Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March/April 2017, pp. 53-54

Music & Arts

Hamzah Jamjoom Delves Into Saudi Culture

“The biggest problem I see with Saudi culture is our ego—fear of self-image,” Jeddah-born filmmaker Hamzah Jamjoom said during a conversation with John Hanshaw, director of the Washington Film Institute, at the Carroll Street Busboys & Poets in Washington, DC. “And our biggest problem as content creators of films in the Middle East is our ego.”

Co-founder of the production company Digital Hydra, the filmmaker addressed this issue in the hit Arabic TV series “WaMayhaya” (The Ego). Audience members at the Jan. 9 event enjoyed a screening of the new English-language trailer of the show, which examines how humans are in a continuing battle between self and ego.

Following up on his interest in “the ego,” Jamjoom created the film “Balance,” in which he deals with two aspects of ego. He described these as “extremism—blindly following a way of life and defending it and willing to die for it and killing someone without learning about the other side—and ignorance—not learning about other cultures and religions.”

“My goal is to bring people together,” he explained. “What I learned over the years is that stories are a way to find truth, preserve truth and share truth. It’s a way to bring people together and bridge gaps. But the only way for us to proceed forward with telling these stories is to let go of our egos and our fear of our own self-image.”

Armed with a Master in Fine Arts degree in film from DePaul University, the 30-year-old Chicago-based writer, director and producer is part of the upcoming generation of Saudis who are confronting their past and are eager to define themselves as “both Arabian and Muslim,” Jamjoom told his audience. “As the young generation of Arabians, we see ourselves as more spiritual than conservative. Being religious doesn’t necessarily mean being conservative or closed-minded. My message is that we should celebrate who we are and be proud of who we are,” Jamjoom said.

Jamjoom’s previous works include the Arabic version of the IMAX film “ARABIA 3D,” “Factory of Lies,” “Ramadan,” and “Ya Nabi” music videos featuring the popular Lebanese musician Maher Zain.

—Elaine Pasquini