Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:14I want to create this
00:00:16and animals, from
00:00:25Blessed days to
00:03:44reserve in
00:03:57Do you, for example, suggest to
00:04:06memorizing and working on
00:04:11So when
00:04:15Awni who made this
00:04:39types of
00:04:44realistic, do you feel? Is it else in
00:12:21So, the film "Behind the Scenes," directed by Awni
00:12:25Qandah, starring Samira Al-Asir, Youssef Kiwan,
00:12:28Diana Rahma, and others. Today we will talk more about it.
00:12:31I renew my welcome. First of all, I want to tell you, Samira,
00:12:35this is your first, I mean, your beginnings, perhaps one of the first works you
00:12:38did, but you won best actress in it, right?
00:12:42That year, yes, it was, I mean, years ago, maybe 11
00:12:46years, do you remember that time? Yes, I remember. How
00:12:49did you feel then about receiving such an award
00:12:53at the beginning of your career? I was very, very happy, and I actually remember
00:12:57going up on stage, and Issam Hajjawi at that time gave out the awards,
00:13:00I mean. And everyone
00:13:03stood up and clapped for me, and I felt that this is my artistic
00:13:06journey beginning, things are happening, I mean. So it was
00:13:10a very beautiful thing. Now, the heroine talks
00:13:13about a story that almost every
00:13:17artist might experience, exactly. Every artist
00:13:21experiences such details. But it touches upon
00:13:25it. Yes, of course, because this is my job too. So I felt
00:13:29very much that this is an important thing we need to talk about, how
00:13:33society prevents a girl from becoming an artist
00:13:36and speaking and acting. So
00:13:39this role was very important from that aspect. And you felt it was realistic,
00:13:44female artists, let's say, who might face such a thing,
00:13:47not at the beginning, perhaps, right? Right. Okay, let's move on to Dr.
00:13:51Hamza. Our traditional usual question always, okay.
00:13:55How did you see the film "Behind the Scenes" in general before we get into
00:13:58its details, somewhat? First of all, before
00:14:01I talk about the film, the film was produced about
00:14:0413 or 12 years ago, of course.
00:14:08So, to be fair, you know that it's made up of
00:14:11fair first thing. First of all,
00:14:14films that receive funding from the Ministry of Culture, they
00:14:18receive funding, I mean, what we call
00:14:21in our language as filmmakers, low budget, which is
00:14:25very little funding, just enough to make the film's
00:14:29cost low, right? So, we must know
00:14:32that these films are made with very small
00:14:36budgets, and
00:14:38they are not films made for
00:14:42commercial purposes. These are films that are
00:14:46either for directors who are trying it for the first or second
00:14:49time, or for people who are trying filmmaking for the first time, right?
00:14:53So, films
00:15:07for filmmaking. That's why, before we talk about
00:15:11the film and the techniques of filmmaking
00:15:13that we saw, or let's say,
00:15:16I mean,
00:15:19as, I mean, if we want to talk about analyzing the film in general
00:15:22before we analyze the film, we must know
00:15:27the circumstances first. Second thing, for me,
00:15:30as an academic
00:15:33researcher specializing in the role of cinematic elements
00:15:36in creating empathy with the hero, and this is, let's
00:15:40say, the basic core that every filmmaker thinks about
00:15:43because the main goal of filmmaking for me as a filmmaker
00:15:47or anyone is to think about how
00:15:51connection or empathy between
00:15:55the viewer and the character that I build as my hero.
00:15:58So, this
00:16:01empathy is built
00:16:05through the director's and filmmaker's
00:16:08use of cinematic tools, which are the elements of cinema, including acting, screenwriting,
00:16:12camera frames, cinematography,
00:16:16colors, music. I mean, these are very many elements.
00:16:20We can't list them all now because each
00:16:23film uses certain elements, and it might, of course, focus on certain
00:16:26things depending on the requirements of the film and the story.
00:16:30Let's just say, in general, the film,
00:16:33I mean, thank you to the director who
00:16:36was able to make such a film with such a budget, and most
00:16:40importantly, that
00:16:43the most important thing is the award that Samira received. How did you see Samira,
00:16:47eh, we, I mean, this is the most important thing because
00:16:50it is one of the important elements of cinema,
00:16:54how I as a director manage
00:16:56the actor, and how the actor himself
00:17:00interacts with me as a director and gives me the performance I want.
00:17:03And this was very excellent, I mean, and the proof
00:17:07is that Samira received
00:17:10film. And it was, I mean,
00:17:14we talked off-air before, I understood
00:17:17that this was Samira's first acting
00:17:20or cinematic experience. There were more than one, but
00:17:23it was one of the first she did, and she,
00:17:26at her beginnings, to be able
00:17:29to win an award for a film, that's a very great thing for Samira. I mean, my testimony
00:17:32about her is biased, honestly, because I mean, there is
00:17:36injustice and difficult circumstances, let's say,
00:17:40for the art sector in general here, and acting, but, I mean,
00:17:44your steps are well-thought-out, eh,
00:17:47firm, let's say, and God willing, you will succeed
00:17:51in your professional life and your marital
00:17:54and family life. Samira,
00:17:57a film, you had co-stars, and perhaps you were in your beginnings. I mean, Diana
00:18:01Rahma was your mother in the
00:18:04the co-stars? Youssef Kiwan, of course, greetings to him.
00:18:08I honestly am even affected by his voice, not just
00:18:11his acting performance. So tell me, how was the atmosphere
00:18:14working with these artists? Ms. Diana actually
00:18:18played my mother more than once, and our relationship
00:18:21is very intimate and very beautiful.
00:18:24those personalities who embraces those in front of her.
00:18:28She doesn't make you feel that
00:18:30she is famous and she is a star. She doesn't make you feel that way. No,
00:18:33she takes you into her heart, I mean.
00:18:37And of course, Youssef, we, I mean, he is a bit older than me, but he
00:18:41was very cooperative with me, and we enjoyed acting
00:18:44together a lot.
00:18:48So it was a very nice experience. How long do you remember it took to
00:18:51shoot? I think three days, maybe four days,
00:18:54something like that. There were scenes that
00:18:57required a high level of emotion, let's say,
00:19:00and there were some scenes that talked about
00:19:03the struggle, let's say, between a person and themselves.
00:19:06How did you manage to prepare yourself for these things?
00:19:11films? Um,
00:19:14honestly,
00:19:16we worked, I trained on the script before, I mean, and Professor Nabil,
00:19:20since he was my teacher, he was training me in acting.
00:19:24Our greetings to him for his efforts. Professor Nabil, honestly,
00:19:27I mean, we thank him very much because he is
00:19:31a true supporter of the new generation in a very big way.
00:19:35I mean, our greetings to him if he's watching us. Oh,
00:19:38so we worked a lot at home already before, I mean,
00:19:44the other beats and things.
00:19:49I came to shoot, it was a little easier because I
00:19:52knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to bring out that feeling.
00:19:56And of course, just standing on stage
00:19:58yes, there's this feeling that gets inside you
00:20:02when you're an actress that gives you that energy.
00:20:06Yes, yes, oh, that energy is really great. God willing, it will continue
00:20:10and give more and more. Dr. Hamza, when we are
00:20:13talking about the film's story, let's start
00:20:16with the story, let's say. Is the plot
00:20:22somewhat close to reality? Did it touch you as a story before we get into
00:20:25other techniques? I mean, let's
00:20:29be realistic in general, cinema or drama is actually
00:20:33a reflection of societal reality. I mean, no filmmaker
00:20:36draws
00:20:39a story for a film or
00:20:42for a series unless he is affected
00:20:45by it.
00:20:48reality and very close to reality, especially in that era, I mean.
00:20:52When we go back in time
00:20:55to when the film was produced 12 years ago,
00:20:58a lot of things changed during that period.
00:21:01Things changed.
00:21:0412 years ago, societal ideas were
00:21:07present in this
00:21:10story. Today, I think things have changed a bit,
00:21:13and there's more openness
00:21:16in thinking. But, I mean, of course,
00:21:19the story in society at that time, I
00:21:22noticed not only the parents. I noticed, I don't know
00:21:26if Samira, because you were in the thick of it,
00:21:29I mean.
00:21:32Youssef Kiwan, who is the girl's fiancé, because
00:21:36the parents, maybe, I don't know, I felt that they were okay
00:21:39with refusing, but at least there was a dialogue, a give and take.
00:21:43He was firm and told her, "It's either me or
00:21:46acting." And he
00:21:50is in the same field. Are there really people
00:21:53in the same field
00:21:56who, unfortunately, refuse anyone from
00:22:00their sons or daughters or
00:22:03wives to be in this field?
00:22:06Yes, there are.
00:22:09Why do you think that is? I mean, let's, if we want to talk about
00:22:13the reason in general, realistically, and the reason in the film, because
00:22:16the character of the hero, Youssef,
00:22:20is complex. But the father also says something, he says
00:22:23that society looks at an actress in a way that is not
00:22:26very nice. So it comes from this pattern. Even the one
00:22:30who works in art doesn't want his wife or fiancée to work because he knows
00:22:34how people talk within society and among artists
00:22:37and within society that they will look at this woman as something wrong
00:22:41or negatively or not
00:22:42in a
00:22:45way. Not the positive view that society
00:22:50has of artists. But when I sometimes talk a lot, we are talking about
00:22:52a person, I mean, I don't know if it was Wael himself who told her that art
00:22:56changes society and art is a message,
00:22:59and art, I mean, this big talk. And when
00:23:03it came to his fiancée,
00:23:05he refused. Ah, his personality
00:23:08is complex. Is he, when
00:23:12also, this is because I connected between Othello
00:23:15too, let's talk a little about the topic
00:23:19of the idea of the Eastern
00:23:23man. I liked the story of the Eastern man, since we want to
00:23:27delve into the idea of the Eastern man. But with your
00:23:30permission, we need to go to a short break, and after that, we will
00:23:34dive into the idea of the Eastern man. So, dear viewers, a short break,
00:23:37and after that, we will definitely come back to you.
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00:26:50So, dear viewers, we're back and we were talking about the film "Behind
00:26:54the Scenes" with the film's star, Samira Al-Asir,
00:26:57and Dr. Hamza Al-Khatib. Dr. Hamza, we were
00:27:01talking about her fiancé, perhaps,
00:27:04in the film for Samira, and how much he was
00:27:08against the idea of her acting. And you mentioned the idea of the Eastern
00:27:12man. We stopped at this idea to elaborate more
00:27:15on this topic. The Eastern man himself
00:27:19suffers within his society from the issue of society's acceptance of
00:27:22art in the first place. If we go back to what people say,
00:27:26exactly. He himself is
00:27:29not, as a man,
00:27:33not, I mean, not able to
00:27:36convince society of his presence in
00:27:39the field of art or, for example, in art work. I mean, for example, you find, for example, in
00:27:43some conservative families, for example, that if
00:27:46someone from that family loves art, he keeps feeling a bit
00:27:50that he, as a man, is not accepted. So how
00:27:54when he brings his wife and tells them that his wife is also an artist
00:27:57who works in art and so on? So,
00:28:01contradiction happens to the Eastern
00:28:04man, because when
00:28:07the house, he thinks about how she will be suitable for the family
00:28:10and their interaction with the family, and I don't know if
00:28:14you agree with me, I mean, also Samira, because she is married
00:28:17to an artist, of course, Majd, our greetings, of course,
00:28:20to him. But perhaps art in general, ah,
00:28:24whether for a man or
00:28:27for a woman, we're talking about in the past, it was something
00:28:30difficult, and sometimes they say to you, "Study something because this doesn't put bread
00:28:34on the table," I mean, let's say it
00:28:38in colloquial terms. They consider that if you have a craft, a profession,
00:28:42a degree that you work with in a stable
00:28:45job, this is what is guaranteed, right?
00:28:48But how does
00:28:51a person? If someone doesn't achieve their dream, do they live unhappy?
00:28:54Yes, you feel something is missing, that, well, this is the
00:28:58place where I had this dream, I want to go there. If I
00:29:02went there and worked in
00:29:05something not, I mean, I got full marks in all my theater
00:29:08courses at university, full mark, full mark.
00:29:12Anything else, those electives, English, even English, and my mother
00:29:15is English, I failed maths, science, everything,
00:29:20classes, but anything related to theater, that's it.
00:29:23And in university, I did 14 plays
00:29:26by students in the four years I was there, as much as I wanted
00:29:30to immerse myself in it, and I wanted to do and learn everything.
00:29:32So imagine if you took this away from me, that's it.
00:29:36From one place to another, the heroine and you love your fiancé, you would have fought, you would have
00:29:39left him. You would, I mean, you choose
00:29:42your passion or your dream. Yes, okay. And I am very lucky
00:29:46that I found someone that you are
00:29:48lucky, honestly, Majd, I mean, he's also an artist
00:29:52and a sophisticated person, mashallah. May God protect you, I mean.
00:29:55Dr. Hamza, if we want to get into the techniques a bit, tell us
00:29:58about the techniques. Tell us if there are things that you might
00:30:02not agree with, and we repeat that it is
00:30:06an old film. We're talking about 14 years
00:30:10if not more. We're talking about the beginnings
00:30:13perhaps of the director
00:30:17film. So tell us
00:30:19what were the aspects that you felt
00:30:23didn't attract you much? Before I say
00:30:26my opinion, um, the film
00:30:29is made from the director's point of view.
00:30:32Before I speak, he saw that this is how the film was made.
00:30:35So, that's his point of view on how to direct the film, and this is
00:30:39what he came up with, of course. Now, from my point of
00:30:42view, for example, if I thought about this film
00:30:45and how it could be directed in a better way,
00:30:50of the frames would change, the way
00:30:52of filming.
00:30:54Let's say, perhaps, the production design needed
00:30:58a lot of work, I mean.
00:31:01What do you mean by production design? Production
00:31:04design is the design of the scene within the frame, whether it's decor
00:31:08or costumes, colors,
00:31:11lighting, which is, let's say in Arabic, they call it
00:31:15set design, right? That's what they say in Arabic,
00:31:18I don't know. Production design is
00:31:21the production design within the frame, okay, which is
00:31:24how the frame itself is designed for us to see it,
00:31:28okay. From the aspect of shot size,
00:31:31colors, decor within the scene,
00:31:34costumes, makeup, all of this. Did
00:31:37you feel that because it was in a time period between when she was little
00:31:41in school, Samira, and between
00:31:44now, did you feel the transition? Because sometimes this transition
00:31:47requires more makeup, more work
00:31:51from the director also with colors? I mean, I'm not
00:31:54talking about that. What I'm talking about is that it needed work
00:32:00the directorial vision in general. It needed more
00:32:03work. And again, we need to talk
00:32:06about something we weren't in its circumstances, honestly,
00:32:09because the film, again, was made on a low budget, with a small
00:32:13amount. Perhaps
00:32:17this is what he ended up with, I mean. Now I want to ask
00:32:20Samira this question after the number of years she has been working,
00:32:24and after she saw this film, but please allow me to go to a short break,
00:32:28dear viewers. After that, we will come back and see Samira's opinion on the matter.
00:33:00It revives the soul. It has the sea, it has nights out, it has
00:33:04adventures and the sweetest memories. It has restaurants
00:33:07and markets and the biggest water park, and its prices suit
00:33:11all budgets. Every corner tells you stories. Go
00:33:14there, go to Aqaba, it revives the soul.
00:33:18Oh Aqaba, oh bride of the sea,
00:33:21oh adorned.
00:34:45So, dear viewers, we want to continue our conversation and go
00:34:48to Samira now. Samira, you heard
00:34:52topic, and let's repeat that
00:34:55we say, as they say, that this is one of your first
00:34:59experiences. After all these years, now when
00:35:01you watch it, what do you feel could
00:35:05be your role? I don't want to tell you something else.
00:35:09Oh, no, no.
00:35:12the director that if we do this, we'll do that?
00:35:23At that time, it was very good, of course.
00:35:26Now, if I were to go back and
00:35:28do it again, how do you feel, for example,
00:35:32how would you do
00:35:35what Dr. Hamza talked about, I mean, to have a peak
00:35:39in the matter, I mean, so it's not flat? Let's just focus on this topic
00:35:42more from a directorial perspective and more.
00:35:54Perhaps more in the play, yes, that Othello's play was staged and she came out as Desdemona, and then in the end he kills
00:35:57her, seriously.
00:36:01Othello, like a play,
00:36:03definitely Othello, the famous one. Maybe he
00:36:07used the idea of Othello to convey
00:36:10how he thinks, because he resembles Othello a lot, a character
00:36:27100%. Oh, how can I come and work with you
00:36:31in theater and acting?
00:36:34Samira, what are your upcoming projects? I mean, now that we're talking about this film,
00:36:37you reminded me to ask you, what about your career now, even though I know
00:36:41you might have a baby girl now? Well, now I'm totally immersed in the most beautiful
00:36:45stage of my life, which is motherhood, of course.
00:36:48So, Shams came to us, and a month ago, we had
00:36:51a daughter named Amalihem. So, now I'm taking a
00:36:55break, but
00:36:58there's a play we're working on, Majd and I. We actually performed
00:37:02six months ago. It's a musical play,
00:37:05the first of its kind. So, God willing, theater is easier when
00:37:09you have a baby to work, because the hours are different from
00:37:1212 hours of filming, you know, with cinema.
00:37:15So, I'm leaning towards this, but after a few months, when Amal
00:37:19grows up a bit, because it's the best thing in the world, this job.
00:37:22Of course, this is the best job, the best job in the world, to raise
00:37:26a child in this life
00:37:29and change the world with this. It's much better than acting.
00:37:33I really want to, Samira, it just occurred to me,
00:37:36why don't you make a film about
00:37:40feeling that now, I mean, I'm just talking to you, I can see, right,
00:37:43Dr. Hamza, her eyes are sparkling.
00:37:47Yes, without even realizing it, because it's such
00:37:50a different feeling, of course, the feeling of motherhood. May God
00:37:54protect them. Dr. Hamza, when we talk about short films, I want
00:37:58to talk about this, I mean, about our film today, "Behind the Scenes," because
00:38:01we've pretty much covered most things. How important
00:38:04is it, and what is your message
00:38:08to short film makers when
00:38:11they make a film like this? How
00:38:15can they make it in a way that truly affects the viewer? I mean,
00:38:18we want the film to affect the viewer, not just deliver
00:38:21a message. It should be simple, nice, entertaining, and good,
00:38:25but also penetrate deep into the viewer's soul without
00:38:29them realizing it, and change their way of thinking. Well, honestly, making short films
00:38:32is much harder than making
00:38:36feature films, because the director or filmmaker
00:38:40needs to, within a short
00:38:43time, possibly not exceeding 15
00:38:45minutes, to shed light on a specific issue or
00:38:49convey a specific message through
00:38:52their film, right? And
00:38:55this puts a great burden on the filmmaker himself.
00:38:58And honestly, making short films is
00:39:01a unique world within
00:39:04the industry in general. There are people who specialize in making short
00:39:08films, but
00:39:11in our Arab world, especially here in Jordan, because
00:39:15we don't have an industry, I mean, let's say, in the concept of industry,
00:39:19we have what we call independent films,
00:39:23individual experiences, individual experiences. So, in the beginning,
00:39:26filmmakers always tend
00:39:29to make short films in order
00:39:32to convince funding bodies that
00:39:35they are capable of making a film or capable of making feature films.
00:39:39So, the journey starts from here,
00:39:40honestly.
00:39:44And this actually
00:39:47gives great strength to the filmmaker,
00:39:50that if I make a successful short film,
00:39:53I am capable of making a successful feature film.
00:39:58The reason is that I was able to shed
00:40:02light on a specific issue in a very short time and attract
00:40:05the viewer and make him, perhaps, receive
00:40:09the message I want to convey. Correct. As for the recommendation,
00:40:13you're asking me what my advice is. I
00:40:16advise young filmmakers
00:40:19that before you think about making a film,
00:40:23do a proper study of the elements of cinema and how to work on
00:40:26employing them
00:40:29within your film, because the elements of cinema
00:40:32are what lead to your main goal, which is to create
00:40:35empathy with your hero and create the, let's
00:40:39say,
00:40:43attraction or
00:40:47to make the audience cling to this story or be drawn
00:40:51to your film, because if you don't know how to correctly employ
00:40:54the elements of cinema, you won't be able to produce a correct film.
00:40:58Right. I mean, the new
00:41:01techniques,
00:41:04the techniques you study at university for films are very important, but
00:41:08experience also plays a role, of course. I mean, Samira, perhaps
00:41:11in her beginnings, was completely different from now. She knows how to perform
00:41:15correctly. She knows how to deliver
00:41:19the performance in a way that is not too over the top, nor
00:41:22too flat. So, I'm
00:41:25sure that filmmakers' first experience is different from the second, from
00:41:29the third, from the fourth, for them. So, we hope they make many films
00:41:34of course. I want to thank you, Samira Al-Assir. Thank you
00:41:38for being here, despite the circumstances you have.
00:41:42We'd love to see you in future works, my dear. And I'm very
00:41:45happy I came. The program is really good. Thank you, thank you.
00:41:49You're most welcome, Dr. Hamza. Welcome. Thank you.
00:41:53Thank you. So, in the end, we say the title
00:41:56of our film today is "Behind the Scenes," but the story we
00:41:59saw today exists in the lives of many of us, because every
00:42:03person has a dream, and every dream has its fears
00:42:06and challenges. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is not the path
00:42:09itself, but people's view of us and our fear of
00:42:12losing them. Perhaps we are not asked to choose between
00:42:16our dreams and the people we love, but we are asked
00:42:20to learn, to learn how to love without
00:42:23restricting, to support without imposing,
00:42:27and how to leave space for everyone,
00:42:31for every person, their space to be themselves. And the question remains
00:42:34for all of us: Are we living the life we dream
00:42:37of, or the life that others have drawn for us?
00:42:41We meet in a new episode of "A Film's Story." Goodbye.
00:44:04Dana Reserve, a symphony of life
00:44:07and the memory
00:44:10realize, as you stand on the edge of these towering
00:44:14mountains, that you are before a masterpiece that has transcended
00:44:17the boundaries of geography to become a gene
00:44:20bank pulsating with life.
00:44:24Here, on this land that
00:44:27breathes the scent of history and embraces
00:44:30the clouds, Dana Biosphere Reserve extends
00:44:34as a living testament to the greatness
00:44:36of the Creator and the magic of Jordanian nature.
00:44:40In this site, extending from the Qadisiyah highlands
00:44:43that embrace the sky at over
00:44:461500 meters,
00:44:49sloping down towards the warm plains of Wadi Araba.
00:45:13Dana rises as a unique station
00:45:15established in
00:45:171989
00:45:20to be the first and largest biosphere
00:45:24Jordan. That vast
00:45:27area, which exceeds 290
00:45:30square kilometers, has proven that diversity
00:45:34is the secret of survival, and that nature is capable
00:45:38of embracing contradictions in amazing
00:45:41harmony. Dana's unique geographical
00:45:44gradient does not merely embody rugged
00:45:48terrain, but rather represents a rare
00:45:51embrace of four biogeographical
00:45:55regions in one place: the
00:45:58mountainous highlands region, the slopes
00:46:02and valleys region, the desert
00:46:04plateaus, and Ghor
00:46:07Feinan. One look at these valleys
00:46:10is no coincidence. It is a constant indication of a natural
00:46:13richness that has made the reserve home
00:46:17to more than 800 plants,
00:46:20some of which have not been recorded anywhere
00:46:24the world except here, proudly bearing
00:46:27the name Dana.
00:46:49Within the embrace of these ancient rocks and the
00:46:53venerable cypress forests, rare
00:46:55wildlife thrives. A life preserved
00:46:59to remain and to remind every visitor
00:47:02that this land is a safe haven for hundreds
00:47:05of species of birds
00:47:09the Syrian Serin, which found here
00:47:12its largest concentration in the world, to the mountain goat,
00:47:16the lynx, and the Afghan fox.
00:47:19Wild souls found
00:47:23their last refuge in Dana from the threat
00:47:271994,
00:47:30a pioneering management plan was added to the site,
00:47:34making Dana a global model that combines
00:47:37environmental protection and local community development.
00:47:40And despite the development of the area
00:47:43and the addition of facilities for eco-tourists,
00:47:47the spirit of the reserve remained as
00:47:50it was: pure,
00:47:53vibrant, and filled with a tranquility that resembles the silence
00:47:56of contemplation in the grandeur of the universe.
00:47:59The place, with its biological diversity
00:48:03and historical heritage spanning thousands of years,
00:48:07has become a destination for those seeking tranquility
00:48:10and a stop for nature lovers
00:48:13who come to read the story of the earth in every stone
00:48:16and tree. Dana Reserve is not
00:48:20just mountains and valleys,
00:48:23but a message. It is not just trees
00:48:26and animals, but a memory. It is
00:48:29the place where the magic of nature meets the scent
00:48:33of history, where the earth tells a story of life that has
00:48:36not stopped, and a diversity that has not vanished, and a homeland
00:48:40that still places the protection of its natural heritage as a crown
00:48:44upon
00:48:44its head.
00:48:55I am the soul that was born more than two million
00:48:59years ago. I am the one whose first
00:49:02steps were on the land of Sukhna.
00:49:05I am the eye that saw
00:49:08a gazelle pass between the rocks
00:49:10and dreams
00:49:12shaped from plaster to weave the melody
00:49:15of eternity.
00:49:20I am the Nabataean secret in the heart
00:49:22of the rocks and the echo of the city of a thousand
00:49:26columns. I am the blessed land
00:49:30that prophets and saints trod upon,
00:49:34and the river in which Christ
00:49:36was baptized.
00:49:39I am a light that carried the message of Islam
00:49:42and peace. So cities
00:49:45and minarets rose.
00:49:51I am the first shot and the cry of an Arab
00:49:55revolution that called for renaissance
00:49:57and freedom. I am the steadfastness
00:50:00of Karameh when it refused to be broken,
00:50:04and a bridge between the past and the future,
00:50:08resolve in the face of hardship. I
00:50:12am a story more than two million years old,
00:50:16and I am still writing it. I am
00:50:19Jordan, the land and the people.
00:50:36Jerash, the city of a thousand columns.
00:50:40Every stone has a voice, and every column
00:50:43has a story. In northern Jordan, where
00:50:47the city of Jerash stands, you don't need to
00:50:50be an archaeologist to hear the whisper
00:50:53of history. Just walk down its long
00:50:57colonnaded street to feel the footsteps of Roman
00:51:00legions, the clamor of merchants,
00:51:03and the laughter of children who once ran in
00:51:07these vast squares.
00:51:29Here, time does not pass; it accumulates in
00:51:33layers that you can touch
00:51:35with your hands. The idea upon which this city
00:51:39was built was not merely construction; it was
00:51:43the creation of a complete life.
00:51:45The theaters that still retain their amazing
00:51:48acoustic capabilities, and the oval forum that once
00:51:52hosted public gatherings, and the Nymphaeum
00:51:56that sweetly quenched the thirst
00:51:58of passersby. The goal was not
00:52:02to stack stones, but to build
00:52:05a vibrant community that combines
00:52:08the wisdom of the East and the arts of the West.
00:52:30everyone.
00:53:04But stones do not tell a single story.
00:53:07After centuries of Roman glory, Jerash embraced
00:53:11its Byzantine churches, then its Umayyad
00:53:15mosques, transforming the city into
00:53:18history, each layer passing the torch
00:53:22to the next. Then came a violent earthquake,
00:53:25silencing the city's clamor and leaving it to sleep
00:53:29under the soil for centuries, preserving
00:53:33oblivion. And the question that accompanies
00:53:36the visitor remains: How did this city
00:53:40come back to life? The answer lies in the passion
00:53:44of the explorers who removed the dust
00:53:47of time from it since the early twentieth
00:53:50century.
00:53:52It was not discovered as a treasure but as a human
00:53:55heritage that must be
00:53:57preserved.
00:54:56And today, when the visitor wanders among these
00:54:59columns, he realizes that Jerash does not display
00:55:02a dead history, but invites
00:55:06one to be part of it. It teaches us
00:55:09how civilizations are built, how memory is preserved,
00:55:11and how a city can whisper
00:55:15its stories to anyone who listens to it,
00:55:19giving the past a meaning that resonates