© 2015 Jeanne Powell
THEEB
a film review
THEEB is an authentic coming of age film set during an important period in world history -- the First World War (1914-1918). This short film (100 minutes) involving family loyalties and mesmerizing adventure has won prizes for best director, best film, best screenplay and best debut director at film festivals in Venice, London, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Belgrade, Miami, Las Palmas and Beijing.
The film opens in 1916 when war is raging in several parts of the world, including the Ottoman Empire (1600-1923). Young Theeb and his brothers are the sons of a Bedouin chief. When the chief dies, his oldest son succeeds him. Theeb (Jacir Eid) is closest to his brother Hussein (Hussein Salameh). When a British officer arrives one night with his guide (Marji Audeh), asking for assistance in reaching an oasis located in disputed territory, Hussein volunteers to guide the two visitors. Rifles tied onto their camel packs, the three men set out. Unknown to Hussein, his mischievous ten-year old brother Theeb follows them on a donkey. When they discover Theeb, the men realize it is too late to send him home, and so Theeb's adventure begins.
Filmed in the deserts of Jordan, the film captures perfectly the perspective of a boy curious about the world of adults. Through Theeb's eyes we see the night sky filled with stars, and the beauty of the mysterious mountains. We see his insatiable curiosity about the perspiring British army officer with a shaving kit, pocket watch, telescope, folded maps and inability to speak Arabic. And we experience his shock when their small party is fired upon as they enter the world of war - Ottoman mercenaries, revolutionaries and outcast Bedouin raiders riding camels.
Director Naji Abu Nowar says the entire film is told from the perspective of young Theeb, a name which means "wolf."
"His [Theeb's] experience is so dramatic, the predicament so unforgiving, that we needed to capture a real life wolf to portray our fictitious one. The whole film hinged on finding the boy who could portray both man and child; who could be timid at one moment and indomitable in the next; a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Casting for the film THEEB was complicated by the need for authentic actors who knew Bedouin culture. There were no such people. The director realized he needed to develop local Bedouins into actors and this took place over a period of eight months. With one exception, the entire cast is composed of non-professional actors.
The director has said, "The decision to cast the Bedouin was one of the most rewarding of the filmmaking process. The authenticity they gave to the roles is ingrained on screen."
By the time Theeb sneaks away from his village to follow Hussein, we have witnessed the bond between the siblings. Hussein shows his ten-year old brother how to haul water from desert wells using leather pouches, how to shoot a rifle, build a fire, how to harvest a goat to feed their guests.
Leaving his family to guide two strangers through dangerous territory was not a choice for Hussein; it was a duty according to Bedouin law. "If a stranger arrives at your tent requesting refuge, you must grant him protection until the threat can be peacefully resolved....A man's reputation is defined by what he does in such difficult circumstances," Nai Abu Nowar explains.
The film director and writer goes on to say, "Bedouin customs like this have grown from their environment, the desert. They are renowned for their generous hospitality because in the desert you must be able to rely on the kindness of strangers to survive."
This is the dilemma which Theeb eventually faces when he runs off to follow his brother Hussein and their party encounters trouble on their way through disputed territory. In Bedouin culture, a boy who endures such an ordeal would be called a theeb (wolf). If someone calls you a wolf, you have earned their respect, according to the director. However, attaining that level of courage, surviving an ordeal, always brings with it the loss of childhood innocence.
When young Theeb asks about the "iron donkey," a railroad which he sees for the first time, it is explained to him that the railroad "is what destroyed us," took away their traditional livelihood of guiding pilgrims and turned many into bandits. The stranger (Hassan Mutlag) says "I've met all kinds of people, took a ship captain to Mecca, have seen the Red Sea and Palestinian Sea, have seen Jerusalem and Bagdad...[but] the trains came and ruined everything."
Jacir Eid's perfect performance as a child surviving in the desert wilderness is aided by Wolfgang Thaler's fine cinematography -- subtle colors highlighting sunrise, sunset, shadows, mountain cliffs, multi-colored landscapes, the inside and outside of desert wells, flies gathering on parched skin, the behavior of camels, cauterizing a wound with a knife heated in a campfire. Jerry Lane's music accompanies with an equally subtle influence, never overwhelming the moment.
Hussein Salameh plays Theeb's older brother Hussein. Salameh's background as an athlete, camel racer and camel breeder made him an ideal candidate to play the role of the princely son of a Bedouin Sheikh. And his easy relationship with Jacir (his actual cousin in real life) sealed the deal.
Outstanding also is the performance of Hassan Mutlag as the stranger, the fierce warrior whom Theeb finds lying in the sand next to a well. At first he seems to be dead, and Theeb attempts to take his camel. Since the camel won't budge, the tired boy simply goes to sleep near the well and wakes up to see the injured warrior crawling slowly toward him, calling out for help.
The boy's reactions to one new experience after another give us a close-up reminder of what children in wartime go through everywhere. A beautifully filmed adventure and meditation on a lost way of life.
