Thanks to the blogosphere, I’ve found out about an amazing cinematic project that will be established in Jordan. It is the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA) based in Jordan’s Red Sea resort town of Aqaba. I first heard about this great project on Laith’s blog and it really made my day knowing that such a highly needed institute would be established in Jordan. Kudos to all those behind it.
However, the announcement of this project is already creating controversy in the blogosphere. The reason stems from a statement by veteran filmmaker Stephen Spielberg, who will be involved in the project:
When His Majesty the King approached me on the subject of a Jordan-based, world-class film school serving every country in the Middle East, including Israel, I immediately saw the importance and significance of such a venture for the people and the future of the region. I knew as a trustee of USC and a member of the school’s Board of Councilors that the university had the exact expertise he needed for this incredible initiative.
Source: [University of Southern California]
Some were not happy about having Israelis involved in the project. One anonymous commentator on Ameen’s blog said:
I read what blogger Laith Majali posted about the film school and it said the school is also open to Israelis. Imagine, sitting next you will be an Israeli who is an IDF reservists and who may have killed or maimed an Arab few kilometers away from the film school. And then we in Jordan will help him make films about evil and terrorist Arabs. This is like Israeli film schools admitting skinheads and neo-nazis. Will we go along with anything if the price is right?
Another commentator on Laith’s blog said:
"… world-class film school serving every country in the Middle East, including Israel" The New Middle East? You can count me out.
Another commentator on Laith’s blog going by the name of Shlomo said:
Thank you. I can’t [wait] to learn filmmaking in Jordan to make films about terrorist Arabs.
Regardless of the controversy, I see this project as the materialization of the dreams of so many aspiring Jordanian and Arab movie makers. I am excited.
Outsider, how many lebanese and palestinian kids have you butchered? you sick supremacist jew. here you are conducting nazi-like experemints treating your victims as some sort os lab rats and you are some sort of a scientist doing social experemints. You are capable of being worse than Nazis, except that the Europeans would not allow you to go that far.
Natasha,
I am that same American-Israeli “outsider†who commented on your Starbucks blog not too long ago. I am a frequent visitor to jordanplanet.net and an enthusiast of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Wadi Rum and Petra). I served in the Israeli elite Special Forces (Givati) before attending Georgetown. I was born in Oceanside, NY and at age 18 I moved to Israel to spend my most cherished years in one of the toughest and most rigorous armies of the world- and I am everlastingly proud of it. In the West Bank (Palestinians) I knew mainly three types of people-one type of extreme, xenophobic, and acutely religious community who by all means isolated themselves from the “infidel†Israeli and fought against him, another type of depraved, corrupt, and disloyal community who by all means cooperated with the “infidel†Israeli for material gains (they are good assets and a very large percentage), and finally a type of bright-eyed, bushy tailed, sophisticated, learned, tri-lingual community who, although angry at the “infidel†Israeli, befriended him for very complex and yet ridiculous causes. They saw themselves more sophisticated than their parents or their mainstream culture. They in return refused the archetypal Arabic culture and turned into refined, innovative, up-to-the-minute, and free life style. Secular Israelis seemed to provide them with those needs. Another reason why they accepted Israel is that, as a result of their generational insubordination, they wanted to publicize their rebellion just to piss-off their Arab counterparts. While secular Israelis allocate good relationships with this type, they still can be loyal to their religion, their culture, and their country-unlike the third type (Arabs). During my recent service in Lebanon, this argument was in fact correct. They-the third type-are not loyal to us. They were not loyal to their birth-right in the first place-so how can we expect them to stand up for our cause? This third type is undeniably unconstructive, just like the other two. By your comparison of the film controversy in Jordan and your last comment that sounded judgmental and meant to unease the average Jordanian blogger-the mainstream, it sounded as scary as the third type. How can I expect someone to be an ally to the Jewish identity while he/she is above the local mainstream? A large portion of bloggers here fall into the third type while a small percentage follows the first one. Finally, please allow to say that King Hussein-G-D bless his soul, was different and an ideal- a friend and a devout Arab. Can you please follow his example?
Hareega, we are all for a film school in Jordan but why does it have to come with bloody Israeli soldiers. Why does everyone want to shove the murderous israelis down our throat anytime they want to help Jordan. Why can’t the west use financial pressure to stop the bloody israelis instead of using it to make their victims bend over. sick sick sick.
Soemhow we get to believe that Aqaba is a different country that is not part of Jordan. We once thought of making a casino in it, now this project which can be of great value but I’m nor pro- doing anything which is against the will of more than 90% of Jordanians.
Natasha, I apologize for turing this into a flame war.
No Thanks, I’m sorry I responded to you with my last comment. While you haven’t been exactly pleasant towards me, I see that you’re just trying to tell the truth about your situation and I wasn’t really hearing you.
I can’t know what it’s like for you because I’m not living in your shoes. It sounds like you have a lot of reasons to feel angry, hopeless and helpless. And I’m sorry about that.
“go screw yourself”
Right back at ya hon..
“You’re way to hostile to try to engage in any sort of dialogue.”
after 10 years of dialoug and I am all dialouged out my supremacist friend. you are all too dishonest for any sort of dialoug. why do you think the palestinains gave up and voted for hamas. they know after giving Oslo a shot that nothing will make any difference. And the proof came in your FM’s speech to the UN: No to withdrawal to 1967, no to non-jewish right of return. So what is left? Apartheid. go screw yourself and your dialoug.
“And I would never want to be in the same room with a racial supremacist or a zionist. and the very few times I had to engage in pleasentries it was a reflex and not premeditated. but after reflecting on it, I almost hurled. since everytime I shock hands with a zionist, i knew i was being exploited for a photo op. because he improved his image as the loving peacemaker who is willing to touch an Arab and I did not move closer to jerusalem by 1 cm”
No Thanks, You know what. Forget answering my last post.Or this one. You’re way to hostile to try to engage in any sort of dialogue. I’m sorry for trying.
” this is science fiction since I am afraid the zionists are far more evil than white poeple ever were or could ever be. we see it everyday”.
Well now, “white people” have done some very evil things. I consider the Nazis to be “white” people” and they wiped out a good chunk of my family in Europe. White people also slaughtered Native Amercians in this country. They killed Blacks in this Country. They had slaves. So I guess our perceptions depend on what our life experiences are.
“And yes, I would sit down and try to dialogue with members of the KKK as much as I hate them.”
Really? BS. why don’t you put in a call to Seeds for Peace and ask them to organize the next bootcamp between jews and neo-nazis, skinheads, and KKK. You should find so much in common with them, except that you succeded where they had failed.
“But you’re right, I wouldn’t want to attend a film school with them.”
And I would never want to be in the same room with a racial supremacist or a zionist. and the very few times I had to engage in pleasentries it was a reflex and not premeditated. but after reflecting on it, I almost hurled. since everytime I shock hands with a zionist, i knew i was being exploited for a photo op. because he improved his image as the loving peacemaker who is willing to touch an Arab and I did not move closer to jerusalem by 1 cm.