Since childhood throughout his gloomy life, only one thing used to pull Salem out of his despair; a beautiful girl playing piano behind a window in the next building.
When an old friend comes to town with a tempting job offer abroad, Salem feels compelled to find a solid reason to stay, he decides to go and meet the piano girl.
“Once Upon a Piano” is a 25 minute independent short film written and directed by Fadi G. Haddad (Shortwave 2005, Solitaire 2007) accomplished through a joint effort of a passionate cast and crew;
Azza Hourani (Assistant Director)
Ahmad Khatib (Cinematography)
Dr. Najati Al Suloh (Original Music)
Nadia Eliewat - Ibrahim Ayoubi (Production Design & Wardrobe)
Baha’ Othman (Sound Design)
Amer Duweik (Production Sound)
Mohamed Hushki (Color Correction & After Effects)
Amna Hawwaj (Make-up)
Hiba Judeh (Photography)
Join the film’s Facebook group for more news and photos and to keep updated for the first screening.
A trivial social habit like kissing can only become a subject of a prolonged discussion and theorization in a city like Amman where everthing seems to be more complicated than anywhere else.
This short documentary college project was a made for my filmmaking studies at the SAE Institue in Amman.
Fadi: Gee! where is that horriblesound coming from?! who the hell is singing?! Hiba: a guy is singing over there… Fadi: where? I can’t find him… Hiba: over there…that boldguy behind the fat woman… Fadi: ah! there he is
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. Fadi: oh my God! we’re so mean!!
Shoes can tell you a lot about people. Photographer Hiba Judeh explores their stories.
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SHOES OF A FILMMAKER
The young filmmaker who owns these bright blue shoes wears them while he’s location scouting and filming, almost like a superstition. When he first saw them in the shop, he thought they were navy blue - he says he’s not color blind, so maybe it was the lighting. When he got them home he saw they were, in fact, attention-getting bright blue. But that didn’t stop him wearing them. “
August 30, 2007, 6:53 pm
Filed under: death, life, smile
It has become a daily routine in my life - a positive routine though- that after waking up in the morning, washing my face and brushing my teeth I always look into the mirror and smile, as if to start my day with an optimistic attitude. No matter how efficient this method has been proving itself, considering being in the middle of a professional grumpy nation, I just feel good doing it as a personal gesture of good will at least toward my own human nature.
That morning wasn’t like any other one; you don’t wake up everyday on a phone call telling you that someone passed away. Not just “someone” but someone who is young, gentle and affectionate. And not just that but most importantly, a friend.
I thought that it has become personal this time; it seemed like it’s the first time death comes that close taking someone whom I really knew.
Well…here I go making everything about me again. But isn’t that what it’s all about anyway; we grief about losing dear people although we do realize deep inside that they must have gone to a better place. It is actually about us missing the good ones in our lives. And even though you might haven’t been seeing them everyday, not even every week it just hurts that you might not be seeing them anytime soon.
I was talking to a friend yesterday and we were thinking that death is actually ironic.
Especially in a world where death has become part of our audiovisual subconscious since not a single day passes without you read, hear or see people die everywhere and every time around the globe, it has become just another piece of news that we got used to and we take in cold blood. Only when it hits someone of our own that we feel its gravity again.
Yesterday morning, I woke up, got dressed and left. Being inexperienced it took me a while to figure out why the whole day felt awkward. It was because I forgot to smile; it was because a dear one was lost.
*In memory of Sami Haddad (Dec. 1985- Aug. 2007) may he rest in peace.
“Solitaire”سوليتير is my latest short film that I finished early this year.
I’m submitting the film to a couple of festivals before I can upload it online.until then you can find more info about the film, the cast and crew as well as photos, video clips and the soundtrack.