According to the Royal Film Commission Jordan (RFC) statement, the award-winning Jordanian short film “Why”, written and directed by Mohammad Rahahleh, competed in the seventh Hungarian Disability Film Festival Budapest.
The short film features a street sweeper in his mid-20s, played by the Jordanian theatre actor Murad Abu Saraya.
The sweeper faces an unfortunate obstacle in his work, unexpectedly receiving help from the main character, a person with disabilities played by Mahmoud Zoubi, repoerted The Jordan Times.
“The main purpose of the movie is to show the power of giving and portray persons with disabilities as sources of power with a lot to offer,” said Rahahleh.
The film also sheds light on various social issues by using the word “why” to pose questions: Why is there unemployment? Why is there sexual harassment? Why do people toss litter in the street?, he added.
“The presence of a person with a disability as the main protagonist and the use of a single sequence scene both increase the authenticity of the events,” said Rahahleh.
Zoubi, who is a first-time actor, said that the single sequence scene was not easy, especially since it involved a lot of walking as the shooting was repeated nine times in one day.
“The film was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Arab Aid Organisation in Lebanon and produced by Rana Dabbas with the support of the Royal Film Commission Jordan and Fig and Olive Films,” he noted
The RFC will screen the film as part of the “Jordanian Film Caravan” in Jordan’s governorates and the “Film Screenings at Schools” project, and in RFC film centres, according to Rahahleh.
