Best short film europe 2002

Lately i've been interested in events corresponding to the 92-95 Bosnian War,and while searching the net for articles,pics and videos,I found this great piece of work on You Tube.

10 Minutes

"10 minutes by Ahmed Imamovic. 1994. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Rome, Italy. How many different things can happen for only 10 Minutes. The film won the award for the best European short film in 2002.

This short film, as its title indicates lasts only 10 minutes, but it tells a much longer story which unravels only in our imagination upon seeing the end of the film. While 10 minutes in someone's life mean nothing, they can be fatal in another: a boy and his loving family, tragedy in a war-torn city, death and destruction. All in just ten minutes. The film follows two simultaneous story lines: one set in Rome, and one in Sarajevo, in 1994, the worst time of the war in Bosnia. Although the Rome part was not filmed on the original location, that does not take away anything from the quality of the film, it was just a symbolic element anyway. Cast is great, story is very compact and well written, direction dynamic and precise. There is nothing out of place in the film: well structured, stripped of false pathos, realistic, it is very straight forward. In other words, this is a jewel of a film, and it was not by chance that it won the award for the best European short film in 2002. 10 minutes for me is definitely one of the most moving and powerful films about wartime Sarajevo. Behind the scene: I read that the director Ahmed Imamovic, in search of Japanese for the role of the tourist, had to go to the Japanese Embassy in Sarajevo and ask one of the staff to perform in the film. Luckily for the director, the Embassy allowed one of their employees to star in the film.

The story tells how SERBS have killed civils, old people and children!"

Salute,
Shultze

Trip to Syria and Lebanon~~

FIRST DAY

Our journey started on Monday morning.We took a cab to Syria,me hazim and munir in the same car with one Arab boy who happened to be going to Syria to spend his holidays with his cousins.The journey took about 3 hours,and when we arrived at Baramkeh station in Dimasyq,we didnt know what to do.So,I decided that we must have a map,and to get a map,we have to go to some kind of information booth.The problem was,Dimasyq is a big city,and the probability for us to find any information centers by chance is like 6.02x10^-23.So we walked and walked and with a stroke of luck I saw the Ministry of Tourism building,we went in,asked if there is any maps,and the guy there told us to go to a place where we can find what we want.He gave us the address,so we found our way by asking the locals the direction.

With a map in hand,we headed towards Souq Hamidiyeh,while Afiq and friends searched for a hotel.I brought Hazim and Munir to Umawi Mosque and all the tombs inside,tomb of Saladin,tomb of Zainab,all the places that i've went during my previous visit.When we finished,we asked Afiq which hotel they were at,and went there to check in with them.

In front of Saladins' Tomb

Tomb of Prophet Yahya

Reading the map in front of Saladins tomb

I dont know who the guy on the horse is

After a short rest,we went out again for lunch.This time we got Abg Isam as our tourist guide,and he brought us to Jabal sumthing i forgot the name which is the place where 40 walis are supposed to meet and do their stuffs.We climbed the rocky mountain because the pick up truck that supposed to bring us up dropped us at the wrong place. Also it is the place where the first murder in the history of mankind took place,between Habil and Qabil.We went into a cave where there is a mouth-like cavity on the rocks which is said caused by the reaction of the rocks when they saw the murder,and it is complete with tongue,teeth and even uvula,not to mention soft and hard palate.The same place also is said to be the place where Nabi Khidir and Nabi Ibrahim once prayed.Fuyoo so many things in the same place la.Unfortunately,cameras were prohibited,so no pictures were taken inside..

On the back of the pickup truck

Climbing the mountain~~

with Dimasyq as the background

We went back to our rooms very very tired.It was 9.30 and me,munir and hazim was already asleep.Thus our first day in Syria ended.

SECOND DAY

We woke up at around 6.30am.Afiqs groups was going to Halab,while we(me hazim and munir) headed towards Lebanon.We took a bus from Baramkeh,and after a journey of 2 1/2 hours,we arrived in Beirut.My eyesight was quickly fixed to destroyed buildings which were the result of 15 years of civil war.One of the guys in Syria told us that the bus station will be surrounded by hotels,but we were dropped by the bus in the middle of nowhere.So I decided that we should go to the hotel district,find a map,and change our money to Lebanese Lira.The taxi cost us 3000 liras,which is ok.I asked the driver to stop when I saw an exchange,and luckily again for us,the ministry of tourism is just in front of the exchange.To make a 3 hours long story short,we got the map,went in and out several hotels to find the best rate,took lunch at a seafood restaurant,went to the famous Rawsheh rocks,and finally checked in at Astra Hotel with the rate of 60000 liras a night.

Our first meal in Lebanese territory

Rawsheh rocks.Donno what is so special about 'em.

In the evening we walked to the newly built city center which is very very very beautiful.Went to the Roman bath,Amir Munzir mosque which is one of the earliest mosque in Lubnan,where we met the Syeikhul Qurra' of Lebanon,Syeikh Mahmud Muhammad A'kawi by accident,Najmeh Square and the surrounding places.After about 2 hours,we went back to watch Brazil vs I forgot who.

Hamra' Street

Roman bath and Public Garden in the background

Inside the Amir Munzir mosque

Umar Al-Kabiir Mosque

Downtown Beirut at night

THIRD DAY

We went to Ramlet El-Bayda beach in the morning but we didnt throw ourselves into the sea due to the lack of proper clothing,so we just sit down and relax.Armed with informations collected from locals,after checking out at 12 o'clock,we took a taxi to Jounieh,where there were cable cars that take you up a mountain to a church and a huge statue of Mary,plus you can see the whole Beirut from up there.Then we proceeded to Jaita Grotto,a super beautiful limerock cave.It is
divided into upper and lower cave,and you can ride a boat on a subterranean river inside the lower cave.But again,cameras were prohibited,so no pictures of the cave except one blur picture taken when I managed to smuggle my camera in.If you want to know how beautiful it is,search the internet or just go there for a vacation.After we finished touring the cave,we went back to Beirut and took a taxi to Syria,once again.

"I'll see you on teh beach"

In the cable car

The statue of Virgin Mary

Eyes fixed on Beirut

With Faisal,the driver that brought us to Jeita Grotto

At the entrance of upper cave

The only shot of Jeita Grotto worth posting,others are so bleak

With an Iraqi,who we toured the cave together with

Entrance of Umar Al-Kabiir mosque

Our taxi to Syria

In front of the Dimasyq railway station

Upon arrival in Dimasyq,we went to the same hotel again,and slept.

FOURTH DAY

Urm,nothing much happened.We just went to Souq Hamidiyyeh to shop for everything that we were told to buy hehe.In the evening,we paid a visit to the tomb of Abu Darda',and at night,we watched the match between England and Trinidad & Tobago which ended in Englands' favour.And then we slept again.

FIFTH DAY

Went out in the morning but virtually every shop was closed because Friday is a holiday.Munir bought his halawiyats(sweets) and after that we jet off to Irbid at about 11a.m.

Tired,
Shultze

Zarqawi is dead

Yes,he is dead.According to reports from news agencies,the Al-Qaeda leader was killed by a 500 lbs bomb from an American airstrike.

According to Yahoo News :

"Al-Zarqawi and several aides, including spiritual adviser Sheik Abdul Rahman, were killed Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles from Baghdad in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, officials said."

And according to Truth About Iraqis blog :

"Iraqi sources are saying that Zarqawi did not die in the bombing of the house but succumbed to his wounds later. More information will come out about this for sure."

Reaction of Iraqis according to Yahoo news :

"We received this news with great joy, but our greater joy will be the departure of the occupation forces from Iraq," said Sahib al-Amiri, a member of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's group in the southern city of Basra.

"Zarqawi is a puppet in the hands of the Americans, who chose to kill him to keep the occupation in our country. The occupation forces will start a new game in coming days."

Also according to Truth About Iraqis blog :

"CNN's Jamie McIntyre reporting from the Pentagon just said that senior Iraq "insurgents" provided the US military with information which ultimately led to Zarqawi's death.

This has not been confirmed by the US military or Iraqi "insurgents"."

I first heard of the news in a fax shop.The TV was showing the Al-Jazeera report of the news,and the shop uncle was looking not very happy as usual.Then came the uncles' friend,and the uncle greeted him with "istisyhada zarqawi" which means Zarqawi is martyred.

Now the one who's calling for sectarian violence is gone,I hope we can see a pure resistance that concentrates the fight on Occupation troops,not killing innocent Iraqis.

Zarqawi is dead,we'll see how the resistance goes on.


Salute,
Shultze

Zarqawi in his latest video tape

Random writing

OK.The problem is simple.I want to post.But I donno what to write about.So shud i continue or is it better for me to go to sleep?

Erm the time now is about 2.50 pm jordanian time which is GMT+2 Al-Quds time(we muslims should never call the city jerusalem which is the jewish version of the name) and i donno what to do.The holidays has started for two days,and still no REAL plan has been laid about our supposed adventure to syria and lebanon.

And i've also heard that there will be no World Cup broadcast here in Jordan unless you pay 150JD for a special pass or sumthing like dat.It seems that some broadcasting companies have took all the broadcasting rights and the as a result,we cannot watch the matches.Ganyang syarikat tersebut.

Now the exams are over for us first year students,or better known as "sanfuur" in arabic.But for our brothers and sisters throughout the world,good luck for you guys,dont panic2 ok,enshalla everything will be fine.

And what's more??Ah ha my German empire has been steadily increasing after we succesfully invaded Poland and France simutaneously before finishing up Belgium and the Netherlands.The Army High Command is now preparing for an attack on Denmark,while preparations for the invasion of Britain is going on smoothly.The Air Force(Luftwaffe) is busy repelling attacks by British and Commonwealth bombers against target in ocuupied France.Britain had to be eliminated before any further military actions against Soviet Russia is possible.The invasion of Britain is scheduled to be somewhere in January 1941.God willing,if everything is going on according to plan,we will liberate the Middle East from British rule by 1942.
And of course all these is just a game,Hearts Of Iron 2 Doomsday.

Thats all.Bye.

The place where Jesus was baptised,according to Christian sources.But who's the mystery guy down there????

Salute,
Shultze