they say, that this is one of your first
[00:34:59] experiences. After all these years, now when
[00:35:01] you watch it, what do you feel could
[00:35:05] be your role? I don't want to tell you something else.
[00:35:09] Oh, no, no.
[00:35:12] the director that if we do this, we'll do that?
[00:35:23] At that time, it was very good, of course.
[00:35:26] Now, if I were to go back and
[00:35:28] do it again, how do you feel, for example,
[00:35:32] how would you do
[00:35:35] what Dr. Hamza talked about, I mean, to have a peak
[00:35:39] in the matter, I mean, so it's not flat? Let's just focus on this topic
[00:35:42] more from a directorial perspective and more.
[00:35:54] Perhaps more in the play, yes, that Othello's play was staged and she came out as Desdemona, and then in the end he kills
[00:35:57] her, seriously.
[00:36:01] Othello, like a play,
[00:36:03] definitely Othello, the famous one. Maybe he
[00:36:07] used the idea of Othello to convey
[00:36:10] how he thinks, because he resembles Othello a lot, a character
[00:36:27] 100%. Oh, how can I come and work with you
[00:36:31] in theater and acting?
[00:36:34] Samira, what are your upcoming projects? I mean, now that we're talking about this film,
[00:36:37] you reminded me to ask you, what about your career now, even though I know
[00:36:41] you might have a baby girl now? Well, now I'm totally immersed in the most beautiful
[00:36:45] stage of my life, which is motherhood, of course.
[00:36:48] So, Shams came to us, and a month ago, we had
[00:36:51] a daughter named Amalihem. So, now I'm taking a
[00:36:55] break, but
[00:36:58] there's a play we're working on, Majd and I. We actually performed
[00:37:02] six months ago. It's a musical play,
[00:37:05] the first of its kind. So, God willing, theater is easier when
[00:37:09] you have a baby to work, because the hours are different from
[00:37:12] 12 hours of filming, you know, with cinema.
[00:37:15] So, I'm leaning towards this, but after a few months, when Amal
[00:37:19] grows up a bit, because it's the best thing in the world, this job.
[00:37:22] Of course, this is the best job, the best job in the world, to raise
[00:37:26] a child in this life
[00:37:29] and change the world with this. It's much better than acting.
[00:37:33] I really want to, Samira, it just occurred to me,
[00:37:36] why don't you make a film about
[00:37:40] feeling that now, I mean, I'm just talking to you, I can see, right,
[00:37:43] Dr. Hamza, her eyes are sparkling.
[00:37:47] Yes, without even realizing it, because it's such
[00:37:50] a different feeling, of course, the feeling of motherhood. May God
[00:37:54] protect them. Dr. Hamza, when we talk about short films, I want
[00:37:58] to talk about this, I mean, about our film today, "Behind the Scenes," because
[00:38:01] we've pretty much covered most things. How important
[00:38:04] is it, and what is your message
[00:38:08] to short film makers when
[00:38:11] they make a film like this? How
[00:38:15] can they make it in a way that truly affects the viewer? I mean,
[00:38:18] we want the film to affect the viewer, not just deliver
[00:38:21] a message. It should be simple, nice, entertaining, and good,
[00:38:25] but also penetrate deep into the viewer's soul without
[00:38:29] them realizing it, and change their way of thinking. Well, honestly, making short films
[00:38:32] is much harder than making
[00:38:36] feature films, because the director or filmmaker
[00:38:40] needs to, within a short
[00:38:43] time, possibly not exceeding 15
[00:38:45] minutes, to shed light on a specific issue or
[00:38:49] convey a specific message through
[00:38:52] their film, right? And
[00:38:55] this puts a great burden on the filmmaker himself.
[00:38:58] And honestly, making short films is
[00:39:01] a unique world within
[00:39:04] the industry in general. There are people who specialize in making short
[00:39:08] films, but
[00:39:11] in our Arab world, especially here in Jordan, because
[00:39:15] we don't have an industry, I mean, let's say, in the concept of industry,
[00:39:19] we have what we call independent films,
[00:39:23] individual experiences, individual experiences. So, in the beginning,
[00:39:26] filmmakers always tend
[00:39:29] to make short films in order
[00:39:32] to convince funding bodies that
[00:39:35] they are capable of making a film or capable of making feature films.
[00:39:39] So, the journey starts from here,
[00:39:40] honestly.
[00:39:44] And this actually
[00:39:47] gives great strength to the filmmaker,
[00:39:50] that if I make a successful short film,
[00:39:53] I am capable of making a successful feature film.
[00:39:58] The reason is that I was able to shed
[00:40:02] light on a specific issue in a very short time and attract
[00:40:05] the viewer and make him, perhaps, receive
[00:40:09] the message I want to convey. Correct. As for the recommendation,
[00:40:13] you're asking me what my advice is. I
[00:40:16] advise young filmmakers
[00:40:19] that before you think about making a film,
[00:40:23] do a proper study of the elements of cinema and how to work on
[00:40:26] employing them
[00:40:29] within your film, because the elements of cinema
[00:40:32] are what lead to your main goal, which is to create
[00:40:35] empathy with your hero and create the, let's
[00:40:39] say,
[00:40:43] attraction or
[00:40:47] to make the audience cling to this story or be drawn
[00:40:51] to your film, because if you don't know how to correctly employ
[00:40:54] the elements of cinema, you won't be able to produce a correct film.
[00:40:58] Right. I mean, the new
[00:41:01] techniques,
[00:41:04] the techniques you study at university for films are very important, but
[00:41:08] experience also plays a role, of course. I mean, Samira, perhaps
[00:41:11] in her beginnings, was completely different from now. She knows how to perform
[00:41:15] correctly. She knows how to deliver
[00:41:19] the performance in a way that is not too over the top, nor
[00:41:22] too flat. So, I'm
[00:41:25] sure that filmmakers' first experience is different from the second, from
[00:41:29] the third, from the fourth, for them. So, we hope they make many films
[00:41:34] of course. I want to thank you, Samira Al-Assir. Thank you
[00:41:38] for being here, despite the circumstances you have.
[00:41:42] We'd love to see you in future works, my dear. And I'm very
[00:41:45] happy I came. The program is really good. Thank you, thank you.
[00:41:49] You're most welcome, Dr. Hamza. Welcome. Thank you.
[00:41:53] Thank you. So, in the end, we say the title
[00:41:56] of our film today is "Behind the Scenes," but the story we
[00:41:59] saw today exists in the lives of many of us, because every
[00:42:03] person has a dream, and every dream has its fears
[00:42:06] and challenges. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is not the path
[00:42:09] itself, but people's view of us and our fear of
[00:42:12] losing them. Perhaps we are not asked to choose between
[00:42:16] our dreams and the people we love, but we are asked
[00:42:20] to learn, to learn how to love without
[00:42:23] restricting, to support without imposing,
[00:42:27] and how to leave space for everyone,
[00:42:31] for every person, their space to be themselves. And the question remains
[00:42:34] for all of us: Are we living the life we dream
[00:42:37] of, or the life that others have drawn for us?
[00:42:41] We meet in a new episode of "A Film's Story." Goodbye.
[00:44:04] Dana Reserve, a symphony of life
[00:44:07] and the memory
[00:44:10] realize, as you stand on the edge of these towering
[00:44:14] mountains, that you are before a masterpiece that has transcended
[00:44:17] the boundaries of geography to become a gene
[00:44:20] bank pulsating with life.
[00:44:24] Here, on this land that
[00:44:27] breathes the scent of history and embraces
[00:44:30] the clouds, Dana Biosphere Reserve extends
[00:44:34] as a living testament to the greatness
[00:44:36] of the Creator and the magic of Jordanian nature.
[00:44:40] In this site, extending from the Qadisiyah highlands
[00:44:43] that embrace the sky at over
[00:44:46] 1500 meters,
[00:44:49] sloping down towards the warm plains of Wadi Araba.
[00:45:13] Dana rises as a unique station
[00:45:15] established in
[00:45:17] 1989
[00:45:20] to be the first and largest biosphere
[00:45:24] Jordan. That vast
[00:45:27] area, which exceeds 290
[00:45:30] square kilometers, has proven that diversity
[00:45:34] is the secret of survival, and that nature is capable
[00:45:38] of embracing contradictions in amazing
[00:45:41] harmony. Dana's unique geographical
[00:45:44] gradient does not merely embody rugged
[00:45:48] terrain, but rather represents a rare
[00:45:51] embrace of four biogeographical
[00:45:55] regions in one place: the
[00:45:58] mountainous highlands region, the slopes
[00:46:02] and valleys region, the desert
[00:46:04] plateaus, and Ghor
[00:46:07] Feinan. One look at these valleys
[00:46:10] is no coincidence. It is a constant indication of a natural
[00:46:13] richness that has made the reserve home
[00:46:17] to more than 800 plants,
[00:46:20] some of which have not been recorded anywhere
[00:46:24] the world except here, proudly bearing
[00:46:27] the name Dana.
[00:46:49] Within the embrace of these ancient rocks and the
[00:46:53] venerable cypress forests, rare
[00:46:55] wildlife thrives. A life preserved
[00:46:59] to remain and to remind every visitor
[00:47:02] that this land is a safe haven for hundreds
[00:47:05] of species of birds
[00:47:09] the Syrian Serin, which found here
[00:47:12] its largest concentration in the world, to the mountain goat,
[00:47:16] the lynx, and the Afghan fox.
[00:47:19] Wild souls found
[00:47:23] their last refuge in Dana from the threat
[00:47:27] 1994,
[00:47:30] a pioneering management plan was added to the site,
[00:47:34] making Dana a global model that combines
[00:47:37] environmental protection and local community development.
[00:47:40] And despite the development of the area
[00:47:43] and the addition of facilities for eco-tourists,
[00:47:47] the spirit of the reserve remained as
[00:47:50] it was: pure,
[00:47:53] vibrant, and filled with a tranquility that resembles the silence
[00:47:56] of contemplation in the grandeur of the universe.
[00:47:59] The place, with its biological diversity
[00:48:03] and historical heritage spanning thousands of years,
[00:48:07] has become a destination for those seeking tranquility
[00:48:10] and a stop for nature lovers
[00:48:13] who come to read the story of the earth in every stone
[00:48:16] and tree. Dana Reserve is not
[00:48:20] just mountains and valleys,
[00:48:23] but a message. It is not just trees
[00:48:26] and animals, but a memory. It is
[00:48:29] the place where the magic of nature meets the scent
[00:48:33] of history, where the earth tells a story of life that has
[00:48:36] not stopped, and a diversity that has not vanished, and a homeland
[00:48:40] that still places the protection of its natural heritage as a crown
[00:48:44] upon
[00:48:44] its head.
[00:48:55] I am the soul that was born more than two million
[00:48:59] years ago. I am the one whose first
[00:49:02] steps were on the land of Sukhna.
[00:49:05] I am the eye that saw
[00:49:08] a gazelle pass between the rocks
[00:49:10] and dreams
[00:49:12] shaped from plaster to weave the melody
[00:49:15] of eternity.
[00:49:20] I am the Nabataean secret in the heart
[00:49:22] of the rocks and the echo of the city of a thousand
[00:49:26] columns. I am the blessed land
[00:49:30] that prophets and saints trod upon,
[00:49:34] and the river in which Christ
[00:49:36] was baptized.
[00:49:39] I am a light that carried the message of Islam
[00:49:42] and peace. So cities
[00:49:45] and minarets rose.
[00:49:51] I am the first shot and the cry of an Arab
[00:49:55] revolution that called for renaissance
[00:49:57] and freedom. I am the steadfastness
[00:50:00] of Karameh when it refused to be broken,
[00:50:04] and a bridge between the past and the future,
[00:50:08] resolve in the face of hardship. I
[00:50:12] am a story more than two million years old,
[00:50:16] and I am still writing it. I am
[00:50:19] Jordan, the land and the people.
[00:50:36] Jerash, the city of a thousand columns.
[00:50:40] Every stone has a voice, and every column
[00:50:43] has a story. In northern Jordan, where
[00:50:47] the city of Jerash stands, you don't need to
[00:50:50] be an archaeologist to hear the whisper
[00:50:53] of history. Just walk down its long
[00:50:57] colonnaded street to feel the footsteps of Roman
[00:51:00] legions, the clamor of merchants,
[00:51:03] and the laughter of children who once ran in
[00:51:07] these vast squares.
[00:51:29] Here, time does not pass; it accumulates in
[00:51:33] layers that you can touch
[00:51:35] with your hands. The idea upon which this city
[00:51:39] was built was not merely construction; it was
[00:51:43] the creation of a complete life.
[00:51:45] The theaters that still retain their amazing
[00:51:48] acoustic capabilities, and the oval forum that once
[00:51:52] hosted public gatherings, and the Nymphaeum
[00:51:56] that sweetly quenched the thirst
[00:51:58] of passersby. The goal was not
[00:52:02] to stack stones, but to build
[00:52:05] a vibrant community that combines
[00:52:08] the wisdom of the East and the arts of the West.
[00:52:30] everyone.
[00:53:04] But stones do not tell a single story.
[00:53:07] After centuries of Roman glory, Jerash embraced
[00:53:11] its Byzantine churches, then its Umayyad
[00:53:15] mosques, transforming the city into
[00:53:18] history, each layer passing the torch
[00:53:22] to the next. Then came a violent earthquake,
[00:53:25] silencing the city's clamor and leaving it to sleep
[00:53:29] under the soil for centuries, preserving
[00:53:33] oblivion. And the question that accompanies
[00:53:36] the visitor remains: How did this city
[00:53:40] come back to life? The answer lies in the passion
[00:53:44] of the explorers who removed the dust
[00:53:47] of time from it since the early twentieth
[00:53:50] century.
[00:53:52] It was not discovered as a treasure but as a human
[00:53:55] heritage that must be
[00:53:57] preserved.
[00:54:56] And today, when the visitor wanders among these
[00:54:59] columns, he realizes that Jerash does not display
[00:55:02] a dead history, but invites
[00:55:06] one to be part of it. It teaches us
[00:55:09] how civilizations are built, how memory is preserved,
[00:55:11] and how a city can whisper
[00:55:15] its stories to anyone who listens to it,
[00:55:19] giving the past a meaning that resonates