The Profiles of Jordanian Filmmakers

Laith Al-Majali

June 5, 2005

What did you study in college?

LAITH: I studied Communications at Elon University, with an emphasis on broadcast. I also minored in theater. (Majali has been awarded the King Hussein Scholarship to study in Elon University)

What was the first film you produced ever? When?

LAITH: Well the first one in terms of giving it production value and such, was In 2000. I just filmed one of my friends who was graduating from a hand-to-hand combat course in the army. I then proceeded to add film credits by filming a Power Point computer screen. After that I helped direct a 3-camera shoot for a play at my school. So I guess this is where it all started.

What was the last job you had right before you produced your first film?

LAITH: Student

When was your first encounter with filmmaking?

LAITH: From an early age I used to go to the cinema every weekend. My uncle would take me and my cousins to watch films, mostly at the old Concorde cinema. I used to love movie trailers, and I got excited when a film was about to come out. I¹d always make sure I hinted to my uncle that I would like to see it. I also began acting at the age of 6, and still continue to. Acting is also part of what stirred the interest in such a field.

When was the turning point at which you realized you have a special interest in filmmaking?

LAITH: One of my cousins got to work on three feature films that were shot in Jordan. Just hearing the stories of being on a crew and the excitement that accompanies it made me think even more about filmmaking. I started asking him more about production, I also started to go to his production company and observe him and his partners edit. I think that's when I also realized that this is something I could sink into easily and enjoy.

What is it that attracts you to filmmaking?

LAITH: I like story telling. I love stories; I love hearing stories; I love telling stories; and I also love making up stories. In addition to that, I feel that films are an easygoing vehicle into the hearts and minds of people all around the world. From the most sophisticated of beings to the most simple, the flickering of a projector has a meaning, it's universal. What I have been mostly attracted to though is the art of editing a film. When we look at the components of a film we see similarities with theater. Acting, set design, lighting, and sound. The only new thing that came along with filmmaking was editing. So many say that filmmaking is editing, and editing is filmmaking. It is interesting to see how much of an impact editing has on a story, on its characters, and on its tone and pace. So such an aspect grabbed my interest and through it I have become a filmmaker.

What is the value of a film school?

LAITH: I think for right now the best schooling I will get is by being involved in the industry out here in Los Angeles, USA. After every project I cut there is a I feeling that I have learned more. And just being surrounded by so many talented individuals who are leaders in their fields, I think this would be a continuing real-world education to the theory I studied in school.

What does filmmaking mean to you?

LAITH: It is hard to describe such a feeling, but I guess my instinctive answer is that filmmaking is a language that is universal, a language that is easy to understand, learn, and communicate with.

What is the most difficult aspect of filmmaking in Jordan?

LAITH: I would have to say that the most difficult part is that it's not taken seriously. Whether it is from the parents, society, or even some of the filmmakers. I think what needs to change, especially at this early point of Jordanian filmmaking, is the attitude people have. Their expectations are too high. They think that we are able to start with films that are massive and incorporate an incredible amount of production value without resources. But the truth of the matter is that we have not even completed the placement of the first building block for a film industry in Jordan. There are many good and positive things that are happening that are going to lead to the completion of this first step. Later, I know that our filmmakers are eventually going to shine, and filmmaking is not going to be looked at as an oddity.

What are your areas of strength as a filmmaker?

LAITH: I think that I have a good sense of timing, I am able to set a tone for a film cut through different methods, and color is one of my big concerns. I always like to color a scene correctly, and I spend a lot of time in the color correction phase perfecting each shot. In my editing, I have come to know how to be creative without being disruptive, it's not all about quick cuts, but I know when I can break the rules and use different techniques to select the actors' best performances and to preserve the story of the film.

What are the areas in need of improvement?

LAITH: I feel that I still need to work with cutting more performances from a variety of actors. Finding the best performance on footage by an actor and putting it up on the screen is the editor's job. I need to be involved in more film productions so that I can spot the best performance. I have just recently learned a technique from an Oscar nominated editor who can get closer to the best performances. I am excited about this tip and look forward to trying it in my next film.

You have produced your short films on micro budgets. How could have your films improved as a result of more money?

LAITH: The ideas are there and the stories are also there. My challenge is to tell a story in a technically more impressive way. That requires money which is not available. More money would have resulted in a film that is easier to accept by a larger segment of traditional moviegoers, a film that looks more "big-budget."

Do you have any preference in terms of filmmaking genres? Why?

LAITH: I enjoy comedy. My start in acting was in comedy and till this day a lot of people say that I am a comedian. I enjoy making people laugh and I feel that I have a sense for comedic timing. Another genre I enjoy is suspense, because that is when editing becomes an integral part of creating that feeling of "oh no! what now?"

Who is a filmmaker? Can anyone become a filmmaker?
LAITH: The way I look at it is simple: you may know how to drive a car, but does that mean you can race in a rally? Same thing with filmmaking, you may know how to use the equipment, how to shoot, but it is such a deep art that one needs to commit fully in order to be able to reach the level of professionalism. One needs to observe and learn from the people who have been doing this for ages. It may start by just shooting home videos, but to perfect storytelling and to translate that into images on the screen needs time, effort and commitment, plus an aesthetic 6th sense.

Do you find technology liberating or limiting, when it comes to the creative process?

For me it's liberating. Editing these days is much more accessible because it's mostly a software process where before you needed expensive specialized hardware to achieve the same quality of today's much cheaper software. And if it weren't for technology I wouldn't be doing the sort of work I am doing today, because of the cost and quality factor. Even when I acquire a new plug-in for my editing system, while working on a film, it always helps me consider new possibilities and helps translate my vision onto the final cut. I would love at one point to try my hand at the traditional way of cutting celluloid and having that organic experience on a KEM or a Moviola. But right now, technology is the filmmaker's best friend.


Under what circumstances do you feel most creative? Stress, tragedy,
happiness, morning, night, after a good meal, on an empty stomach...

LAITH: I feel creative when I am presented with a project that is going to be challenging. I feel creative when I start viewing dailies of a film for the first time. The first time I read a script, after watching a good film, after having a huge cup of tea, while taking the bus around town. That's when I feel most creative. Creativity is there all the time; sometimes it's heightened through some sort of emotional trigger. Other times I don¹t feel creative at all, but it usually means I am being mentally lazy.

Does the thought of you becoming a starving artist cross your mind? How do you confront such fears?

LAITH: I¹m not so worried because this is the path that I have chosen. Once I made up my mind, I never looked back or hesitated. I chose filmmaking because it's a passion of mine. I enjoy the hardships of the production process, both its mental and physical aspects. The production process enhances my creative output. I am glad I had chosen this career path, which is different from what others had originally intended for me.

When determining the "production value" of your film, do you rely mostly on your own assessment or do you seek the opinion of others? Why?

LAITH: After editing and shooting for about 4 years now, and after seeing tons of productions, some great and others not so great, I now have a sense of what is production value. Yet there is nothing better than getting a fresh pair of eyes to look at my work, because a third-party tends not to be influenced by the circumstances surrounding my cuts. When a third-party views my cut for the first time, it's that first impression that I find important. That¹s the true impression a filmmaker seeks for feedback.

Are you a structured filmmaker or do you approach filmmaking organically? Do you plan everything in advance or do you like to explore and experiment on location?

LAITH: I enjoy a mix of both, yet I have discovered the importance of good planning, which still allows you to experiment and explore on location. In editing, some things may come by chance, others via experimentation. The outcome of the experiments may end up in the final cut. But planning and organization is key to an efficient post production workflow. Structure does not preclude creativity, it can allow ideas to flourish within the framework of the film. For without structure, so many creative ideas may not fit into the final production.

What will be your moment of truth, when you feel you have made it as a filmmaker?

LAITH: Once I have cut a feature length film and seeing it projected on a screen.

How important are film festivals to your sense of accomplishment?

LAITH: Festivals are needed for recognition. Festivals help for contacts and networking as well as offer a look at what other filmmakers are doing. Sometimes they make you realize, "wow my work is solid" at other times it helps you realize your weaknesses and the need to overcome those weaknesses to reach the level of other filmmakers whose work you admire.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

LAITH: In an editing room, cutting a big feature for filmmaker Amin Matalqa.

Which Arab filmmaker do you see as representing the contemporary face of Arab cinema?

LAITH: Yousef Chahine tends to be the usual answer, but I guess it is now time to find a new identity for the new generation of Arab films.

What is your opinion of Arab cinema presently?

LAITH: I have been away from Arab cinema for a while, so I am not going to go deep into answering such a question, yet I feel that there is a new generation of filmmakers who are going to change the face of Arab cinema. We are at the verge of a cinematic revolution in the Arab world, if I may say.

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