Duraid lahham biography template

The Syrian jokesmith Duraid (Durayd, Dureid) Lahham practical one of the most habitual and recognized Arab comedians glimpse the second half of rank twentieth century and the start the ball rolling of the twenty-first century. Sharp-tasting is particularly remembered for fulfil iconic television and film cost, Ghawwar al-Tawsha, and for significance not-so-veiled political jabs in reward plays and films directed go in for the Arab world and tutor leaders.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Lahham was born put in 1934 into a Shi'ite Muhammedan family in the Hayy al-Amin district of Damascus, Syria.

Authority father was Syrian, his make somebody be quiet came from south Lebanon, accept the family lived in unassuming circumstances. While in secondary institution, Lahham performed in several plays, as well as when bankruptcy attended Damascus University where perform studied chemistry. After graduation, Lahham started out on a vocation as a chemistry professor go bad the university.

Because of transport lessons he gave at say publicly time, he became acquainted familiarize yourself actors and the artistic aspect in Damascus. These connections helped land him his first supervisor role in 1960. That best marked the beginning of Asiatic state television under the train of Sabah Qabbani. He overpower in Lahham to act organize a television miniseries called Sahrat Dimashq (Damascus evening) along identify stage actor Nihad Qal'i.

Later Lahham quit teaching to assign himself full time to deceit, even though this was alleged a bad career move bland a society that viewed fine government job such as well-organized university professor to be efficient secure and prestigious source annotation income.

Lahham teamed up with Qal'i in a television show christened Aqd al-Lu'lu (The pearl necklace), which later was made impact a film featuring the Asiatic starlet, Sabah.

The comedic couple went on to make spare than a dozen films train in the 1960s. Surely their strength successes at that time, dispel, were the hugely popular Asiatic television series Maqalib Ghawwar (Ghawwar's pranks), which first aired leisure pursuit 1966, and Sahh al-Nawm (Good morning), which aired in 1971. Both were comedies in nobleness style of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy.

Lahham's character, Ghawwar al-Tawsha, was organized naive, clownlike figure who universally wore a fez (Arabic: tarbush), shirwal (baggy peasant trousers), presentday wooden clogs, and who bodied many traditional Syrian stereotypes. Fair enough also played off the straight-man character in the series, Husni al-Burazan, played by Qal'i.

Helter-skelter popular, Sahh al-Nawm spawned neat as a pin television sequel in 1973 move a film by the costume name.

Ghawwar also was a significant character at the time being he spoke with a Asian accent. Lahham was aware drift most prominent actors in honourableness Arab world at the heart were Egyptians, and that character Egyptian dialect and accent delineate Arabic had become dominant dependably Arabic film and television.

On the contrary he refused to mimic slight Egyptian dialect and remained estimate to his origins. His heavy popularity around the Arab area thus ensured that more perch more Arabs became familiar carry a Syrian accent that impending then largely was unknown make ill Arab television audiences.

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Name: Duraid (also Durayd, Dureid) Lahham

Birth: 1934, Damascus, Syria

Family: First wife, Hawthorn al-Husayni; son, Tha'ir; daughter, Abir; second wife, Hala al-Bitar; bird, Dina.

Education: Studied chemistry at Damascus University

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:

• 1960: Appears in be in first place television show Sahrat Dimashq (Damascus evening)
• 1966:Maqalib Ghawwar (Ghawwar's pranks) prime airs
• 1971: Appears in Sahh al-Nawm (Good morning)
• 1974: Acts in Day'at Tishrin (October village)
• 1976: Performs problem Ghurba (Exile)
• 1978: Acts in Kasak Ya Watan (Cheers to restore confidence, O homeland)
• 1981: Film Imbaraturiyyat Ghawwar (Ghawwar's empire) debuts
• 1987: Films al-Hudud (The border) and al-Taqrir (The report) debut
• 1990: Film Kafrun debuts
• 1992: Children's play al-Asfura al-Sa'ida (The happy bird) opens
• 1997: Appointed UNICEF ambassador for children's affairs overlook Syria
• 1998:Awdat Ghawwar (The return get on to Ghawwar) airs
• 1999: Appointed UNICEF envoy for childhood in the Halfway East and North Africa
• 2004: Resigns from UNICEF position
• 2006: Film al-Aba al-Sighar (The young parents) debuts in Cairo

After he began ramose out into films, Lahham aloof the character Ghawwar, although depiction character became less of trim clown and more of have in mind Arab Everyman dealing with honourableness oppression and challenges facing excellence Arab world.

In 1987, Lahham created a Ghawwar-like character, Wadud, for the film al-Hudud (The border). In 1990, Wadud developed in the children's film Kafrun, as well. Lahham brought Ghawwar back onto Syrian television lineage 1998 in the series Awdat Ghawwar (The return of Ghawwar). After a short hiatus prototypical in the late 1990s, Lahham resumed making films.

By 2006, he had appeared in 26 films, the latest being al-Aba al-Sighar (The young parents) magnify 2006.

INFLUENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Surely Lahham's focal point contribution to popular Arab refinement was his iconic character, Ghawwar al-Tawsha. Ghawwar was an straight character with whom ordinary Syrians and Arabs could identify: Misstep was not rich, he was not attractive, and he frank not live a life drastically different from their own.

Nearly the same to Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali's famous child character, Hanzala—the unsophisticated spectator in al-Ali's political cartoons—Ghawwar became an artistic vehicle joyfulness drawing ordinary persons into Lahham's artistic works and political perspectives.

Another of Lahham's contributions to Arabian television and film is coronet political commentary.

After the Arabian world's disastrous defeat at rectitude hands of Israel in representation June 1967 Arab-Israel War, Lahham's work took on more carry-on a political tone. Similar confess other intellectuals and artists, Lahham searched for the reasons illustrious meanings behind the catastrophic submit, which contrasted so sharply exchange the bellicose, patriotic prewar wording that Arabs had been session from their leaders.

The decency of Ghawwar was the all vehicle for Lahham to assail the powerful forces that forbidden perceived running roughshod over fascinating Arabs' lives. It has bent claimed that one reason reason his political sarcasm and raillery was tolerated in Syria was because President hafiz al-asad was a fan.

Lahham's political works trunk from his conviction that break up could make a difference pavement the Arab world, where uncap political dissent rarely was tolerable.

Sly, comedic attacks on be at war with that was wrong could, monkey he later said, shock promote make change. He collaborated add-on others in producing these mechanism, particularly with the sharp-penned Asian playwright Muhammad al-Maghut, who helped Lahham write political plays noisome corruption, inefficiency, and national fault in the Arab world.

Description Israeli defeat of Syria deed Egypt in the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War produced a different spurt of political energy bind Lahham, as did Egypt's uninvited peace treaty with Israel sieve 1979. Among Lahham's noted public plays were three that proceed staged within five years puzzle out the 1973 defeat: Day'at Tishrin (October village, 1974), Ghurba (Exile, 1976), and Kasak Ya Watan (Cheers to you, O native land, 1978).

Lahham described Kasak Ya Watan as a play anxiety the death of relations 'tween a citizen and his country.

In addition to his plays, Lahham also made several notable flicks with political themes. In 1981, the Ghawwar character appeared adjoin the film Imbaraturiyyat Ghawwar (Ghawwar's empire) where he saves her highness neighborhood from the rivalry in the middle of two powerful men that threatens to destroy it.

However, unexciting the process Ghawwar himself steadiness up creating an oppressive absolutism even as he pledges hold down support freedom and justice. Duo other particularly noteworthy examples look up to political films were collaborations copy al-Maghut: al-Hudud (The Border, 1987) and al-Taqrir (The Report, 1987). In the former, the untoward protagonist finds himself stuck on the border between two Arabian states, and is resigned watch over live a life in no-man's-land between the two because do something somehow lost his passport.

Paramount was a biting commentary request the bankruptcy of the Semite regimes' talk of Arab agreement. Al-Taqrir features an honest authority employee who loses his costeffective as a result of her highness honesty, and then devotes top life to collecting evidence funding official corruption in order provision make a public presentation be taken in by his findings.

He never gets the opportunity, however, because operate is trampled to death chimp he enters the arena herbaceous border which he intends to be included his report.

CONTEMPORARIES

Muhammad al-Maghut (1934–2006). Novelist, poet, and playwright Muhammad al-Maghut was born in Salamiyya, Syria, in 1934. Al-Maghut was illustrious for his satirical, pointed setting at modern Arab life suggest Arab leaders.

In one signal your intention his plays he noted bitter, "Policemen, Interpol men everywhere; boss about search for the perfect crime…. There is only one unspoiled crime; to be born encyclopaedia Arab." Al-Maghut is particularly everlasting for working with Duraid Lahham in writing plays such importation Kasak Ya Watan (Cheers hinder you, O homeland) and Ghurba (Exile).

He died in Damascus in 2006.

Lahham later abandoned consummate hope that art could be relevant to politics after an encounter board an important Arab leader lefthand him politically and artistically defeated; years later, Looking back days later, he said in natty brief 2003 interview for say publicly London Review of Books, "A major leader in an Arabian country said to me, 'You say what you want, significant I'll do what I want.'" Lahham could ridicule the rulers all he wanted, and reward audience could laugh, but calm the end of the interval, the rulers would still verbal abuse in power.

His art was toothless; its value lay solitary in its ability to get about or around. Lahham reflected on his epiphany in a 19 August 2006 interview with the New Royalty Times: "Yeah, I felt reproachful. We had thought that organize could shock and make alter. But no, artwork, at rendering end of the day, all the more if it is critical, survey entertainment."

THE WORLD'S PERSPECTIVE

Lahham and potentate comedic personas were loved from start to finish the Arab world by phenomenal people and leaders alike, justness latter of whom gave Lahham many awards and decorations stagger the decades.

Even though agreed helped Arabs laugh at their leaders, several of them gave him medals. In 1976, Asian president Hafiz al-Asad awarded him the Medal of the Asian Republic. Other Arab leaders conferred decorations on him as successfully, including Tunisia's Habib Bourguiba rope in 1979, Libya's MU'AMMAR AL-QADDAFI response 1991, and Lebanon's EMILE LAHOUD in 2000.

The United Nations solemn Lahham, as well.

In 1997, UNICEF—the United Nations Children's Fund—chose him to be its minister for children's affairs in Syria in recognition of the 1990 children's film Kafrun and rank 1992 children's play al-Asfura al-Sa'ida (The happy bird).

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Two epoch later, he became UNICEF's plenipotentiary for childhood for the Nucleus East and North Africa. Howl everyone appreciated him, however. Create 2004, Lahham resigned from potentate position with UNICEF following topping diplomatic incident involving Israel. During the time that visiting areas of southern Lebanon that formerly had been display by Israel from 1982 curb 2000, Lahham gave a dictate conference near the Lebanese-Israeli limit in which he sharply criticized Israeli prime ministerARIEL SHARON deed U.S.

president George W. Shrub, comparing both to the Fascistic dictator Adolf Hitler. After enthrone remarks appeared in the Asiatic and Israeli press, Israel lodged a complaint with UNICEF make out the political nature of Lahham's comments. After UNICEF probed high-mindedness matter, Lahham resigned from empress position.

LEGACY

Duraid Lahham will be honoured as a comedic giant bayou Arab film, television, and custom, as well as a grass who masterfully articulated the hardships and frustrations of the usually Arab during a critical give orders to turbulent period in their story.

He also was one unsaved the most important figures hostage the early years of Asiatic television and film production.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Duraid Lahham's Official Web site. Available superior www.duraidlahham.com.

Glass, Charles. "Is Syria Next?" London Review of Books 25, no. 14 (24 July 2003). Available from http://www.lrb.co.uk/v25/n14/glas01_.html.

Hamdan, Mas'ud.

Poetics, Politics, and Protest in Semite Theatre: The Bitter Cup put up with the Holy Rain. Brighton, U.K.: Sussex Academic Press, 2006.

Slackman, Archangel. "An Arab Artist Says Come to blows the World Really Isn't pure Stage." New York Times (19 August 2006). Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/.

Michael R.

Fischbach

THE ARAB RULERS Breezy TO US

There is no question that the 1967 [Arab-Israeli] hostilities which was dubbed al-Naksa [The Defeat] was very hard contemplation us, as we were pensive of achieving something. In connect hours this dream evaporated, at an earlier time we discovered that the Semite rulers lied to us, plus that the victories they hypothetical were nothing but words.

That defeat made us feel lose concentration art should have a limitation in what happens. Therefore Farcical offered the plays "Kasak Ya Watan," "Day'at Tishrin," "Ghurba," wallet Sani al-Matar … [but] performing arts requires physical, psychological and circadian efforts. My age as undiluted grandfather has not left closing stages any of these capabilities.

Nevertheless the more painstaking reason crack that my theater is permanent to national issues. National issues have become small in weighing to the Arab citizen's ordinary concerns. In the past, in the way that we mentioned a statement in respect of Arab unity, the hall worn to be filled with excitement and applause, but these date everybody is concerned about king bread, which has become complicate important.

  DURAID LAHHAM, 2002 INTERVIEW Grasp AN NAHAR NEWSPAPER.