GAYANAT - eng: февраля 2017

photo: kamel zebib

Sometimes we happen to meet persons that are difficult to be put into any borders. Their inner world is so boundless and the flow of their words is so big that there is no choice but to provide them with a space for a Monologue. In this rubric our heroes talk about their intimate thoughts like actors standing on a big stage with one bright soffit lighting them, while the whole theatre is in complete silence and darkness. Absolute intimacy in the highest sense of this word. Just peer and listen attentively...

ABOUT HIMSELF AND HIS WORK.

My name is Bshara Atallah. I am 42. I was born in Beirut where we lived through the whole Civil War. I spent my first 18 years at War.

Education - I studied in three directions. I studied public administration, population and demography in Beirut and at the same time I was doing acting and directing. Now I am doing more art rather than administration. But I have discovered that you always need to administrate your everyday work. Even if it's art, creation, you have to deal with people and papers. I am actor, dancer, choreographer, stylist, sometimes designer of costumes at theatre and film projects. In general, it is interesting to do arts and have opportunity to be in some places at the same time. For example, people see info in facebook and say: "Oh, my God, you are in Montreal!" And I say I am in Beirut but my film is in Montreal. Funny: let's suppose you place a photo from Berlin and people will think you are there right now. I also do acting courses in a small school in Beirut. Over last 5 years I have done 3 projects that have participated in festivals in Beirut and theatre. Also I am planning one work connected with production.

ABOUT INSPIRATION.

Everything around me inspires me. For example, if I see a lot of garbage, it inspires me to do particular things. If I see a lot of violence, it inspires me to do something against it. Artist expresses everything surrounding him and causing pain. Many people living in luxurious areas think they need to go to India where there are many "sage" people. So, they are searching for this antagonism, while I have all of it here in Lebanon. As an artist sometimes you need to be an activist, otherwise things won't change. For example, I wanted to become an artist, to have education so that it would be official and then to do many things in the easier way, it's like a visa. I was trying to change people's mind, make them better or to tell them: "You can be better, if you change your behavior a little bit, point of view or if you try to be in somebody else's shoe. But people prefer not to get deep into things and they refer to "bad memory". People forgot even the huge war in Lebanon. Of course, war is a painful thing. People want to get rid of this pain and when the war is finished, they think they can do whatever they want. But if we look deeper, people that suffered war have something deep down that dictates them they should work and fight harder because now it's time to make sure it won't happen again. Because when war is finished, there is still something smoldering inside us and then suddenly it can get to the surface and explode. Well, this is the part of my inspiration.

Beautiful things also inspire me. Nature, colors, flowers' smells, people, children's smile. I like communicating with people from different backgrounds, countries, religions, statuses. I like this variety and I am very sociable. When you communicate, you know a lot of new things and this exchange of ideas and thoughts is wonderful. It also becomes inspiration for some work. Usually I love works that I do, because I am selective. That is why I told "yes" to this dialogue. If I say 'yes' to some project, it means I studied the script and I see the perspective. And I like such projects where I see the final result and I can feel that I affected somehow people's attitude towards something. Maybe, afterwards people will be able to create some changes themselves.

photo: Nadine Abou Zaki

TO BE AN ARTIST - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

If we get into history, have a look at different artists, we can find out that it is always difficult to be an artist. It's not easy to be poor, to be rich, to be engineer, doctor, psychologist. And it's not easy to be a HUMAN, as you need to work hard on yourself. You need to say yourself everyday: "I need be better", in spite of your level of thinking. Even if you ask sellers at the street "how are you", they will reply that they are not good, as they didn't sell enough flowers. They want to sell more and seem better in front of others.

An artist has some kind of urge forwarded to people, meaning he wants to change the world to the better. It's great, even the idea itself is great. If we do something that changes others to the better, than we make our planet better. According to one research, if all people jump together at the same time, they can move the planet. The idea of working collectively is wonderful.

You know, everything is happening so quickly, brain have to adapt the changes every time, people have different worries, but sometimes you just really need silence so that to be able to re-load yourself. You always think about work, family, friends and etc. but suddenly you remember that there are you and you really need a minute of silence and free breathing.

photo: kamel zebib

War has removed the feeling of "tomorrow", people live today. There are many films about the future. If you understand there is no future, then you should do something to have it. And sometimes it's important not WHAT you do, but HOW you do things. You see, smile affects, hugs - all these things are unselfish. Use them, they will make you happy. You can become positive and change things around you. You always have a choice. You need to search for something that is interesting for you and the world at the same time. If you are selfish, then you risk to be alone. Those, who don't share thoughts and ideas, don't get a lot from people. Exchange is important and we are born with it. When you start communicating and interacting, you lose fear. Many people are afraid of communicating. War works the same way: I don't want to know you, I just want to kill you. Perhaps, your business and my business make a positive contribution, so, maybe we could cooperate and run together instead of constant competition. We can move each other forward. But things happening now depress me. Everything is so bad that people want to move.

For example, if we have a look at human cruelty. Over the last 4 years there have been many cases of killings and beating of women by their husbands and family members. What is going on? Why do people marry because of love and then kill each other because of love? How to explain that you must think and then act? How to get through to people and allow them to bright their message to you? Sometimes art deals with it, it allows to see things from different angles: from the point of view of the director, actor, choreographer, dancer, sculptor. And when it is successful, you think "Wow!"

Archive for февраля 2017

THE ENVIRONMENTAL VILLAGE KHAN AL SABOUN (LEBANON)

BSHARA ATALLAH. MONOLOGUE OF THE ARTIST.

Archive