"Rabei Qurtoba", written by Walid Yousef and directed by Hatem Ali, is a new historical series being presented on MBC. The series, shot in both Morocco and Syria, centers on a golden era in the history of Islamic civilization in Al-Andalus during the reign of the caliph, Abdul Rahman Al-Naser. This particular TV series is the second in a quartet that is planned to highlight Islamic civilization in southern Spain - Andalus to the Arabs.
Q: We asked the director Hatem Ali why he had chosen "Rabei Qurtoba" and the Andalus Era.
A: The period is among the richest in the history of Islam. The work begins during the reign of the reign of Abdul Rahman and continues into that of his son and descendants and ends when the state disintegrated into a large number of smaller states.
Q: This is your fourth collaboration with Walid Yousef. Is there a specific approach or form for this collaboration?
A: I think that since its establishment, the company has followed a certain direction in presenting big serious productions. And it is only coincidence that brought Dr. Walid Yousef and me together. Furthermore I think that each of us has found what he was looking for in the other and I hope that this project will continue without any economic difficulties. This is a year of financial crisis in Syrian drama.
Q: Last year and the year before, you directed "The Four Seasons," a contemporary project which received much attention and approval from viewers. However it appears that you are now mostly involved in historical projects. Does this mean that you will concentrate on this in the future?
A: For the next two years, there are no contemporary projects for me to work on. I am working on an Andalusian quartet which requires a lot of time follow-up and attention which means no time is left for other projects.
Q: Why do you concentrate on historical projects instead of contemporary ones? Do you not think that contemporary subjects given the current Arab reality are more important than historical projects.
A: I think that contemporary relevance is not measured by clothing or costumes worn by actors and actresses nor is it exclusive to the period in which events occur. It is measured by the ideas which can be presented. What is important is that the past and the present are all a matter of choice at the end.
Q: Do you think that reviving and retrieving the past compensates us for our present that is full of defeats?
A: I think that this way of dealing with history is one of the reasons behind, or factors leading to, extremism. This is not what I am trying to do in my work; what I want to do is to use history to get us to ask and answer contemporary problems.
If we only deal with the bright spots in our history, this will make us superficial in our approach to problems. For example, in some of my earlier work, we did not present the hero in an idealized manner but I tired to address issues of the utmost importance such as the relationship between the ruler and the ruled and the love-hate relationship between ruler and ruled. How can we build a powerful modern state without sacrificing the individual? And how democracy - known in those historical times as "shoura" - can be the foundation of a prosperous state. In "Rabei Qurtoba," we deal with the 'spring' created by a simple person who pulled himself up bit by bit until he established a strong state and became caliph himself. In the end, human nature won out and he stood against popular participation in government.
This was one of the most important factors in his state's downfall and its disintegration into smaller entities.
Q: What is your response to those who say that these projects glorify the rule of the individual?
A: We attempt to present a balanced study in this bit of history; it involves courage and boldness so that we may have the courage to face ourselves and see our real image.
And this all augments our basic idea that is we cannot have a strong and solid state without democracy.